2023 was widely seen as the year the blockbuster died (I think that's hyperbolic, but let's go with it). A year with more flops than successes, a lot of audiences seemed to finally reject the endless stream of sequels, requels, and adaptations we'd gotten so accustomed to. And then, you have Dune Part II.
If anything, this movie proves that it's not "adaptation" that's the problem. It's having a purpose to doing it. I can't think of a more relevant property (and one that deserves proper cinematic treatment) than Dune. To be clear, I haven't even read the books, only gleaming what I know about them from pop culture, but like all great adaptations, now I want to read the series.
Where do I even start with Dune Part II? It's a gorgeous spectacle with richly layered characters and amazing performances; chock full of thought provoking ideas. This is a movie that reminds you why film - I'm just calling it here - is the best medium for storytelling. It combines every other aspect of art into a singular product. Visually and sonically, Dune Part II is on another level. I was lucky enough to see this thing in IMAX and it was truly worth it. Some frames look like paintings and there are gorgeous images that I'm still ruminating on a day after. The entire sequence of Geidi Prime, with the monochrome lighting, was such a perfect examples of how you can use the genre of science fiction to do something truly astounding visually. Having also recently seen Madame Web, this movie really made me appreciate great sound design and engineering.
Another thing I have to highlight is the film's amazing editing. There's a lot of moving parts in this movie and a lot that apparently had to be cut. While it's not entirely perfect and some things are gleamed over (more on that later), I have to applaud the editors for making this unwieldy, massive story so digestible.
But, the thing that really sets Dune Part II apart (even from its predecessors) are the characters, themes, and performances. Every character here - for the most part - is better than in the original, the mark of a great sequel. If you felt the original film felt "cold" and lacking in humanity, this movie is the exact opposite (not to mention the seemingly thousands of extras - although I'm sure they're mostly CG at this point). There's so much humanity here; so many relationships and ideas about people explored and enriched.
Timothee Chalemet may have delivered his defining performance in this movie. His Paul Atreides perfectly conveys the complex and nuanced character he's supposed to be; a boy turned man who is torn between his sense of justice and kindess, and the reality of power. He really delivers a powerhouse of a performance here.
Zendaya is also absolutely awesome in this movie. I loved the ideas and perspectives her character represented and she's entirely believable, as is her relationship with Paul. She's the best example of a female action hero; tough and competent, but not devoid of emotion or longing. Javier Bardem's Stilgar was one character who also really surprised me; he represents the Fremen who genuinely and passionately believe in Paul, yet he's never presented a "stupid" person or naïve. He and Zendaya's characters are thankfully, super important to the narrative.
Then there's Austin Butler as Feyd Rautha. This is a performance akin to that of Colin Farrell as the Penguin; Butler completely disappears into the role and as murderous as he is, I wanted to see more of him. (Kudos to Villeneuve for having a character like this in a PG-13 film) I was also really impressed by Rebecca Ferguson as Paul's mother, Lady Jessica. Her character conflict in the first didn't really jive well with me, and I'm happy to say she's so much better in this one as a more sinister figure. Really, her decision to tie her political ambitions with her personal wishes reminded me of a less obviously evil Cersei Lannister. And, while his role isn't as big in this one, I can't get enough as Stellan Skarsgard as Vladimir Harkonnen. He's amazing and has so much screen presence.
Fundamentally, Dune Part II tackles difficult questions and provides nuanced answers. It's about power and the way it manifests, and to all those who say it's essentially a repackaged "white saviour" trope, I feel need to improve their media literacy. Did you watch the movie? I can't think of a film that interrogates and deconstructs this idea more than this one.
The movie isn't entirely perfect. I feel that especially towards the end, a lot of things were rushed through, but I understand that heading towards the end of a nearly 3 hour movie, it's hard to justify MORE content. Overall though, believe the hype. Everything about this movie is tip top: the visuals, the costumes (my God, the costumes), the editing, the sound, the acting, the writing, the choreography (I didn't even mention the myriad of amazing set pieces)...yeah, this is blockbuster filmmaking at its finest. Denis Villeneuve is the real Lisan-al Ghaib at this point.
If anything, this movie proves that it's not "adaptation" that's the problem. It's having a purpose to doing it. I can't think of a more relevant property (and one that deserves proper cinematic treatment) than Dune. To be clear, I haven't even read the books, only gleaming what I know about them from pop culture, but like all great adaptations, now I want to read the series.
Where do I even start with Dune Part II? It's a gorgeous spectacle with richly layered characters and amazing performances; chock full of thought provoking ideas. This is a movie that reminds you why film - I'm just calling it here - is the best medium for storytelling. It combines every other aspect of art into a singular product. Visually and sonically, Dune Part II is on another level. I was lucky enough to see this thing in IMAX and it was truly worth it. Some frames look like paintings and there are gorgeous images that I'm still ruminating on a day after. The entire sequence of Geidi Prime, with the monochrome lighting, was such a perfect examples of how you can use the genre of science fiction to do something truly astounding visually. Having also recently seen Madame Web, this movie really made me appreciate great sound design and engineering.
Another thing I have to highlight is the film's amazing editing. There's a lot of moving parts in this movie and a lot that apparently had to be cut. While it's not entirely perfect and some things are gleamed over (more on that later), I have to applaud the editors for making this unwieldy, massive story so digestible.
But, the thing that really sets Dune Part II apart (even from its predecessors) are the characters, themes, and performances. Every character here - for the most part - is better than in the original, the mark of a great sequel. If you felt the original film felt "cold" and lacking in humanity, this movie is the exact opposite (not to mention the seemingly thousands of extras - although I'm sure they're mostly CG at this point). There's so much humanity here; so many relationships and ideas about people explored and enriched.
Timothee Chalemet may have delivered his defining performance in this movie. His Paul Atreides perfectly conveys the complex and nuanced character he's supposed to be; a boy turned man who is torn between his sense of justice and kindess, and the reality of power. He really delivers a powerhouse of a performance here.
Zendaya is also absolutely awesome in this movie. I loved the ideas and perspectives her character represented and she's entirely believable, as is her relationship with Paul. She's the best example of a female action hero; tough and competent, but not devoid of emotion or longing. Javier Bardem's Stilgar was one character who also really surprised me; he represents the Fremen who genuinely and passionately believe in Paul, yet he's never presented a "stupid" person or naïve. He and Zendaya's characters are thankfully, super important to the narrative.
Then there's Austin Butler as Feyd Rautha. This is a performance akin to that of Colin Farrell as the Penguin; Butler completely disappears into the role and as murderous as he is, I wanted to see more of him. (Kudos to Villeneuve for having a character like this in a PG-13 film) I was also really impressed by Rebecca Ferguson as Paul's mother, Lady Jessica. Her character conflict in the first didn't really jive well with me, and I'm happy to say she's so much better in this one as a more sinister figure. Really, her decision to tie her political ambitions with her personal wishes reminded me of a less obviously evil Cersei Lannister. And, while his role isn't as big in this one, I can't get enough as Stellan Skarsgard as Vladimir Harkonnen. He's amazing and has so much screen presence.
Fundamentally, Dune Part II tackles difficult questions and provides nuanced answers. It's about power and the way it manifests, and to all those who say it's essentially a repackaged "white saviour" trope, I feel need to improve their media literacy. Did you watch the movie? I can't think of a film that interrogates and deconstructs this idea more than this one.
The movie isn't entirely perfect. I feel that especially towards the end, a lot of things were rushed through, but I understand that heading towards the end of a nearly 3 hour movie, it's hard to justify MORE content. Overall though, believe the hype. Everything about this movie is tip top: the visuals, the costumes (my God, the costumes), the editing, the sound, the acting, the writing, the choreography (I didn't even mention the myriad of amazing set pieces)...yeah, this is blockbuster filmmaking at its finest. Denis Villeneuve is the real Lisan-al Ghaib at this point.