‘Dune: Part Two’ is a triumph of storytelling and spectacle

"Dune: Part Two" review: Denis Villeneuve's gorgeous sci-fi epic is a landmark filmmaking achievement

Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya in "Dune: Part Two." Warner Bros. Pictures

February 21, 2024

In one of the most thrilling scenes of “Dune: Part Two,” Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) must prove he belongs among the Fremen of Arrakis by mounting and riding a sandworm. If Paul makes one false move in his effort to control the cosmically gargantuan beast, he will undoubtedly perish.

The scene is a fitting metaphor for director Denis Villeneuve’s efforts to adapt Frank Herbert’s sprawling sci-fi epic “Dune” for the big screen. Where brilliant visionaries like David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowsky were left in the dust, the French-Canadian filmmaker succeeds. “Dune: Part Two” not only does justice to Herbert’s groundbreaking novel, it eclipses 2021’s “Dune” both in scale and ambition.

“Dune: Part Two” picks up shortly after the conclusion of 2021’s “Dune,” finding Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), fighting off Harkonnen troops on Arrakis. The faceless soldiers can fly with the touch of a button and are armed with the strongest firepower in the galaxy. Yet they never stand a chance.

The desert skirmish is an effective preview for the artistry on display throughout the film. Cinematographer Greig Fraser digitally tints the scene a deep orange, immersing viewers in the harsh climate of Arrakis. The sound design is visceral: As the bodies of the soldiers fall from the sky, your seat will shake with concussive thuds.

Paul may be an outsider, but he has taken to the Fremen ways like a fish to water — a simile that wouldn’t track on the barren planet. With each victory in battle, whispers among the Fremen that Paul is their long-promised savior — a religious myth seeded across generations by the witchy, power-hungry Bene Gesserit — grow stronger. Also growing stronger are the frustrations of the Harkonnens, the fief-holders (read: colonizers) of Arrakis, whose efforts to mine the planet’s spice are constantly disrupted.

Rebecca Ferguson in "Dune: Part Two." — Rebecca Ferguson in “Dune: Part Two.” *– Warner Bros. Pictures*

The plot of “Dune: Part Two” is incredibly dense, and Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts’ script is an impressive feat of storytelling. Fans of the novel will appreciate that almost every major plot line remains intact on screen. And despite the dense narrative (and the film’s tendency to wander into scenes full of dreamy images and dizzying spice hallucinations), newcomers should be able to follow the action without too much trouble.

In 2021’s “Dune,” Chalamet’s Paul is adept at combat and statecraft, but nevertheless appears waifish and hesitant. The Paul of “Dune: Part Two” is a young man with enough strength and charisma for reasonably intelligent people to build a religion around. It’s a testament to Chalamet’s performance abilities, and to Villeneuve for giving Paul the time and space to grow in front of our eyes.

On the other side of the coin, the Harkonnen’s prince-that-was-promised candidate, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), is appropriately cruel and psychotic. In black-and-white scenes shot on the Harkonnen’s home planet reminiscent of “Gladiator,” the “Elvis” actor slices and dices combatants with ease, grinning his black-stained teeth in malice. (Sidenote: Butler’s talk show appearances in six months where he explains why he can’t stop talking like Stellan Skarsgård will be hilarious.)

Timothee Chalamet and Austin Butler in "Dune: Part Two." — Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler in “Dune: Part Two.” *– Warner Bros. Pictures*

Even with a 166-minute runtime, many actors are forced to make the most of limited screen time. As the puppet masters observing the Arrakis conflict from on high, the emperor (Christopher Walken) and his daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), embody the cold indifference of imperialist greed. As the battleground versions of middle managers, Stilgar (Javier Bardem), Gurney (Josh Brolin) and Rabban (Dave Bautista) aptly convey the motivating power of religion, revenge, and conquest, respectively.

If there is an area where the film falters slightly, it’s the relationship between Paul and Chani (Zendaya). In Herbert’s original work, Paul’s evolution into a messianic figure is treated as a cautionary tale. But he is still the book’s proverbial hero, even if Herbert goes to great lengths to interrogate this manufactured framing. Villeneuve — no doubt aware of the potential for blowback from a media-illiterate portion of the audience for whom depiction equals endorsement — spells this criticism out even more bluntly, with Chani serving as Paul’s chief skeptic.

The pair share tender moments, including a scene in which Chani teaches Paul the proper way to walk without rhythm (which won’t attract the worm). But between doubting Paul’s godlike qualities in the first half of the film and reacting in disgust when he marches towards his destiny in the second half, there’s barely any time for the two of them to fall in love.

Zendaya in "Dune: Part Two." — Zendaya in “Dune: Part Two.” *– Warner Bros. Pictures*

“Dune: Part Two” is a filmmaking triumph, masterfully adapting one of the most influential sci-fi novels of all time. It is a technical marvel, featuring some of the most beautiful camerawork of the year and a score from Hans Zimmer that will rattle your teeth. It tells a deeply complex story with difficult-to-parse themes and refuses to let audiences off the hook with a wink to the camera or a self-deflating joke, as has become standard thanks to the runaway success of Marvel.

It remains to be seen if viewers will respond positively to this challenge, thus providing a green light for Villeneuve to make “Dune Messiah,” the director’s third (and final) film in the series. But regardless of how the box office receipts pan out, nothing can take away Villeneuve’s fulfillment of his grand creative vision.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

“Dune: Part Two” will be released in theaters on March 1.