In Dune: Part Two, the House of Atreides has fallen. Only Paul and Lady Jessica have survived the attack on their family and they now live amongst the sand-dwelling Fremen.
Filled with a desire for revenge, Paul aims to seek out the Harkonnen, and make them pay for his father’s death, but first he must learn the ways of the Fremen. Meanwhile, Lady Jessica takes up a new position as the Reverend Mother – a sacred duty which allows her to inherit the memories of every ancestor in her genetic lineage.
With Paul and Lady Jessica occupied with their new roles, a new threat emerges in the shape of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen’s youngest nephew, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Feyd-Rautha is the planned successor of the House of Harkonnen, and one very nasty pasty.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two is a direct sequel to 2021’s Dune: Part One and the second instalment in a two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel, Dune. The movie stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Dave Bautista, and is new to UK and US cinemas from Friday March 1st.
Picking up directly after the events of its predecessor, Dune: Part Two continues the story where the first film left off. So, if you have no idea who Paul and Lady Jessica are, or what happened to the House of Atreides, you’d best take a look at Part One, because you’ve got some homework to do.
For those already up to speed, Part Two kicks off with Paul amongst the Fremen and preparing himself for a future encounter with his enemies. Here he spends time training, getting to know Fremen warrior (and love interest) Chani, and there’s a bit of action to draw audiences back in.
As things go, Part Two gets off to a good start and I’m happy to say that once the movie gets into the swing of things this second instalment of Dune is an improvement on Part One. It’s not enough of an improvement to totally win over those who found the first film dull (which includes me), but it does have a bit more going for it this second time around, including more action and less world building.
That said, I’m still not completely sold on Dune. While Dune: Part Two has its moments, and I’m sure will delight those already invested in the Dune universe, I doubt it will change anyone’s opinion about the series if they’re simply not that fussed, and this ultimately keeps it in the position of an acquired taste.
You may recall I didn’t much care for the first film, finding it plodding and fairly dour, and while Part Two does quicken the pace a touch (at least to begin with), it suffers from similar issues. Like the arid desert which forms the backdrop to most of the story, Dune: Part Two is a dry film and one which seems to go on, and on, and on.
As with its predecessor, Dune: Part Two is a lengthy film, clocking in at 167 minutes. I understand the original Dune novel is classed as a sci-fi epic, so this two-part adaptation has to follow suit, but director Denis Villeneuve sure does drag things out, even if he is an expert in his field.
Thankfully, the cast are on fine form, with Timothée Chalamet giving a confident performance as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson having a ball as Lady Jessica, and Zendaya putting in a solid turn as Chani. Zendaya got next-to-no screen time in the first film, but she’s everywhere in Part Two and this is a good thing.
The supporting cast also cut the mustard with Austin Butler proving to be delightfully unhinged as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Dave Bautista being ever-reliable as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen, and Javier Bardem offering up a likeable turn as Stilgar, leader of the Fremen tribe. The film may be a butt-numbing three hours (or there about), but it does benefit from a great cast who help paper over some of the slower scenes.
In terms of the technical aspects of the film, the costumes, the lighting, the sound, the special effects, and the overall production design etc, I simply can’t fault this movie – at times it’s stunning, just look at the images in this review. Dune: Part Two ticks all the right boxes and it is clear a lot of time, effort, and creativity has gone into this picture.
As with the first chapter, Dune: Part Two is a film built to last. I don’t have to care for it to understand this, and I expect it will be discussed, debated, and dissected for years to come.
Not by me, but certainly by academics and fans. And if you are a fan of the Dune novels, then I really do believe you’ll enjoy this film very much.
Better than the first instalment, but still very much a film you’ll either love or you’ll fall asleep to, Dune: Part Two is not going to float everyone’s boat. Some will find themselves deeply immersed in the characters and the story and think it’s a perfect adaptation, while others will become a little bored in places and may mentally check out from time-to-time.
I expect I am going to go against the grain here by saying I simply didn’t care and it’s not going to be on my list of the best films of 2024. It had me for a while, but ultimately it became a bit stodgy and lost me, and by the end I was left with no major desire to return to it, or even give it much space in my brain.
If you loved Part One and you’re more than ready to watch Part Two, go see it and enjoy – I’m sure you’ll have a great time. However, if you nodded off during Part One and haven’t given it a second thought since 2021, then I doubt Dune: Part Two will do much to tickle your pickle.
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