*Contains spoilers for Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two.
Three years ago, Frank Herbert’s legendary novel finally got an exceptional movie adaptation. There were big expectations since Dune is considered the Godfather of the Sci-Fi genre. Nonetheless, Denis Villeneuve, the director, did not disappoint. If you found Dune: Part One slow and boring, fret no more, Dune: Part Two delivers a truly thrilling and cinematic experience that builds on the foundation laid from the first movie.
Recap
Dune, the book, follows the story of young Paul Atreides, who is born to a great destiny. The movie adaptation, Dune: Part One, begins with House Atreides, one of the various noble houses that rule certain territories of the galaxy, being given control of Arrakis. Arrakis is a desert planet whose harsh conditions make rich deposits of “Spice,” which is a substance that expands perception and lengthens lifespans. Here, water is extremely scarce and there are gigantic sandworms that destroy everything in their paths. The planet is also home to an indigenous people called the “Fremen.” Harkonnen, another powerful noble house, forms a coup against Atreides, leaving Paul (played by actor Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica, (played by Rebecca Ferguson) no choice but to flee. At the end of the film, Paul meets Stilgar (played by Javier Bardem), the leader of the Fremen, and Chani (played by Zendaya). He then begins on the path of taking back his home and position.
Sequel
The Fremen begin to see Paul as a messiah called the Lisan al Gaib, and as the story progresses, Paul assimilates into the new culture. The climax of the movie is when Paul fights his cousin, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (played by Austin Butler), then claims his throne as emperor of the galaxy, taking the former emperor’s daughter, Princess Irulan (played by Florence Pugh), as his wife. The film then ends with Paul starting a “holy war” against the other noble houses to maintain his status.
Review
One of the things the movie does right is adding more richness to the characters. At first, Paul Atreides’ character is depicted as stoic and cautious, but in the sequel, he evolves into a tenacious and mighty leader. What I found refreshing is the change in Chani’s character, Paul’s love interest. The film devotes a generous portion of time to her reaction to Paul’s uprising. Through Chani’s eyes, Paul is manipulating the Fremen in order to gain power for himself. This added more complexity to Chani’s character, considering that in the book she supports Paul in everything and doesn’t question anything he does. To contrast, in the movie, Chani is horrified by Paul’s transformation and chooses not to follow him into the war. Another thing to admire is the music score. Hans Zimmerman killed it, as usual. Also, the sweeping camera visuals were absolutely gorgeous, every shot teeming with life. Even though it was undeniably long, the final product was worth the patience. Dune: Part Two is a must-see and I cannot wait for the third movie, Dune: Messiah.
