Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem, Léa Seydoux, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård
Crew:
Based on Dune by Frank Herbert
Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts
Cinematography by Greig Fraser
Music by Hans Zimmer
Edited by Joe Walker
Produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Patrick McCormick, Tanya Lapointe, Denis Villeneuve
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Dune: Part Two Movie Rating: 3.5/5
Adapting Books or Novels to screen has been an old habit for filmmakers. These days Indian cinema has been staying away due to the lack of number of novels or books being as popular as in other countries. Hollywood filmmakers are looking at new age best-sellers and some all-time classics to re-adapt them to the big screen.
Dune by Frank Herbert has been so famous that it gave ideas for many films that are based on dystopian future world and rise of an uncanny hero. Star Wars film is said to be hugely inspired from the book. But it has been deemed to be very difficult and almost impossible to adapt to screen. Denis Villeneuve has come up with his ambitious adaptation of Dune book in two parts. First one released in 2021 and on 1st March 2024, Dune: Part Two has been released. Let’s discuss about the epic from Hollywood, in detail.
Plot:
Paul Atreides(Timothée Chalamet) and his pregnant mother, Lady Jessica(Rebecca Ferguson) are forced to escape to desert and mix with Fremen tribes. Chani(Zendaya), a noble tribeswoman, finds Paul, highly genuine and credible. They escape from the ambush of Harkonnen army and when Chani, Stilgar’s troops welcome them to stay with them, many others doubt about their genuinity.
But Stilgar(Javier Bardem) believes in prophecy of a “Messaiah” leading them to greener pastires and he thinks Paul could be the one. To prove it, he asks Lady Jessica to drink, “Water of Life, a blue poisonous liquid to become their “Reverend Mother”. Even though she is a pregnant, she survives the poison and even her baby survives and she becomes the “Reverend Mother” and starts to use fear and legends to make the troops believe in Paul, being the chosen one.
Chani doesn’t believe in prophecy but exposure to the spice, awokes powers of Bene Gesserit in Paul and he starts to have visions of his future. As the nightmares torment him, he starts to grow as a warrior and fights along Stilgar’s troops to take control over Harkonnen ships. He gains the name, Paul Muad’Dib Usul, as he keeps growing popular and Stilgar’s faith in him being their Messaiah, keeps growing.
Chani fears if Paul will give into these temptations. On the other hand, Empire Saddam IV(Christopher Walken) is distrot with raising popularity of Muad’Dib and asks Baron Vladimir Harkonnen(Stellan Skarsgård) to exterminate the abomination. Baron turns to his psychopath nephew Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen(Austin Butler) to bring “order” to Arrakis. Will Paul give in to temptations? Will Harkonnen win? How will Chani and Paul relationship develop? Watch the movie to know more.
Analysis:
Denis Villeneuve brings his A-game like always to the fore-front. He is brilliant in crafting stunning wide shots and epic visuals. He does the same here with utmost sincerity and believablity. We cannot really pin point and state that VFX artists did not push to make the effects look real. The wide shots on the largest possible canvas make it all look like a stunning world that we are breathing and living in. Dune, the book, inspires larger-than-life yet believable visuals in front of us. We are arrested by the set up and imagine ourselves easily being part of the world. Most probably, the avid readers might have identified themselves with different characters and Paul, being obvious choice of many. So, understanding this aspect of the book is a must when adapting it to screen.
Paul is relatable as a character because he grows into this Messaiah and becomes almost God for Fremen tribes. Hence, he feels like US rather than an alien-ly super powerful being. At the same time, this world even though alien and futuristic, needs to feel real and relatable. In bringing these aspects to screen, Denis and team have succeeded beyond any doubt. The sweeping wides, long shots, close-ups, beautiful set pieces and how camera is used as a part of drama to increase the impact are all exemplery. Greig Fraser doesn’t leaves no stone unturned to make them final visual look spectacular. Hans Zimmer’s score and sound editing enhances the epicness.
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler are very believable as their characters. Mainly, Timothee scores very heavily in the parts where he has to convince everyone that he is the warrior. And in the finale portions, he looks more believable as he grows on us like Paul. Zendaya as Chani is good but may be even competent actress might have added more layers to the complex emotions. Rebecca, Brolin and Austin look and feel like characters. The best parts and funny lines belong to Javier Bardem. He nailed them. Léa Seydoux, Christopher Walken and Florence Pugh are great but their parts don’t have enough weight in the big scheme of things.
Editing wise Joe Walker did his best to keep the pacing as per Denis’s vision but may be at times he could have pushed the director to slightly pace it up in mid-portions and give time for transformation scenes to breathe, a little bit. The writing is better this time around as we are arrested by the characters and visuals with plot moving at a decent pace. Unlike the first part, here things seem to be going to their ultimate conclusion with a set target in mind. First part seemed to have been overwhelmed by the density of the material and hence, suffocated.
Still, few aspects could have been handled better like bringing Galactic Empire’s vastness into the picture and showcasing how big a role, Paul, might have to assume as Fremen’s Messaiah and Emperor. It would have helped the average viewer, who did not read the book(s) to understand the stakes even clearly. Also, few portions needed some more time to sink in the character decisions which out making them too obvious. On the whole, for the sheer efforts the team has put in to bring this crafty piece of cinema art to us, we can watch it in theatres and anywhere you would like to. It will be remembered as an Epic film, for sure, if not a masterpiece.
Positives:
Ensemble Cast performances
Paul – Chani romance portions; Timothee – Zendaya chemistry
Density of the plot
Engaging narrative
Spell-binding visuals
Unrelentingly superior score
Negatives:
Rushed Pre-Climax
Sluggish pacing at few portions
Few key details left unexplained
Dune: Part Two Movie Bottom-line: Gripping Epic Tale!