Rating 10/10
Usually, when I write my reviews, I choose to focus on the negative aspects of the movies to provide readers with a truly honest answer as to what to expect. After seeing “Dune: Part Two” on release day, I am left with nothing but wonderful things to say. While follow up films usually fall short of living up to the original, this sequel earned itself a 10/10 and far exceeded any of my expectations.
“Dune: Part Two” brought otherworldly powers to the box office on March 1, bringing in over $178.5 million for its global debut. Science fiction nerds united to enjoy the follow up to the first “Dune” film, released in 2021. The “Dune” franchise is based on the 1965 book series by Frank Herbert. It was then morphed into a multimedia franchise with the first movie being released in 1984. The 2021 remake features Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya as the leads.
If you haven’t read the books or done serious research about the novels’ basis, you will be completely lost. As someone who is not a science fiction fan, I had to do research to truly understand what was happening in the first movie before attempting to see the second. Now that I understand the plot and countless backstories, I am wholeheartedly invested in each plotline and ready for more.
“Dune” and “Dune: Part Two” are both based on Herbert’s first novel of six, but director Denis Villeneuve cleverly chose to divide the 528-page dialogue into two parts as to capture the story. At a whopping 2 hours and 46 minutes (totally worth every minute), plenty of detail is covered in the second film.
“Dune: Part Two” picks up right where part one left off: with Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica, hunkered down in the desert, surrounded by Fremen warriors, among which are Chani and Stilgar. The story focuses on Paul falling into his role as Fremen Messiah with Stilgar at his side as a man of faith. Chani and the rest of the Fremen are still riddled with skepticism, until Paul proves himself worthy on more than one occasion. The first movie does a great job of installing backstories of characters and providing context, while “Dune: Part Two” provided the action and epic scenes viewers were craving.
We finally get to see Paul ride a sandworm and also get a better understanding of why the worms are so important throughout the series. This action-packed sequel did not disappoint. The colors, CGI and special effects were all amazing, and the soundtrack for all the action gave me goosebumps.
I have always been a huge fan of Hans Zimmer, but the soundtrack for both “Dune” movies might be my favorite. Accompanied by his amazing work yet again, the soundtrack for the movie was just as epic and powerful as the first. His pieces make it impossible for viewers to not be on the edge of their seats, as well as making the romance in the movie much more appealing.
Chalamet and Zendaya fit together with ease as their characters grow closer throughout the movie. Their chemistry makes the movie an enjoyable watch for those who aren’t as excited about science fiction and fantasy war, and this duo is the perfect ratio between steamy romance and gruesome violence.
Don’t expect many answers going into this movie, as Herbert still has five more books for director Villeneuve to transform, but “Part Two” was the perfect set up for “Dune: Messiah,” the next movie in the franchise. While the length of the movie might be the only negative thing I have to say, I was still left wondering what would happen next and was disappointed to see the credits roll. I am in no way saying that I was left unsatisfied or felt that the film was not detailed enough to fill the void of curiosity — I was simply so enthused by what I had witnessed I didn’t want it to end.
With no scheduled release date for “Dune: Messiah,” I can only hope we won’t have to wait another three years before we see Paul Atreides on the big screen again. For now, I’ll just be dreaming of sandworms and thinking fondly of the Fremen.
