Based on the novel by Frank Herbert, Dune: Part 2 continues the story of Paul Atreides, portrayed by Timothee Chalamet, as he begins to take on his position as the Lisan Al Gaib, the Fremen’s — an oppressed group of people living on the fictional world of Arrakis — messiah. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, this Sci-Fi adventure is action-packed, thought-provoking, and an excellent example of cinema at its finest. The complex storyline and beautiful scenery work together to create both a visually appealing and intellectually interesting film. The second film of this likely-to-be-a-trilogy added to the original’s already stacked cast — including the aforementioned Timothee Chalamet alongside Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Dave Bautista, and more — with new renowned cast members such as Christopher Walken as the emperor, Florence Pugh as the emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler as the cruel and insane Feyd-Rautha. These esteemed actors and actresses drew viewers to the film and did not disappoint with their outstanding performances and portrayals of the complex characters seen throughout the Dune series.
Despite a few setbacks in the filming process, such as the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the film crew managed to create an impressive cinematic masterpiece, with an already renowned film score and immersive, lifelike VFX. The filmmakers paid extra attention to each detail in this out-of-this-world film, which can be seen in each and every scene. They even creatively immersed the viewers into the Sci-Fi world by using higher and lower exposures for the different scenes on Arrakis, this way viewers’ eyes would have to adjust to the extreme changes in light, mirroring the characters’ reactions to the harsh sunlight on the foreign planet. So far, the film already appears to be a good contender and frontrunner for the next award season with possible nominations for best score, cinematography, and possibly others.
The film manages to keep viewers engaged throughout the whole 2 hours and 46 minutes film by repeatedly interspersing action-filled scenes into the duller plot-filled moments and by creating a storyline that is elaborate and intricate, with characters equally as complex. As previously mentioned, the actors’ portrayals of their characters’ worked alongside the impressive VFX and creative score to pull viewers into the fictional world and create an all-around interesting and impressive film experience. Intertextuality between various films is also clear in the final product of Dune: Part 2, with scenes resembling everything from Star Wars to Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles, displaying how experienced and researched the filmmakers were. Throughout the Dune series, the filmmakers were able to create and immerse viewers into an eerily realistic, yet entirely fictional world.
I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys Sci-Fi, impressive cinematography, beautiful scenery, and a complex storyline because not only was the film extremely enjoyable to watch, engaging, and unique, but it was also extremely and evidently well-made, with all elements of the film working together to create an astounding and engaging showpiece. The film earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 92%, an exceptionally high score, as compared to part one’s also impressive 83%. From the action-packed battle sequences to the complex characters to the impressive VFX and interesting storyline, Dune: Part 2 keeps viewers engaged and completely immersed in the fictional world of Dune.
