Films for Breakfast

Frank Herbert’s Dune fits in a weird position where so many elements of the story feel ripe for adaptation due to the sheer scale and imagination that is put to page; it is so incredibly cinematic in your mind as you read the massive battle sequences or elaborate moments of political espionage. On the other hand, it has also been notoriously regarded as “dense” and “unadaptable” by readers for its detailed lore, intricate character work, and gigantic world building. However, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation from 2021 did a damn’ great job at proving anyone with doubts wrong, as he created a massive epic that both understood the themes and characters to perfection while beautifully bringing the world of Arrakis and the gigantic set-pieces to life in an immensely satisfying way. 

As satisfying and impressive as 2021’s Dune was, it was ultimately still only half of the story  – a choice that I believe was a wise one, as it fully fleshes out the world and characters in a satisfying way, but left me eager to see how Villeneuve would tackle the latter half of the novel. With Dune: Part Two, Denis’ vision feels fully realized and perfected this time around as he has delivered a quintessential sci-fi masterpiece that not only feels more grand, intricate, and emotional than its predecessor but feels wholly comfortable in its own skin. Dune: Part Two benefits a lot from the groundwork that was established in the original Dune, and hits the ground running from the moment it begins with a gorgeous and enthralling set-piece that immediately had me gobsmacked by the sheer scope and beauty of what I was watching. The film establishes the stakes, ropes you back into the story and emotion of it all immediately, and doesn’t waste any time until the credits roll. It’s a feat of blockbuster filmmaking, and a masterpiece of the genre. 

The film begins not very long after the original film leaves off, with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) uniting with Chani (Zendaya), Stilgar (Javier Bardem), and the rest of the Fremen while on a path of revenge against House Harkonnen, the conspirators who destroyed his family. Paul faces a terrible choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe; the man who he wants to be and the man he is destined to be. This leads him down a dark path as he strives to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. 

Just like the first film, the cast that Villeneuve has assembled absolutely comes to play with fantastic performances across the board. Timothée Chalamet shined in the original, but as Paul’s story unravels even deeper in Part Two, he has much more material to chew on and gives both a devastating and powerful performance. One of the many standouts of the film is Zendaya as Chani, who serves as the perfect foil for Paul as he grapples with his own humanity in the wake of having to make impossible decisions and become a holy figure to the Fremen. Zendaya has proven herself to be one of the best actresses we have working today, and her performance here only further solidifies that. There is such beauty and melancholy to Paul and Chani’s relationship, and Zendaya gorgeously articulates Chani’s strength and compassion in a way that makes her the standout of the film. Any moment she’s on screen, all eyes are on her. 

A lot of the returning cast continues to impress, as Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica gets even darker material to work with this time around, Josh Brolin has some truly gut-wrenching and effective character moments, and Javier Bardem’s Stilgar steals the show in surprising moments of levity quite often – one could also argue his character is the heart of the film, as he symbolizes a lot of its messages about faith and community. On the villainous side of the film, all the returning players like Dave Bautista and Stellan Skarsgård truly dig into how evil their respective characters are this time around with standout moments for both.. but it’s truly Austin Butler’s show to steal as Feyd-Rautha, the sadistic Harkonnen who makes it his mission to destroy Paul Atreides. His performance is so sadistic and mesmerizing in equal measure; he completely disappears here underneath not only the makeup and eerie voice he puts on, but simply his mannerisms and sheer unpredictable nature of his performance. One of the most purely evil and satisfying villains I’ve seen on-screen in quite some time. 

I could go down the entire cast list, as newcomers Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh,  Léa Seydoux, and many more do a wonderful job at joining this established world in an organic and exciting way with unique performances – but Denis Villeneuve is truly the star of Dune: Part Two. Any interview you read, watch, or listen to regarding Villeneuve’s approach to making Dune will tell you how much he adores and respects the source material, and his vision is so palpable from the moment the film begins. He relishes the most obscure and weird elements of the story, absolutely embracing the world that Frank Herbet created. Yet at the same time, he expands the novel in ways that I also believe Herbert would’ve appreciated; whether it’s expanding the scope of the action in a way that is immersive for audiences or expanding on characters, namely Chani – who gets even more to do in this half of the story than she did in the novel. As someone who has read Dune Messiah, the seeds he plants for that story in the latter half of this film is immensely satisfying and pure genius. 

The sheer scope of and magnitude of the film is breathtaking to witness – it truly feels like a once-in-a-generation type experience that begs to be seen on the largest screen humanly possible. Every moment feels as grand and important as it possibly can be, like Villeneuve didn’t want to settle for “just enough” but instead wanted to deliver the ultimate experience that he possibly could. He directs this film like it’s the last film that will ever be made. The film finds a beautiful middle ground between being a widely accessible and exciting blockbuster that is uplifted by incredible action sequences, breathtaking visual effects, and an all-time score from Hans Zimmer, as well as a deeply tragic and harrowing story about the dangers of blind-faith and the corruption of absolute power; all the themes that Herbert envisioned with Dune and even some of Dune Messiah are perfectly translated here. 

Dune: Part Two is a sci-fi masterpiece to the highest-degree. It’s a perfect middle chapter in the story of Paul Atreides, akin to The Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight; as its a film that improves on the original film in virtually every way, raises the stakes, deepens the character dynamics and emotions, and delivers an enthralling cinematic experience that can only be crafted from a filmmaker with as much passion and skill as Denis Villeneuve. Not only is the film a masterpiece, but it’s an endorsement for storytelling and the power of filmmaking – to experience these grand stories in the biggest and most immersive way possible. You simply will never forget the first time you see Dune: Part Two.

5/5