Dune Part II

 

The time is finally here! Dune is my favourite movie of all time and I have been waiting for this sequel for what feels like forever! This movie went beyond my expectations, it's bigger and more action-packed than the first film. Story-wise I still like the first Dune better. I think the first film does a fantastic job setting up its sequel, but the story and the world-building of the first film are what makes this film so special. Part 2 was a great continuation of this story. 




Paul Atreides’s arch from the beginning of part 1 to the end of part 2 is crazy. I can’t believe how much darker the character is in this film. To see him go from this innocent teenager who skips over to his mentors to this ruler, this messiah, is incredible. By the end of the second film, he has changed so much and his values have shifted so much, that you wonder if you are still supposed to root for him. I loved the way they created this transition, and Timothee Chalamet is easily the only person who could do this role justice. He has incredible depth as an actor and not only is the shift in the character Paul Atredies impressive, but his ability to go from Willy Wonka to Paul Atredies really shows just how much he is capable of doing as a young actor. Timothee Chalamet yelling “That’s not hope” will be ringing through my ears for the next few months. That was the most powerful line in the whole film for me, where the character just snaps. 




The two actors I was so impressed by were Zendaya and Rebecca Ferguson. Absolutely beautiful performances. I think this is Zendaya’s best film. She has a lot more screen time in this movie than in the first one. I don’t think I’ve seen her in such a serious role outside of Euphoria so this is a very different character for her. The Bene Gesserit are also very interesting in this film as we meet more members of the group. You see the power that they still hold. This film looks deeper into the work they do behind the scenes, controlling the male leaders. However, it also demonstrates some cracks in their plans and that maybe they may not hold the total control that we think they do. 




As for new characters, Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan and Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen were interesting additions to the cast. I found Florence’s character to be a little flat and not that interesting. But I thought that it was funny that in both movies that Timothee and Florence were in, Florence plays Timothee’s second-choice wife. It was great to see them work together again since Little Women. The press tour for this movie was so much fun to watch because you have four of the biggest young talents in the world together sharing one screen. Austin Butler’s character Feyd-Rautha was terrifying and psychotic but I think he did a good job in the role. Other than Elvis I haven’t seen him in anything this serious and this is very different than Zoey 101 and Hannah Montana that’s for sure. Although you can sometimes still hear Elvis in his voice which is crazy.




If you can, please go see this in the movie in theatres and in IMAX. I saw it in IMAX and the ground was shaking. The sound is incredible. This is such an immersive and beautiful experience and it deserves to be seen in IMAX. The film was out for a week before I got to see it and the theatre was still packed. It took a lot of work to find a theatre with good seats still available. When they were riding the sandworms, they made it feel like you were right there with them. 

If you have not seen either of the Dune movies directed by Denis Villeneuve, you must watch them right now. It is an incredible world that Denis has created based on the books by Frank Herbert and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this franchise.