Dune: Part Two

Composite Score: 94.84

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, and Charlotte Rampling

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Writers: Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Epic

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material, and brief strong language

Box Office: $714.64 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                Dune: Part Two is the sequel to 2021’s Dune, which together with Part Two adapts the famed Frank Herbert science fiction epic of the same name. Denis Villeneuve’s ambitious sequel picks up right where the first left off, following Paul Atreides as he seeks to find a place among the Fremen (the native people of Arrakis or Dune) so that he can fight alongside them against their common enemies – the Empire and House Harkonnen. The film explores Paul’s reticence to advance himself with the Fremen for fear of an extraplanetary prophecy that exists among them about a coming savior and his own visions of an intergalactic holy war carried out in the name of his family even as he grapples with his duty to his murdered father and as the leader of one of the great houses of the Empire. Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul alongside Zendaya as Chani, his lover among the Fremen, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, the Fremen leader that offered shelter to Paul and Lady Jessica, and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, the Harkonnen heir on a collision course with Paul. The film continues to receive praise for its excellent ensemble of characters and near-perfect technical aspects, winning Oscars for both Visual Effects and Sound along with nominations for Production Design, Cinematography, and Best Picture. It’s consistently been toward the top of most people’s top ten lists of last year, and it’s no surprise to see it here on the blog’s list.

                Regardless of your opinion on the story and characters of Dune: Part Two, which I’ve heard multiple perspectives on both in favor and against, there’s no denying that it is a true spectacle of a film. Denis Villeneuve accomplishes a visual grandeur in Part Two that even surpasses the impressive scale and scope of the first film. From the opening eclipse sequence, which immediately grips you and pulls you in, to the worm riding (arguably a top-five scene from all of last year) to the spice harvester take-down to Feyd-Rautha’s gladiatorial combat on the Harkonnen home planet to the final incredibly personal showdown between Paul and his enemies, every set piece accomplishes what Villeneuve set it out to do – impressing the audience and giving them a sense of place within the film. This grandeur is accompanied by a relatively engaging story with themes of the price of power, the impact of imperialism/colonialism, and the impact of unchecked mixing of religion and politics. Chalamet and company give strong character performances within this complex script and grand scale that also serve to accentuate and amplify the film’s impact, even if none of them are necessarily career bests (though I’d argue that Chalamet’s delivery of Paul’s speech at the Fremen meeting might be the most unique work the actor has done so far in his storied career and that Butler gives one of the strongest villain turns of the decade so far as Feyd-Rautha).

                The fact that Dune: Part Two lands toward the top of the films from 2024 should come as no surprise due in large part to its impressive achievements in scope along with some memorable characters and probably engaging story. I’m betting that some people will be upset that this film didn’t end up in the top spot, but again, the rankings and ratings on this blog have nothing to do with my personal preferences and everything to do with the money the films made, the awards they won, and the overall reception from critics and audiences, so don’t come at me, come at the Internet. Currently, you can stream this film on Max or Netflix if you’d like to watch it for yourself.