Dune: Part Two – Review

Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 47 minutes, Director – Denis Villeneuve

While it seems that his journey is fulfilling an ancient Fremen prophecy, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) plans to take down the Harkonnen family, who destroyed his own family, whilst having visions of a fatal future.

We’re not even at the 2024 ceremony yet, but it already seems as if Dune: Part Two is set to make the same kind of technical sweep at the Oscars next year as the first film did in 2022. The scale is just as grand, if not grander, as the rest of the universe travels to the desert planet of Arrakis when it seems that the long-prophesised Muad’dib has arrived – maybe in the form of the believed-dead Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). Huge, mechanical ships and crafts scatter the surface of the planet with the threat of the Harkonnens displayed in their design. The search for the Fremen is on, they must be caught before the Harkonnens lose control of the spice of Arrakis, which in turn gives them control over the universe.

The attacks and battles look just as explosive on the big screen as before – and not just because of how many there are. The visual effects mixed with the costume and production design are seamless as the detail of the world is further fleshed out and made to feel lived-in – even when largely based around towering sand dunes. We spend a good time in this world seeing Paul fulfil each stage of the long-held Fremen prophecy of the Muad’dib – the figure who will lead them to a green paradise. While some no longer believe this prophecy there are those from the scorched, ‘uninhabited’ southern hemisphere who continue to hold it close.

When coming into play the dramatic scenes of conflict, delving into the state of religion on the planet and how Paul – a performance from Chalamet which becomes increasingly assured and passionate as his character develops – falls into place amongst it as his own journey takes course. Is he getting ahead of himself? How can he learn the ways of the Fremen while keeping them and his surviving family safe, all while trying to take down the Harkonnens – still a dark and threatening group, although we see generally little of them, now with added Austin Butler, doing some very noticeable acting as psychotic Feyd-Rautha. The drama is well handled and creates a number of interesting points outside of the big action sequences.

Yet, if the first film was build-up and world building, successful at both and in being its own product, for this yet again faithful adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel then this follow-up very much feels like further build-up to the third act. At almost three hours, although just 11 minutes longer than Part One, the run-time is truly felt here, especially when jumping from visually-packed action sequences to more restrained moments of narratively focused conversation. Things remain watchable, and the visual detail helps to create some engagement, but it doesn’t stop the slow-burn narrative from feeling just a little too slow. Taking its time to explore new elements of the world, and the Fremen as Paul learns about their ways and his own family – largely through mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) who herself goes through a number of changes over the course of the film.

There’s a lot going on throughout, even without the inclusion of bagpipes in Hans Zimmer’s still-effective score, but much of it feels like build-up and further exploration of a world we’ve already explored a good deal of. On the whole it works and helps to hold interest, whilst creating a stylistic intensity within the action sequences, where a number of fights are well tracked. Denis Villeneuve has once again made an arthouse-style blockbuster on a giant studio budget, and you can’t help but admire that fact, and how well he handles it.

Certainly engagement is created when these notes come through in the progression of Paul’s character, growing the seriousness and severity of his situation as he becomes more of a leader; a truly shouty scene truly selling Chalamet’s performance, but as a whole it can’t entirely lift a film up that feels as if a good deal of its focus is on the end goal instead of the full course that its central characters are taking.

Another visually immense trip to Arrakis that also feels like further build-up and world building trying to reach the third act. While holding worthwhile action and character details you just wish that sometimes the world development connected more to the interesting patches of narrative and character development.