Dune 2 Review

George Lucas once said that he had to wait until the technology caught up to his imagination before returning to the Star Wars movies. I wonder if Frank Herbert were alive today how he would feel about this new iteration of Dune by Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve has taken Herbert’s book to another level with his detail in not only the story but also the visuals that attack you on the screen. Dune 2 feels like the Empire Strikes Back of the series and takes you on a roller coaster ride, or in this case “sandworm ride”, through Arrakis.

The story of Paul Atreides parallels that of a god. A messiah born that will lead the banished back to the promised land. As someone who has all of this in their head, Paul must balance what must be done and what must not be done to fulfill this prophecy. Yes, this story sounds a bit heavy but the story of Dune is not a simple story. Knowing that you come from royalty Paul must convince the Fremen that he is not a spy and is there to help.

A lot is going on in Dune 2 and Villeneuve masterfully gives each story enough time to keep the audience’s attention. There are a few moments where the low speaking makes it difficult to understand what is going on but those moments are few and far between. The amount of exposition is close to none and it feels like all the words used are used for a reason. The actors’ performances are fantastic and make you feel their pain and their struggle. Chalamet makes you feel his struggle in this film and shines. The moment when he first rides the sandworm will go down as one of the greatest moments seen on film.

In the first Dune, it felt like a bait and switch with Zendaya only being in the movie for a few minutes. We get that in Dune 2 with Austin Butler. Although he is not in the movie as much as one would like, the time he is in the film is terrific. Butler plays Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen and his menace can be felt through the screen. Butler is heartless, terrifying, and sinister in his scenes. The relationship between him and Paul is revealed and that makes their moment together even more intense.

Being that this movie is stacked with amazing actors, you know that Villeneuve had to perfectly time it to give each actor their time to shine. It would have been nice to see more of Christopher Walken as Shaddam IV but the amount of time he was on the screen worked.

Final Thoughts: Dune 2 is a visual treat for the eyes. Fans of the first one will find a lot to love about this sequel and will be transported away. Although there were some issues with the pacing for me, the movie still kept my attention. Dune 2 is filled with a lot of action and scenes that look like paintings brought to life. We don’t say this much but this needs to be experienced on the biggest screen possible.

Kid-Friendly: The story of Dune is a little slow-paced for me so I can only imagine how it will be for younger kids. If your kids are fans of the first one they will enjoy Dune 2 a lot more. While moments of low talking and conversations require your full attention, this one is more action-packed than the first movie.

Violence: There is a lot of fantasy violence in Dune 2. There are images of bodies getting their water drained from them and servants being killed nonchalantly by their masters. Some of these scenes might be a little too much for younger viewers.

“Dune: Part Two” will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.