All the wonderful things that were set up in Dune: Part One are paid off perfectly in Dune: Part Two. Just like with the first film, I am struggling to come up with anything that hasn’t already been said. It was a hassle to find the time to see the damn thing and it’s been another hassle to order my thoughts into something cohesive.
For me Dune: Part One was a feat in exposition and dramatizing complex lore. Part Two shows the same level of skill in its exposition but with a bonus. Its pacing is amazing. Despite being nearly 3 hours long and adapting 2 books (the acts in the novel), Part Two has a flow that, like the spice, is addictive.
Following the destruction of his family House, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) wants to do his part in the Fremen’s war against House Harkonnen. He becomes intimate with Chani (Zendaya) as well as with the Fremen culture and way of life. However, his fellow tribesmen, including their leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) suspect his messianic destiny. This suspicion turns to worship and spreads to all the Fremen on Arrakis. Paul and Chani’s relationship begins to strain because of the widespread reverence, forcing Paul to consider whether he wants to be a soldier or a leader.
The Characters
Paul is a literal anti-hero as a hero is the last thing he wants to be. At the end of Part One we learned from Paul’s visions that if he becomes the Fremen messiah, a bloody jihad will spread through the galaxy and kill billions. Paul’s arc concerns his struggle to evade this fate.
Leaders deified by their subjects has always been the point of Dune but no adaptation or piece of inspired media has ever conveyed this theme as well as Part Two. Here Paul is a white saviour who knows he’s a white saviour but doesn’t want to be. With this aspect of his character realized in the film, this interpretation of Paul is a lot more fun to watch than another Neo or Jake Sully.
Chani is better in this film than she is in the book, never mind previous adaptations. Like Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and Rabban (Dave Bautista), Chani is a character from the first film who really shines in the sequel. She is Paul’s lover, teacher and critic. She’s not as religious as her fellow tribesmen hence she doesn’t believe in Paul’s prophesised destiny. While the scenes with her and Paul falling in love are genuinely awe-inspiring, things get really interesting when they start disagreeing with each other.
The Harkonnens are wonderful villains. They’re just as deliciously evil as those in David Lynch’s film but more intimidating. Rabban’s displays of muscle and rage are so violent and extreme they border on being comical, in the best possible way.
Watching the Baron demonstrate even more of the manipulative genius he did in Part One is a treat. Especially in the scenes he has with Feyd (Austin Butler).
Speaking of Feyd, the youngest brother of Rabban and nephew of the Baron is a sadistic psychopath. On paper he’s nothing more than a physical adversary for Paul but the film does an excellent job of showing the threat he poses with a blade. It’s hard not to flinch whenever he moves.
The Pacing
Fans of the book may be surprised by how soon certain events occur in Part Two, specifically in Paul’s journey in becoming a Fremen. This is obviously so the film can tell the rest of the Dune story within its runtime. However, the brisk progression through Paul’s arc does not by any means diminish its power or pathos.
Despite its spectacular setting and scope, Dune is an intimately written story that’s more interested in the thoughts and feelings of its characters than the exotic landscapes they occupy. The book takes its time and doesn’t feature a lot of action. Now this isn’t to say that Part Two dumbs down the book but its pace certainly isn’t as delicate.
All of Paul’s scenes either enhance his Fremen identity or tempt him with his messianic fate. Whether they’re showing his and Chani’s romance flourish or the war against the Harkonnens escalate. There’s no fat in Paul’s scenes, they are all precise.
Part Two takes more advantage of the book’s cast of thousands than Part One, which helps the pacing a lot. Before you get sick of Paul in the desert, the film will cut to Rabban in Arrakeen, Feyd on Giedi Prime or the emperor (Christopher Walken) on Kaitain.
This sequencing of plots, which are all of varying degrees of importance, generates a perfect pace. The film is 2 hours and 50 minutes long but feels like 2 hours and 10, which for an adaptation of a novel as complex as Dune is remarkable.
Is it up there with The Empire Strikes Back and The Dark Knight as a great sequel? I don’t know. As of writing it’s still in its theatrical run. I personally can’t answer that until the hype’s died down and I watch it again. However, it exceeds all the expectations I had following Part One and that alone is incredible.
Needless to say, I love it. Bring on Part Three.
I give Dune: Part Two a great 10 out of 10.
Duffhood 