Denis Villanueve’s cinematic vision of the sci-fi epic “Dune” has graced us with the second part of the acclaimed novel. Timothy Chalamet, Zendaya, and Rebecca Ferguson are three most prominent actors in an already stacked cast that completely electrifies what would have already been a pillar of sci-fi moviedom.
The first “Dune” released in 2021 ended with Paul and his mother escaping into the desert after the Harkonnens failed to keep the mother/son witch combo restrained. The competing houses and societies assumed Paul’s family was completely wiped out with the news of his father’s demise.
The movie left us with a cliffhanger where audiences wait to find out how Paul and Jessica manage to survive. We pick up right where the previous installment leaves off and we watch as Paul and his mother find their place among the Fremen, the indigenous peoples of the sand planet where the main characters find themselves.
The star-studded cast is too big to be fully explored here, but each member of the cast is an honorable mention for most watchable. Javier Bardem is Stilgar, serving as Paul Atreides’ hype man, and the more optimistic religious foil to Zendaya’s character who remains suspicious of Paul’s possible role as an outsider soon to be colonizer.
Austin Butler stands out with minimal screen time by absolutely stealing every scene he appears in as Feyd-Rautha, a Harkonnen warrior and the most hairless man in the galaxy. We’re introduced to his home planet in one of the greatest examples of cinematography that Villanueve showcases.
It can’t be understated; the sheer breadth and wonder of the landscapes Dune captures makes this film more than just a summer blockbuster. It seems almost impossible that a movie taking place mostly on a complete desert planet and a black and white planet would also be a constant cavalcade of beauty.
In an age where it’s common for blockbusters to lack color or have fight scenes with shaky cam effects, “Dune” takes its time introducing us to each and every character as if the movie is about them.
No scenes or minor characters feel like they’re taking up too much time or space; everything fits into this movie with such purpose, it is a perfect marriage between intimacy and scope of the story and its characters.
If you haven’t watched “Dune Part Two” yet, don’t wait for it to leave the theaters. You will want to see this one as big and loud as it was meant to be seen.