DUNE PART TWO (2024) ***

I was not a fan of Denis Villeneuve’s first stab at tackling Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic Dune.  However, about halfway through this sequel, he gives us a scene where a woman of color TEACHES a white guy how to “walk without rhythm”.  I thought to myself, “Boy, now THIS is what I call sci-fi!”

Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) lives and fights among the Fremen, the desert freedom fighters to halt spice production on the planet Arrakis.  Meanwhile, his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) drinks the “Water of Life” and becomes a Reverend Mother.  Eventually, Paul fulfills his destiny by drinking the water and becoming an all-powerful demigod to topple the evil Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) and avenge the death his father. 

Part Two is better than Part One, mostly because now that the table has been set, the drama can be ratcheted up a bit.  The first one suffered from a slow build up to a non-climax. The sequel also has the benefit of fleshing out the stuff that David Lynch’s version glossed over, so it at the very least doesn’t feel like a retread of the 1984 version, the way Part One did. 

It also helps that there’s more action this time around.  While some of the desert battle scenes tend to feel similar, the worm riding scenes are kind of fun.  The highlights are black and white gladiator sequences which have scope and visual pizazz that was missing from Part One.  

I’ll admit that Chalamet has grown into the role of Paul quite nicely and in turn, he’s grown on me.  He is especially good in his quiet scenes as a future leader wrestling with his destiny.  His scenes with Zendaya are solid too.  Josh Brolin gives the movie a little shot in the arm when he shows up about halfway through.  New cast members like Christopher Walken and Florence Pugh don’t have much to do besides set up a sequel, but it’s nice that they’re around.  Lea Seydoux makes an impression though as a sexy Bene Gesserit, as does Austin Butler, who with his warped bald head, shaved eyebrows, and odd grin looks like a psychotic emoji come to life.