"Dune Part Two" Goes the Distance

Spoilers ahead.

I don't think I need to say much about the spectacle of "Dune Part Two."  If you've heard anything about this movie, you know that Denis Villeneuve has made one of the best looking space operas of all time.  All the elements introduced in the first "Dune" - the deserts, the sandworms, the brutal combatants, and their arsenals of impossible weaponry - are used to create some truly massive, awe-inspiring action and war sequences.  The sandworm riding scenes are especially immersive, making great use of the thunderous sound design.  If that's all you want out of the movie, go forth and enjoy.  You will not be disappointed, especially if you go for an IMAX or other large format screening option.  And stop reading now if you don't want spoilers.  I mean it.  

However, what completely caught me off guard about "Dune" is that it has made substantial improvements to the story in adapting Frank Herbert's novel to the screen.  I've read Herbert's first "Dune" novel more than once, and its "chosen one" narrative never resonated much with me.  Villeneuve apparently agrees, taking elements from the later books in the "Dune" series to portray the rise of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as far more morally troubling than the novel ever did.  Chani (Zendaya) has been radically changed, from an unquestioning follower to a lone voice of dissent.  Through her eyes, Paul's triumph is a disaster, and what was once the victorious ending of the original "Dune" novel is now the low point of Villeneuve's "Dune" trilogy.  I expected the first movie to feel unfinished, but I never expected "Part Two" to also feel like a cliffhanger.

Despite all of the fabulous action sequences, with a climactic duel deciding the fate of the universe, "Dune Part Two" leans far more into the character drama than I expected.  The first hour is almost entirely devoted to setting up Paul as a Fremen fighter, integrating into their society and winning over the incredulous.  This is vital, because it humanizes the Fremen and makes the stakes of his decisions more meaningful.  Paul's ability to become the Fremen Messiah - the Lisan al Gaib - is never really in question.  However, he resists this path because his visions show that his coming to power will result in the deaths of millions.  All the characters supporting Paul, aside from Chani, end up being fanatics in some way.  Stilgar (Javier Bardem) is almost funny at first in how single-minded he is in promoting Paul as the Messiah, but this eventually morphs into more unnerving devotion.  Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is downright terrifying as she becomes a Reverend Mother, and continues the Bene Gesserit campaign of manipulating the Fremen through her religious authority.  

This is unusually heady material for an action film, but "Dune" is one of the most influential science-fiction series for a reason, and I'm thrilled that Denis Villeneuve decided to really engage with its themes and ideas so fully.  There's still plenty of time for clashes with more traditional villains, though, and "Dune Part Two" has a really fun one with Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler), the psychotic nephew and new favorite of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgaard).  There's a really visually interesting black-and-white sequence that takes place on their creepy homeworld, involving a gladiatorial battle and a Bene Gesserit named Lady Margot (Lea Seydoux).  Also being introduced in this movie are the Emperor (Christopher Walken) and his daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), who don't get enough to do.  Oh, and Paul's unborn sister Alia keeps having psychic conversations with various family members, and it's very weird in a good way.  Villenueve never gets anywhere near as weird as David Lynch, but it feels like he's trying, at least.          

After all the delays and all of the outsized expectations for the film, I'm a little stunned that "Dune Part Two" was exactly what it needs to be - bleak, cautionary science fiction for grown-ups that is absolutely entertaining as any blockbuster ever made.  It immediately made me want to see the film version of "Dune Messiah," which is probably not happening for a long, long time.  It's one of those rare movies that actually makes me like the first film more in hindsight.  Villeneuve left out a lot of material I'm sure the established "Dune" fans are wringing their hands over, but the end result is an adaptation that has plenty to say and conveys it in the most grandiose, cinematic way that a modern filmmaker could ever dream of.  

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