Denis Villeneuve’s eye-popping Dune, Part Two features an action-packed conclusion to the best movie version of Frank Herbert’s classic SF novel, Dune (1965). In Dune, Part One (you can read my review here) House Atreides is toppled by a House Harkonnen coup orchestrated by Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother (Charlotte Rampling). Surviving the massacre, Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalet) and his pregnant mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) flee into the desert and join the Fremen who have adapted to living on Arrakis.
Arrakis is the only planet with the most essential and valuable commodity in the universe: melange (aka, “spice”), a drug that gives the user a longer life span, greater vitality, and heightened awareness. In some humans, the spice can also unlock prescience, a form of precognition based in genetics but made possible by use of the drug in larger dosages. Among other functions, prescience makes safe and accurate interstellar travel possible. However, melange is also highly addictive, and withdrawal is fatal.
Paul Atreides slowly learns the way of the Fremen and becomes their leader. His lover, Chani (Zendaya), fears Paul’s ambitions will destroy him and her people. The most compelling character in Dune, Part Two is Austin Butler, not looking like Elvis anymore, as the sociopathic killer, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. With his head shaved bald, skin as white as porcelain, and a lust for killing, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen takes control of Arrakis from his uncle. But the rise of Paul Atreides and the Fremen bring Paul and Feyd-Rautha to a deadly confrontation.
Greig Fraser, who won the Oscar for cinematography for Dune, Part One, tops his work there with stunning use of color and light in Dune, Part Two. There are rumors that Denis Villeneuve might make one more Dune movie, Dune Messiah. I hope he does after viewing this marvelous film! GRADE: A
Can’t wait. Loved trhefiorst part. Only problem was the sound level.
Steve, that’s why I always travel with my ear plugs handy. I’m sure you’ll agree that DUNE, PART TWO is visually spectacular! Don’t forget to pick up a DUNE SANDWORM BUCKET of popcorn!
More than a rumor, a plan. Probably too bad that Denis Villeneuve’s plan is apparently to adapt DUNE MESSIAH for the third film…he has not started a desire to move on to the even more diminishing-returns (I gather from most others) further sequel novels (I am one of those who could never push himself through DUNE the first novel, any more than I could STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND…and it was rather obvious to me why both became furniture books, much as other bestsellers of the more transient sort were necessary to dress a coffee table).
Todd, for years Hollywood considered DUNE unfilmable, but Denis Villeneuve has pulled it off.
I didn’t hate the first, David Lynch-directed DUNE movie, though it was (in the most offhanded sense a “comic book” adaptation of what I slogged through in the novel.
Todd, most people have only seen part of the David Lynch DUNE. The studio forced Lynch to cut an hour from the original production. Unless you see the Director’s Cut, you’re missing a third of the movie.
Given it was kind of a “comic book” version, I can live with that. I didn’t love what I saw, either, and Lynch can be self-indulgent. And I remain not the biggest fan of the source novel.
Todd, Frank Herbert had to put up with a lot of rejection before DUNE was published…by an auto parts catalog company called Chilton Books. A First Edition is worth $800 to $3000 depending on condition.
I started out reading the second half of DUNE, as I started reading ANALOG with the January 1965 issue, with the first part of the serial “The Prophet of Dune.” I loved it. When I got the book, I only intended to read the first part, but at the end of that I just kept going to the end again. People were disappointed with DUNE MESSIAH when it came out, so I never read it. By the end of the six book series, DUNE MESSIAH apparently didn’t look so bad, so often now it’s considered one of the two good Dune novels. And a number of people now like all six.
I liked the first of the new DUNE movies. We’re going to rewatch it tonight, in anticipation of seeing the second within the next week or two.
Jeff, I remember being disappointed in DUNE MESSIAH. It didn’t have the scope and sweep of DUNE. But, I should reread it. I’ve read all of Frank Herbert’s DUNE books and have all of his son’s sequels (unread for now). You and Ann will love DUNE, PART TWO!
I enjoyed this quite a bit!!
Scott, DUNE, PART TWO was way better than DUNE, PART ONE. I’m hoping DUNE MESSIAH gets made with the success of these two DUNE movies!