Rating: ****
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Music: Hans Zimmer
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler,
Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista,
Charlotte Rampling, Léa Seydoux, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken,
Anya Taylor-Joy
"Power over spice is power over all."
Picking up right after Part One left off, the second installment finishes up Frank Herbert's original book, but ends on a maddening cliffhanger that leads straight into "Dune: Messiah." For better or worse, the film is more action-oriented this time as Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) integrates himself into Fremen society and positions himself as their prophesied savior. His mother (Rebecca Ferguson) becomes the new Reverend Mother of the Fremen and begins her own campaign of propaganda and terror. Paul's bond with Chani (Zendaya) initially strengthens, but is then torn apart as Paul embraces his awful fate and becomes a monster. Calling out Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) as his father's killer, Paul draws all of the great houses into conflict over Arrakis, igniting an unstoppable holy war.
Much like the first film, it's a breathtaking piece of cinema with incredible vistas and a moving soundscape. I hesitate to even call it a music score, because it's mostly just unstructured emotive sounds that complement the scenery. Timothée Chalamet does an excellent job portraying Paul's journey from boy to man to Darth Vader. I thought Rebecca Ferguson came up short as Lady Jessica in the first film, but she's truly terrifying as a Reverend Mother in this one. Austin Butler as the psychotic Feyd-Rautha is supremely creepy, but it's hard not to compare him to Sting's unforgettable portrayal in the David Lynch film. All of the actors do a stellar job, but Zendaya is especially noteworthy. She does little more than scowl disapprovingly throughout the film, but she does it incredibly well. Her physical performance also speaks volumes, and you can feel all of Chani's hot-blooded anguish just in the way she moves and the tension she carries in her face. Very well done. I also appreciated how Chani's character was expanded, and how she provides the heart, soul, and moral tone of the film. On top of that, it's worth mentioning that she has the best line in the movie: "You sandwalk like a drunk lizard."
Surprisingly, I found the epic battle scenes to be rather dull and uninteresting, despite their excellent execution and visual splendor. Perhaps there was just too much happening on the screen at once and it was difficult to identify any of the heavily armored combatants. Even with a PG-13 rating, the bloodless conflicts don't shy away from the horrors of war, which adds a considerable amount of discomfort and moral ambiguity. I also found it difficult to emotionally connect with the characters, as no one (save Chani) is particularly likable this time around.
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!
It's interesting that this film deviates from the source material even farther than the 1984 film does, which presents a lot of stumbling blocks as the film progresses. While Paul and Jessica learn the ways of the Fremen, they do not in turn teach the Fremen how to fight or any other Bene Gesserit tricks. Feyd-Rautha doesn't resort to poison in his final showdown with Paul, but the resolution is visually confusing. Again, the lack of blood in a knife fight is disconcerting as both of them should have been bleeding all over the place. Baron Vladamir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and Rabban (Dave Bautista) meet their ends in unexpected ways, and neither Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy) or Leto II are born by the end of the film as Jessica and Chani are both still pregnant. These aren't showstoppers by any means and the changes can be easily justified by their dramatic and poetic significance, but purists will likely be outraged. I also liked how the female characters were given more consideration and representation, which really illustrates how much they control the balance of power and the fate of humanity, while the men are simply puppets. Having survived his encounter with the Water Of Life, only Paul has the power to stand up to the matriarchy.
While it's unquestionably a fantastic film and a remarkable cinematic achievement, I actually found the more contemplative Part One to be a more awe-inspiring and satisfying experience. That said, seeing the film in Dolby Atmos was pretty amazing, and the sandworm sequence had the entire theater shaking. Very impressive.