Dune Part Two Review - Denis Villeneuve is a True Sorcerer in the Sci-Fi genre
There aren't many directors working today that can handle this genre as well as Denis Villeneuve can, therefore if it were up to me, I would keep him in these big-budget epic tales like this. Denis Villeneuve is still one of the most promising directors of our time.
I think the movie is superior to the previous installment in almost every way. As one might anticipate, Hans Zimmer's score is magnificent and far superior to Part 1's Oscar-winning and Grammy-nominated composition. Excellent and award-worthy technical elements include VFX, Production Design, Sound, Editing, etc. I had shivers from the action scenes, which are just incredible. The tale is captivating, with Denis's directing being flawless. It delves even further into the character development of the first installment while introducing new, fascinating people.
"Power over spice is power over all"—in the end, that statement kind of proved to be untrue. The soundtrack of the film immediately put me on edge as soon as it began. It's a cinematic experience, and I can't imagine having the same sense when viewing on headphones in bed at home. An epic mood was generated by the noises echoing throughout the theatre and creating vibrations.
I wasn't impressed when many referred to Part One as "Game of Thrones in space," especially considering that the same criticism was leveled at apple TV's Foundation series. I thus made no parallels and simply relished the film as Dune. Upon viewing the second installment, I perceive the world-building, politics, and overall epic grandeur of the entire story.
But the first part of Dune Part Two, which explores the life of the Fremen, is quite peaceful and grounded. With the first half carefully laying the groundwork for the dramatic third act and reiterating the character relationships developed in Dune Part One, it nearly seems like two separate films. This film is more devotional and has elements of a political story, in contrast to Part One's emphasis on lore—especially in light of the knowledge of the secret agents who control the empire. The outcome seems to be a complex network of conspiracies including the Baron's family, the empire, and the witch-advisor ladies (I can't spell their names!). I believed that the Baron's family was the major adversary despite the emperor tugging the ropes.
The tremendous grandeur of the dune is shown in the second part of the film. The movie wasn't fast-paced, but it didn't matter because I was completely engrossed in it. It was very kind to add, "The mahdi is too humble to say he is the mahdi." The theatre erupted in giggles. I wasn't expecting any humor, so it felt strange. It's more humorous than I thought. livelier than the first Dune film. The Usul-worm-riding sequence from the Dune Part One reopening additional material was something I had already seen. It didn't ruin anything, and I was still equally delighted.
As anticipated, the visual brilliance was astounding and enhanced every data-facet. Instead of just having people positioned in front of a green screen, the scenes' realism created the impression that the characters were part of the setting. The way that Paul's eyes changed with time—becoming bluer the longer he stayed—was so beautifully captured. The story moves at a leisurely pace but never loses interest despite how vibrant it is, detracting from its purposeful slowness. The fights were spectacular and had a lot more action, yet I think they could have been longer and they still held my attention.
Jessica vanished for a bit, but right when I was about to give up on her, she reappeared. The remainder of the actors don't get as much screen time as you might assume, except Paul and Zendeya. The baby/embryo/fetus moments were my favorites. It was awesome to see Batista in the desert without a mask while his crew was fully kitted up. I adore him in more dramatic parts, even though I felt like he was acting too much at times. I was interested to see what Austin Butler's persona was like, though, because it provided an interesting contrast. Extremely aggressive, frightening, and insane. I laughed at the girl who was trembling with the plate in her hands before the gladiator games. At times, Butler did resemble the baron as well.
Although at first I wasn't sold on Timothée Chalamet as the main character, in the follow-up he controls the part and exhibits acting qualities I hadn't seen from him before. In essence, Zendaya's remarkable performance tells the tale of Paul Atreides' coming-of-age in the film. The events at the end of the film have more depth because of the first act, which focuses on their love story. I hope that Zendaya plays a more complicated character in Dune: Messiah since her representation goes beyond the clichéd love narrative.
I would argue that this book takes more liberties than the previous one for book readers, but overall, I thought the adjustments were good. It makes several changes, but overall it still follows the book's primary themes. The lack of a time jump is the main modification. As a result, in contrast to the novel, certain characters don't make a complete appearance in the film. Nevertheless, they continue to employ the character in a unique way that I found appealing.
Don't miss the opportunity to catch this movie on IMAX, since I believe it's a historic piece of epic-fantasy/Sci-Fi cinema and a movie that will be remembered as a classic of the genre.
Extremely recommended.
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆