This review contains spoilers.
Wow. What a film. I came into this movie with a vague memory of the first Dune book, as well as having recently watched the first installment on Max. I did enjoy the first movie, and while it was not something that ate away at my mind for days like an “Arrival”, it was an incredibly well done movie considering it was 2 and a half hours of exposition dump.
I’m glad Villeneuve went the direction he did with the opener of the trilogy because it allows Dune 2 to unapologetically claim all the glory that comes from a nearly flawless adaptaptation of a novel once considered unadaptable. And that is largely due to the visuals. The visuals are such an accomplishment that I didn’t even realize they were good. I watched the entire film, especially the second half, at the edge of my seat. Everything looked so realistic that I didn’t even for one second stop to consider that wait - this is CGI, not a real alien spaceship fighting a sand tribe with laser missile guns.
IMAX takes the experience to the next level. It fully immerses the viewer into the world of Arrakis, which is so barren yet uniquely beautiful. It also amplifies a once again incedible score by Hans Zimmer.
The same cast core cast returns, with a few new additions, most notably Austin Butler. When I saw he had been cast, I was skeptical how he would fare as a Harkonnen, yet I believed he would pull it off due to his previous roles. He knocks it out of the park. Feyd-Rautha is goofy-looking - much more petite than his family, and very, very bald. Yet Butler fully embodies the role of this naive yet psycopathic killer - having no clue of the world ahead of him yet wanting to conquer it. His walk, his talk, his expressions, all marvelous.
The movie can be broken up into 3 sections: the introduction, Paul training arc, and Paul post dirty sprite, for a lack of a better term (and because it sounds infinitely better than scorpion juice). The first half is good, I wasn’t gripped to the screen but I also wasn’t bored at all. The second part reeled me in slowly - the movie progresses incredibly fast yet it slowly peels the onion to the bigger picture. Paul after he goes codeine crazy paves the way for about an hour of pure cinema - everything unfolds, the pace at which he changes character and embraces his role as the Muad’dib is both riveting and slightly uncomfortable, as depicted through Chani’s character. The same Water of Life that changed his mother from an apprehensive character to a cult-leader Steve Jobs has a similar effect on Paul, who was once wishy-washy on the “chosen one” gimmick (one started by the Bene Gesserit), to fully embracing it. I reckon it’s due to him having Dr. Strange-like foresight and acting only in a manner that will ensure success.
Villeneuve deserves all his flowers. I had my eye on him before, thanks to “Arrival” and “Blade Runner 2049”, but he ups the ante and delivers a generational feat in sci-fi film-making. I am happy to see a post-Marvel landscape where the biggest blockbusters are also masterpiece movies, like with “Dune 2” and “Oppenheimer”. I certainly hope this trend does continue.
What negatives do I have about the film? Honestly, not many, if any. It’s long, yes, but I did not want it to end. It could have gone on for 3 more hours and I wouldn’t have complained. I wish it was longer. I wish the third movie came out sooner. Oh, and I wish they had cast someone else instead of Christopher Walken. He was kind of offputting.