Dune: Part Two – Shea’s Review

Before I saw Dune: Part Two, I considered Denis Villeneuve one of the best working directors today. During my friends’ wedding week in Mexico last year (shoutout to Mr. and Mrs. Linhares) a group of us talked about movies and one of the questions we asked ourselves was “If you could only keep one director alive today, who would it be?” My answer wasn’t Tarantino or Scorsese, like some expected me to say. It was Denis Villeneuve. You might be more familiar with movies like Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, & Blade Runner 2049 but movies like Enemy, Incendies, and Polytechnique are also great and came early in Villeneuve’s career. After seeing what Denis could do with something like Blade Runner 2049 I was incredibly excited when I heard he was going to adapt Dune for the big screen. 

At the time, I knew two things about Dune having not read the books: Much of the things I loved growing up (like Star Wars) were inspired heavily by Dune and it was considered impossible to adapt to film. When Dune: Part One came out in 2021 I assembled a group of friends together, we travelled to London, Ontario for the weekend, and we watched it in IMAX.

It blew everyone away and immediately made Dune: Part Two my most anticipated movie. Now, more than two years later and after a delay in 2023 due to the strikes, Dune: Part Two is here. 

Was Denis Villeneuve able to do the impossible?

My Thoughts

This movie blew me away. Despite having sky high expectations, this movie somehow exceeded them. Every single aspect of this film, from the direction, performances, cinematography, music, sound, and visual effects come together to make what I feel will prove to be a generation-defining film. 

I really do try to not be too hyperbolic when I talk about how much I like or dislike something, but I really believe this will have the same kind of legacy that Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy has. I spent a lot of time thinking about a movie that has felt this epic and nothing since then comes close. 

There was a scene in this movie that was so powerful and overwhelming that it brought a tear to my eye both times that I’ve seen it. It’s not a sad scene or anything like that either, but while watching it, I shed tears at the sheer might of what cinema is capable of and how it can make you feel. 

I also need to take the time to talk about Timothee Chalamet. During the Dune: Part One press tour, Villeneuve spoke about how if Chalamet didn’t agree to play the lead of Paul Atreides then he might not have made Dune at all. I’ll admit, even as a big fan of Chalamet, I didn’t understand exactly what he meant until I saw this movie. For this whole thing to work you have to believe in Paul Atreides as a commanding, powerful, and compelling figure. When a big change happens for Paul in this movie, Chalamet went somewhere I’ve never seen him go before and it blew me away. I felt exactly how the characters felt in those moments and it has solidified Chalamet as a truly generational talent who will be compelling for years to come. 

But it’s not just Chalamet that stands out in this cast. Almost every single character has moments to shine and everyone takes the most of the opportunities they are given. Whether it’s Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, or Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, everyone is just so damn good in this movie. 

All of the other technical elements of this movie enhance the performances and writing too. I saw this movie twice in IMAX and the sound design is spectacular. You don’t just watch or hear the movie, you can feel it in your chest. Musically, Hans Zimmer builds off of his iconic score from Part One to enhance every feeling the movie gives you. 

Visually, this movie is breathtaking. Nearly every shot is something I want to print and hang up on my walls. The cinematography and the visual effects combine for some jaw dropping shots that come at you one after the other. For a movie that reportedly cost $60 million less to make than most modern blockbusters, there really is no valid excuse to see some of the crap that we’ve been subjected to over the past few years. Some standout scenes in particular were filmed with infrared cameras and they work so well to establish this particular world and characters in a way that feels so unique. 

This movie definitely benefits tremendously too from the ground covered in Part One. Part Two doesn’t need to spend lots of time establishing the world and characters and it can focus more on developing the world and characters for a richer experience. It’s precisely because of this that I think Part Two is such a clearly better movie to experience. Like Lord of the Rings though, I don’t ever anticipate myself watching one without the other after this theatrical run concludes. In the same way that Tarantino considers Kill Bill to be one movie, I think it’s best to consider Dune as one movie too. 

My only issue with Part One was that it very much feels like a “part one” as it ends in the middle of a story. Dune: Part Two doesn’t face the same issues and ends a note that feels satisfying while also leaving you hungry for more. 

I will also just say that Oppenheimer will be grateful this awards season that Dune: Part Two was delayed because I think this is poised for some massive awards recognition next year. 

Verdict

Dune: Part Two is one of the most essential films I have seen in my lifetime. I’ve seen it with two different groups of friends now and after my first viewing with Adriana, Nick, and Jean-Simon, JS looked at me and said that “This was one of the best cinematic experiences of his life.” The next night I saw it with Kelsey, Brittany, and Steven. Steven doesn’t even like sci-fi movies and he was as giddy as a kid at Christmas after this movie concluded and we were discussing amongst ourselves what movies we have seen that felt this epic and that’s really the best word to describe this movie.

I loved Top Gun: Maverick so much that I saw it seven times during its incredibly long theatrical run. What I loved about the movie was the realism, the thrilling action, and just how much fun I had with it. It’s, in my opinion, one of the best versions of a classic summer blockbuster. Where Dune: Part Two differentiates itself for me is in just how epic it feels. The stakes, the depth, the evolution of the characters, and where all of this will lead to is so compelling and so grand that you can’t help but feel caught up in it. Every single aspect of this movie comes together to form a whole that brought me to tears because it showed me why I love movies so damn much. 

Dune: Part Two was the most moving and powerful cinematic experience I’ve ever had in my life.

See this movie on the biggest screen you can immediately and don’t wait too long because I’m confident that the moment this movie ends you will just want to start planning your next trip to see it again. 

Long live cinema!