By Matthew Moorcroft

Highest Recommendation

• Directed by Denis Villeneuve
• Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem
• PG-13

Dune: Part Two‘s mere existence is something of a miracle. And I’m not talking it’s about it’s quality or how the hell Denis Villeneuve managed to make some of it – though that’s definitely also part of it – but the fact it was even made to begin with is something of a nice surprise. The first Dune was something of an ambitious gamble on the part of Warner Bros., who weren’t keen on the idea of filming two films back-to-back with the possibility of the first one bombing, so instead they simply opted for “shooting part one first and see what happens”. The result was mostly successful, albeit muted because of the pandemic, but thankfully Part One has garnered a strong reputation since it’s release which has certainly helped the hype for this one.

And now it’s here, and it’s just as magnificent as you would expect it to be. It is a monumental achievement; a film so grand in scope, so large in it’s scale, and yet, impossibly so, manages to keep it’s grandest moments for small encounters done almost entirely through impressive closeups. The rare brutalist blockbuster, focused on the harsh realities that come with fighting against oppression and the power that be who manipulate the strings for their own personal benefit. While Paul may turn into a villainous figure to some audiences by the end of the picture, it’s really a matter of perspective. Is he willingly accepting his fate? Or is he leaning into it for the hopes that maybe it will change the tides of vision for the future? There is a futility the audience is pretty much clued into right away as the Bene Gesserit make clear – there are other prospects. There will always be somebody else to control. It was all according to plan.

It’s through this lens Villeneuve focuses the second part, which also has the unenviable task of adapting the post-timeskip section of the story which is quite easily the part that has tripped up the majority of attempts at translating the original text. After all, it’s almost like a complete restart, with a new status quo and new characters to keep up with, and while Villeneuve’s decision to split the story into two parts may have lessened the issue there were key pieces missing that meant there was still some elephants in the room to deal with. Thankfully he mostly deals with this by treating it less as a part two and more of a straight sequel with it’s own arc and character motivations. It’s remarkably standalone, but also knows that audiences are familiar with the basic setup and thus can get into the thick of things after what is basically a quick recap courtesy of much bigger player Princess Irulan (whose non-presence in the book is turned into something of a schemer here, which is a great choice).

And the thick of things they do go! If Part One was all setup, Part Two is entirely payoff with action scenes galore, grand romances, and even a couple of backstabs, betrayals, and epic war sequences to go along with it. You would think a story as bizarre, surreal, and philosophical as Dune wouldn’t be a crowdpleaser and while it’s not in the traditional sense – it definitely ends with a lingering, purposeful bad taste in your mouth – it’s got the goods in spades. Greig Fraser cements himself as a legend here, with each shot so gorgeously composed and tightly framed to hint as the greater size of the action on screen that you can almost feel the heat every time the desert sun rains down. Most of the praise is being given to his almost transcendent work on Giedi Prime and how it’s black and white cinematography gives that planet an oppressive look, but I found his usage of close ups far more interesting. There are far more of them here then in Part One, which fits the more sweeping, emotional tone of the story compared to the somewhat dry nature of the last one (though that isn’t knock on that film’s necessary worldbuilding).

And because of those close-ups, we are able to fully see some of the performances of a lifetime by many a cast member. Everybody in the supporting cast here is in top form – particularly a slyly comedic Javier Bardem – but it’s really Chalamet and Zendaya’s film here, who carry the necessary lead romance with ease. Chalamet’s turn here is particularly impressive, with his presence in the back half of the film suddenly turning into that of a beast. You would think that despite his small frame, purposefully emphasized in the first film, he wouldn’t be able to pull it off but when he does it’s terrifying and mesmerizing in good measure.

When one walks away from it, it’s hard to not immediately feel Dune: Part Two as the start of a seismic shift in pop culture the same way as the Lord of the Rings trilogy was back in the 2000s. It’s a staggering, towering epic firing on all cylinders from a filmmaker who clearly adores the source material and wants to go all in on it. While this will likely won’t be the last we see of Villeneuve’s world of Dune (he still plans on making Messiah), as the culmination of adapting the original text, it cements it as his best work overall and one of the greatest book adaptations ever filmed. Long live the fighters.