Last year proved to be a tumultuous one for the film industry. The extensive Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes caused several major productions and releases to be placed on hold, along with massive box office flops such as “Indiana Jones 5,” “The Marvels” and “The Flash” showcasing audiences’ waning interest in big-budget, star-studded blockbuster features. For those searching for relief from all this chaos and mediocrity, worry not, as a treatment has arrived in the form of the second installment of the “Dune” series.
Helmed once again by director Denis Villeneuve, “Dune: Part Two” continues the story of Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, on the desert planet of Arrakis. He seeks revenge on House Harkonnen after they attempted to kill him in the previous film. Siding with the Fremen, the natives of the planet, Paul eventually ends up falling in love with one of them named Chani, played by Zendaya. All while this is happening, Paul must learn to accept his predestined fate as a messiah to the Fremen, a role which could be the cause of a disastrous event in the future.
To start off, “Dune: Part One” used up a large chunk of its runtime on building up its characters, setting and conflict. This unfortunately bogged things down in the pacing department, along with there being not enough room for much action to be showcased. However, this paid off in the second film as right from the get-go there is a consistent amount of action to keep viewers engaged. Setpieces, like the Fremen’s various assaults against House Harkonnen or Paul learning how to ride a sandworm, are pulled off with flying colors, in part due to the film’s presentation.
The Oscar-Award-winning sound design makes a return in the second film and it is better than ever. From the loud shrill cries of the sandworms to the quieter noises like the various tools and technologies used throughout the film, the sound design considerably helps immerse the viewer into the world. This also applies to some of the dialog scenes. Most of the characters speak in very lowered and soft tones, creating an enclosed and isolated feeling whenever two characters would interact. Every now and then, though, loud and startling noises are interjected to knock the viewer off their guard. This makes a moment like Paul’s outburst at his mother part-way through the story stand out all the more.
Keeping consistent with the sound, the score, done by famous composer Hans Zimmer, is amazing as well. Zimmer brings his typically gradious flair, encapsulating the grand scale of this story along with capturing the surreal, otherworldliness of it all.
Speaking of otherworldliness, the visual effects that are used to create the world which the story takes place in are very competently crafted. From the sandworms, spaceships and outfits the characters wear, the film provides a good balance between practical and computer-generated elements. There have been too many recent examples of shoddy-looking effects that drag the viewer out of the story. This has been especially evident with most of Marvel’s recent output, so it is great to see a film of this size effectively pull it off so well.
Overall, I’d give this film nine strangely-shaped “Dune” branded popcorn buckets out of 10. It does an amazing job on delivering both action and spectacle in one perfectly-condensed package, and is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the current landscape of blockbuster films. Watch the film and see what you think of it!