‘Dune: Part Two’ Film Review: A Thrilling Science Fiction Epic

Ready the warriors, saddle the worms, tighten your stillsuits, and prepare yourself for one of the best Science Fiction epics in years. Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” arrives in theaters and gives a lesson to modern filmmakers on how to skillfully create worlds while not losing sight of the story. Villeneuve and his co-writer Jon Spaihts take their Frank Herbert adaptation to even bigger levels for the second entry in the classic tale of warring houses and their battles for power and spice.

In supremely masterful ways, “Dune: Part Two” brings back cinematic spectacle. Every moment, Villeneuve and his crew fill the screen with exhilarating sequences captured through some truly incredible cinematography. Greig Fraser’s artful eye is in perfect symmetry with both his director and the imagery created so brilliantly in Frank Herbert’s novels. While there is something to be said for the amazingly realized visuals in David Lynch’s unfairly maligned 1984 adaptation, Villeneuve brings Herbert’s worlds to life in the grandest of ways. This is large scale epic filmmaking (think David Lean or John Ford does “Dune”) on levels the Sci-Fi genre hasn’t seen in decades. Along with Production Designer Patrice Vermette and a platoon of nine Art Directors, Villeneuve has truly crafted one of the great Science Fiction films of recent memory.

Timothée Chalamet continues to impress as Paul Atreides. Son to a murdered father/king, the young warrior continues his journey of revenge on those who destroyed his family and kingdom while foreseeing a dark future that he will fight to stop. As he did in the first film, Chalamet effortlessly inhabits every inch of the character, losing himself in both the role and the world in which he exists. His innocence from the first film now erased and a powerful spirit born, Atreides finds an alliance with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen, a desert people descended from the Zensunni Wanderer tribe who live on planet Arrakis. It is in the relationship between Paul and Chani where the film and story find their soul. Amongst the political intrigue, military tensions, and different messiah-complexes, real emotional connections are achieved in their alliance. Chalamet and (especially) Zendaya never allow their characters to become lost in the surrounding madness. The actors say more with a glance than ten pages of dialogue could hope for. Their performances keep the emotional drama grounded and quite effective.

Rebecca Ferguson returns as Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother, who is the reason for his “otherworldly” mental abilities. The character and Ferguson’s performance get deeper in this entry; Lady Jessica’s arc becoming one of the most interesting aspects of the story.

Rather than writing an essay on the lineage of all the characters, it can be said that Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista (a bit wasted), and Charlotte Rampling return to their roles; each one existing as an important piece moving through the screenplay’s chess board of conspiracies and wartime action.

Christopher Walken joins the cast as the Emperor who had Paul’s father killed and his kingdom attacked. The actor brings his strange and patented menace to a role with little dialogue, playing out both father, ruler, and villain in equally involving measure.

Rounding out the cast of new faces, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, and a vicious Austin Butler (a true standout) all cut a memorable path with their dedicated supporting work.

If the film has an issue, it lies at the feet of Hans Zimmer. Certainly a good composer, with the exception of his powerful score for Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” from 2014, Zimmer’s work over the last decade or more has become a hodgepodge of recycled themes the composer has used time and time again. While Zimmer won an Oscar for the first “Dune” entry, he failed to create any memorable pieces. For “Dune: Part Two”, his compositions are effective, but this can’t be called a film score proper. Using his trademark synth/brass/strings mix, Zimmer doesn’t create character themes, but rather bombastic music queues that color the action. While the music ultimately works, the picture could have benefited from more fleshed-out compositions. It seems the days of creating musical pieces specific to a character have gone the way of the samurai.

Those who know the works of “Dune” must be warned, as he did in the first film, Villeneuve changes a few things here and there. I would never spoil what he does, but fans of Herbert’s books won’t be disappointed. The changes made are dramatically for the better.

If it is true that this second part (there will be a third film) plays more or less as bullet points, it doesn’t take away from the film’s power. The screenplay piles on (in the best ways) the battles and scenes of giant sand worms tearing through the dunes, but successfully weaves in a tale of corruption and hero-worship blanketed in tragedy and betrayal. Villeneuve never loses his grip on the drama nor its impact and assures the characters stay above the visual aesthetics. This is terrific work from one of our finest modern directors.

It is rare for a filmmaker in today’s Hollywood to have vision. As he proved with his previous Sci-Fi works (“Arrival”, “Blade Runner 2049” and “Dune”), Denis Villeneuve has vision, and thankfully, it is of the old school variety. He understands how state of the art special effects are there to serve the story, not to overwhelm it. The director immerses his audience in the worlds he creates, finding emotional power within the majesty of his creations. This is filmmaking as it once was and as it should be.

With its spectacular imagery, involving story, great cast, and undying dedication to the essence of Frank Herbert’s novels, “Dune: Part Two” is a most satisfying cinematic experience.