Review: 5 takeaways from ‘Dune: Part Two’

Did Paul Atreides find what he was looking for? Did I find a good, or great movie?

“This world is beyond cruelty.”

One could initially be confused about whether Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) is talking about the real world that I’m watching this movie in, or the fictional one that he seemingly is bound to either lead to salvation or completely destroy. When we last saw the presumed dead but gifted youngest son of fallen leader Leto Atreides (I miss Oscar Isaac), he was on the run with his mother (Rebecca Ferguson), integrating himself with the Fremen, led by Javier Bardem’s Stigard--all the while falling in love with one of their members in Zendaya’s Chani. Paul seeks revenge and answers about his own prophecy, particularly the million dollar loaded question:

Am I the chosen one and if so, does that lead me on a path of destruction? Also, what does my girlfriend think of all this?

Denis Villenueve’s sequel, Dune: Part Two, doesn’t waste any time, lighting the fires with a nice catch-me-up from the lovely Florence Pugh, playing the calculating daughter of the Emperor (Christopher Walken, having a ball) who may or may not carry bigger stakes late in the film. It kicks the tires with a breathtaking Fremen hijacking sequence, as they aim to deflate the spice plants all around Arrakis.

Now, if you heard that last line and got a headache, let me relieve the pain. In the first film, Paul watched his father and his mighty empire perish shortly after they came to Arrakis, the desert DUNE-filled planet that generates and stores “spice,” the diamond-shining substance that can extend life, offer premonitions, and other enhancements. In taking down House Atreides, Stellan Skarsgard’s House Harkonnen claimed ownership to the spice factories. The sequel unfolds with the Fremen, aka the rebels and original owners of the planet and its “gifts,” shaking the trees of their new dictators.

It all comes back to poor young Paul, who isn’t afforded the normal good young times of the run-of-the-mill heir to a throne. He lost nearly everything, and is slowly gaining it back with Chani, Stigard, and his new family. But his mother still has power and sway with him, and Harkonnen has a big weapon (Dave Bautista), and a shiny new dagger in Austin Butler’s Feyd-Reutha. All of it will be coming Paul’s way, as he figures out if he’s just another guy… or potentially a very powerful being.

Instead of me babbling on, let’s break the rest of the review up into five main takeaways. This is where I will remind you that some form of *SPOILERS* will be discussed below, if not already. One more time:

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5) Love hurts, just ask poor Paul

The love story at the heart of this tale is a huge chunk of the juice of this sequel, and it’s a complicated romance. Zendeya and Chalamet’s vision-crossed lovers will be tested frequently throughout the two hour, 46-minute movie. Part of Chani doesn’t fully believe that Paul is “the one,” a term used at least five times in the movie. Part of her also doesn’t believe what her partner truly thinks or wants to unfold. Is he one of the guys or “The Guy?”

This relationship also fails to generate a lot of heat, at least from my corner of the theater space. Both actors are good and do create some chemistry, but their lack of faith in each other extends to the audience not feeling unwavering in their support of the on screen couple. At one point, I felt like screaming, “commit, or just fight alongside each other.” A big part of the film’s finale centers around the idea of committing to each other in unconventional ways, and I felt more tired with these two being a unified front than I did with the film’s other plot. Maybe the third film will bring it, and them, more together.

4) Don’t expect a lot of resolution

The chances of Dune: Messiah getting made have to be solid, because the end of this film is anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s thrilling and well-filmed--but it’s a building block to a third movie that won’t be here for at least three or four years. Things happen in the end, but much is left to the next chapter or a future conflict of interests.

I’m not thrilled about that. If you’re reading this review and wondering if I love this material, the answer should be as clear as my addiction to the local baseball team. I like and admire the material and its execution *far* more than I love it. So, when we’re two movies and six hours in with only a couple of knots tied, the angst in me is real. How much more do we have to go?

Will there be a Fremen spin-off? An origin film about Bardem’s character. Gosh, he’s good here. The Spanish pro can terrify easily in other roles, but his veteran leader, one who believes firmer than anyone that Paul is indeed special, offers a poetic nobility to the actor’s resume. But I don’t want a movie about his younger self.

I wanted a wrap-up, but it didn’t come.

3) One fight delivers while another is a letdown

******SPOILER TOWN STILL OPEN******

After Dune: Part One concluded, I was left wanting more Josh Brolin and Bautista, preferably kicking each other’s ass. Bautista’s pale evil Harkonnen soldier does cross paths with the Atreides soldier. Brolin’s refugee, Gurney, has ties to Paul and his late dad, and wants to avenge the latter. In the end of Part Two, he does get that shot and crosses weapons with Bautista’s Rabban.

And it lasts all of ten seconds. A few exchanges, and done. The victor is for the viewer to discover, but it was disappointing. I compare it to one of Mike Tyson’s shortest bouts. On the other hand, the climactic fight between Chalamet and Butler is much better.

On the whole, it’s not great because it does seem to get itself in a hurry. But the actors commit and the choreography is solid. How it wraps up is initially covered in doubt, and that’s due to the ability of the actors and stunt coordinators to get it all right. Kudos there, but not on the Brolin-Bautista face-off.

2) Hans Zimmer’s score is the true MVP

While I would hand the acting prize to either Ferguson (let’s just say I can’t and don’t want to discuss her arc) or Bardem, the sound is the electrifying element at play in Villenueve’s epic sequel. Zimmer knows how to inject poignant energy into the loudest and biggest action spectacles, something he has done with the Pirates films and the Dark Knight movies. Here, like his work in Mad Max: Fury Road, the score throttles and instantly connects the viewer.

The best part of the movie is the first 45 minutes, which is a modest amount of action and storytelling thrown together in an athletic yet elegant jam by the master composer. If there’s a lingering thing from watching this one, it’s the score sticking inside my head. It gets you going when the film lags in the middle.

1) Is Chalamet the One?

I will maintain and strengthen my front that Chalamet may not be the second coming of cheesecake, but he’s a very fine actor who handles the role’s progression well. Am I blown away by him like most? No, at least not yet. He’s still very young, but his (deeper) voice and athletic ability is growing and getting stronger.

A couple scenes near the end cemented the fact that he did make for a sage choice to inhabit the world of Paul Atreides, who is NOT the most fortunate son. He goes toe-to-toe with Butler with the blades, but exchanges a key and very incendiary scene with Walken’s Emperor as well. The kid can act, and these two films showcase that growth.

THE FINAL TAKE

Here’s the thing, my friends. I still don’t love the material or the movies-but I recommend the sequel based on its kinetic first act, overall cast potency, thrilling sound, and overall satisfying qualities. Any scene involving the gigantic “worms” that pop up out of the desert ground will throw a jolt through your system.

While I would have craved more closure and wanted the relationship between Paul and Chani to find some resolution or identity, Villenueve does a good job with what is seemingly holy grail material. It’s not easy stepping into this world and dealing like he does with this size and scope of ambition and cast, but two films in he is does at least make you consider the desire for a third one.

I just don’t sit here dying for its existence, even if the ending left a few unanswered questions and details. The similarities to Star Wars is real, and that connects to my overall liking but not adoring takeaway from these movies.

Grade: A solid B. Thanks for reading and please subscribe.