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A Review of “Dune: Part Two (2024)”

 

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I enjoyed Dune (2021) but it definitely felt like mostly setup and world-building. It even ends right when things are about to get interesting. Does Dune Part 2 deliver on all the setup?

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Short answer, Yes! The story is incredibly engaging and thought-provoking. What makes Dune so special is that it isn’t just a typical revenge or good vs evil or chosen hero-type story. There is more to everything, with very creative dilemmas that our main character has. It does have the typical romance story in the first act but it is handled wonderfully and then used with great effectiveness afterwards. The second and third acts are just phenomenal storytelling. The director, Denis Villeneuve, just pulls you into this world and manages to deliver an emotional rollercoaster experience that will mesmerize you.

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On that note, every actor is amazing. Timothée Chalamet had to convince the audience that his character was becoming a frightening leader in part 2 and he absolutes excels. Zendaya is great and has excellent chemistry with Timothée which makes their character’s romance believable. Javier returns with more of a substantial role and he is magnificent. He provides some levity to a very dark story but does it naturally compared to the forced humour that is thanks to MCU movies. In terms of newcomers, Austin Butler gives a very top-notch psychotic performance as Feyd. He felt like a frightening presence. Additionally, Christopher Walken is a crazy casting for the Emperor but he absolutely works. All the returning actors continue to deliver terrific performances, and newcomers such as Florence are excellent additions.

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Part 2 also has a lot more action set pieces. These sequences are a lot better than the first movie as they are choreographed and shot more clearly. The 3rd act has a very entertaining sequence and the final fight itself is an epic way to end. Greig Fraser returns as the cinematographer and he might be one of the best since Roger Deakins. Every shot is just beautiful and really captures the world of Dune perfectly. Hans Zimmer also returns and he delivers more or less the same epic music score as the first film. The set design is still gorgeous and the costumes are still as wonderful as ever.

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I only have minor nitpicks and that is the movie can feel a bit fast at times. This is notable during the first act where it sort of breezes over Paul’s initial time with the Fremen. I also kind of wished the Emperor and Princess Irulan had more appearances considering their vital roles. The character Thufir Hawat from Dune (2021) is also nowhere to be seen in part 2 despite his fate being unclear from the first film. I honestly wouldn’t have minded if this film had 15 more minutes to add these additional scenes.

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Overall, it is rare for a sequel to be this good but Dune Part 2 is one of the best sequels. It delivers on everything the first movie setup while also being a stellar Sci-Fi film. Denis Villeneuve is one of my favourite modern directors and I hope he gets to make that final Dune movie that he wants. I know I will 100% be there to watch it if it happens!


 

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