Now with Paul Atreidas teamed up with the Fremen, a quest for revenge begins. With war now looming on the horizon, Paul has choices to make. Will he choose to swing the scales for the fate of the universe, or will he choose the person he loves?
Right off the bat, this movie is worth seeing for the cinematography alone. To be honest, all of the visuals and special effects found throughout the movie are among some of the best seen in Hollywood in recent times. But above all else, cinematographer Greig Fraser makes this movie a visual spectacle to take in. With other movies that he has worked on being Dune: Part One and The Batman he has other heavy hitters in the cinematography category under his belt and yet this movie somehow manages to outdo those others. The visuals are so fascinating, and they make it feel like the world is a character in and of itself, and it makes the movie more enjoyable.
Another standout aspect of the movie is the cast on display here. Timothee Chalamet, and Zendaya once again are at the forefront of this story, and they shine just as much, if not more than in the first time. A new addition to the cast is Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, and he also does a really good job in this role. He is creepy, and menacing when he needs to be but doesn’t overcook the performance. However, the part of his performance that didn’t always work for me was his accent. In addition to that, the only member of the cast that didn’t really work for me was Christopher Walken. It’s not like his performance is bad exactly, but he really just felt like he was playing himself, and it really pulled me out of the scenes that he was in.
Now, a more negative aspect of this movie is of course, its running time. It seems the norm for movies nowadays is creeping more and more towards nearly 3-hour long features, and Dune Part Two is no different. Clocking in at 2 hours, and 46 minutes, there are certainly times you feel it dragging. This is somewhat surprising because regarding Dune Part Two’s action, it is quite engaging.
This installment is certainly more fast paced and action packed than its predecessor, so it is a little surprising to think there are a few sections that leave you checking your watch. When it comes to the story on display here it is interesting enough to watch but it’s nothing that reinvents the wheel or anything. To be honest the things that kept me most engaged throughout the movie was the world building on display.
Overall, Dune Part Two is certainly worth the price of admission, and certainly worth watching. The great performances from the leads, mixed with the incredible visuals throughout, are enough to please audiences. I give Dune Part Two an 8/10, and am looking forward to seeing which direction this story continues in.