4 stars out of 5
As stated in my previous review on here, I had skipped a chance to see Dune: Part Two because it seemed like too much work. Though I mostly liked the first installment, it was long, dusty, and complicated. Was I ready to sign up for more? Well, this past Thursday, I had a very efficient day into which a screening of the also quite long Dune sequel fit perfectly. (If only I had ever completed my AMC Stubs membership registration and thus received a free birthday large popcorn at the concession stand, it would’ve been the perfect day.)
Well, I liked Dune: Part Two, even more than part one! Timothée Chalamet steps up his game as his character Paul’s life gets more complex. Should he lean into the Fremen people’s belief that he is a messiah? Should he believe it himself? Javier Bardem is again terrific as a Fremen leader who takes Paul under his wing. Rebecca Ferguson is Paul’s mom, torn between good and not-good (literally growling when she’s a baddie.) And Zendaya imbues Fremen warrior Chani with a strong, independent, “I’ll love you but do not f with me” streak. New addition Austin “Elvis, thank you very much” Butler is very good as a somewhat psychotic rising star on the Dark Side.
As it did with an environmental message in part one, Dune betrays it’s mid-1960s origins in this installment with hippie-dippie drug culture (“Inhale the spice, man, and drink the blue fluid. You’ll expand your mind!”) and — pretty ridiculously — nuclear warheads.
Also on the negative side of my scoresheet: Christopher Walken seems out of his depth as the baddie Emperor. Maybe he could’ve played this part 10 or 15 years ago, but now seems sadly out of place. Josh Brolin is quite likable as always but here is basically a too-old Han Solo. I love Léa Seydoux and Florence Pugh, but casting-wise, they look too much like each other and like Rebecca Ferguson (who is only 12 years older than “son” Timothée in the first place) and it was hard for me to keep straight who was who.
Was a bit confused as to why, while the Fremen had not yet accepted outsider Paul, his hot-white-girl-summer mom was immediately made their Den Mother. (Thankfully, the new Post Malone face tattoos she receives help distinguish her a bit from Pugh and Seydoux.) Also, Seydoux sey-duces Austin Butler, they doux it, and make a baby who is a back-up messiah. Sexy time! Yet I had no idea who Seydoux’s character was and then the whole baby thing isn’t mentioned again. Harrumph! While I could generally follow the plot, there were a few points where it threatened to again become overcomplicated.
Director/co-writer Denis Villeneuve does a solid job holding together the many moving parts here. I did feel a little cheated during Paul’s Jedi training; we’re promised many dangerous desert creatures but only get to see sandworms and a baby mouse. And for a celebratory gladiator match involving Austin Butler, Villeneuve makes the odd choice to film it in stark black-and-white as if it were an Arakis by Calvin Klein commercial.
Also, I had to down a shot when the screenplay finally used the word “Dune.”
As the story doesn’t quite wrap up, my thought was, “Damn, I forgot there were going to be THREE parts!” In 2026, somebody remind me that I’m pretty invested in the story at this point and will want to see how it ends.
Movie Review: Dune part two
By Jack Silbert on March 24, 2024
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Austin Butler, Denis Villeneuve, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem, Léa Seydoux, Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya
Jack Silbert, curator