“Dreams make good stories, but everything important happens when we’re awake.”- Duncan Idaho, Dune: Part One (2021)
In my opinion, there have been fewer than maybe a dozen truly 5-star, instant-classic masterpiece films released this decade. Dune: Part Two (2024) is now firmly among them. Mere hours ago, I witnessed what I can only describe as one of the most visually compelling phenomena ever committed to the medium. The soaring science fiction epic now sits on a veritable Mount Rushmore of franchise, intellectual property sequels, joined on either side by The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Dark Knight (2008), and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).
Dune 2 is the thrilling conclusion of Canadian director Denis Villeneuve’s take on the previously-believed-to-be-unadaptable 1970 Frank Herbert novel. The Herbert book serves as a sort of urtext for modern sci-fi (Do a desert planet, a chosen-one figure, a mysterious religious cult, and an evil emperor sound familiar?), with later entries in the series venturing into a sort of psychedelic mythology that doesn’t always translate to the screen.
Part Two picks up where the first one left off. With much of the exposition and worldbuilding accomplished, the plot accelerates and the action builds, climbing like a sand worm until we reach an explosive climax in the third act. Villeneuve doubles down on everything good about Dune: Part One, including jaw-dropping set pieces that make me wonder if this could be our generation’s Lawrence of Arabia (1962). At this same time, he trims the fat and avoids the pacing issues which held the 2021 movie back achieving its full potential.
I won’t say much about the plot, other than that the film explores the heavy themes of the novel- messianic legends, white savior narratives, the power of propaganda and fundamentalism, love and ambition, destiny and free will- in a way that gives them the respect they are due, but without bogging down the propulsive action in philosophical navel-gazing.
Originally scheduled to debut this past November, Dune 2 was delayed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes, no doubt in part so Warner Brothers could get four of our biggest young movie stars- Timothée Chalamet as the tortured protagonist Paul Atreides, Zendaya as the spirited native Chani, Florence Pugh as the calculating Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler as the psychotic assassin Feyd Rautha Harkonnen- out on a blitzkrieg of a press tour to promote the movie.
The top-billed quartet is flanked by an all-star supporting cast, including fan favorites Christopher Walken, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Lea Seydoux, and Stellan Skarsgård.
The scope and scale of the cinematography, coupled with the sweeping Hans Zimmer score and Villeneuve’s signature hyperreal production design, truly transported me from my seat in the Madison IMAX to the harsh landscape of Arrakis. Much like its predecessor, I expect Dune 2 to sweep the below-the-line technical awards at next years’ Oscars.
I will issue one caveat. Viewer beware: this is high science fiction. While nerds and normies alike can appreciate a cinematic triumph such as this, I can see where the latter might be turned off by some of the gadgets, creatures, and throne-room politics. Don’t be afraid. As Dune tells us, “Fear is the mind-killer.” Give yourself over to it, and Dune 2 will reward you in spades. Or should I say, spice?