‘Dune: Part Two’ pays off ‘Part One’ with more spectacle

With six Oscar wins and widespread critical acclaim, 2021’s “Dune” embraced the awe-inspiring scope of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic.

In embracing the complexity of the book, Denis Villeneuve’s film sacrificed telling the complete story in one movie, all without the guarantee of adapting the book’s second half. Fortunately, audiences embraced the various prophecies and giant sandworms of “Part One” enough for a studio greenlight, paving the way for the deeper, action-packed and emotionally resonant “Part Two.”

“Part Two” begins immediately after the events of the last film, with the exiled survivors of the House Atreides trying to survive the inhospitable dunes of Arrakis while on the run from the duplicitous (and very pale) Harkonnen. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) have joined a native Freman clan led by Stilgar (Javier Bardem), who believes Paul to be the long-prophesized messiah destined to free Arakkis from its oppressors. Jessica, a member of the mysterious and influential Bene Gesserit religious group, uses her “witch” powers to further peddle the prophecy. Meanwhile, another Freman warrior, Chani (Zendaya) offers to help Paul learn the ways of the desert but is suspicious of the prophecy.

That description only scratches the surface of the mechanizations at play in “Dune,” as the likes Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård and Christopher Walken all play major roles in the political intrigue. With “Part One” burdened with most of the setup, “Part Two” can focus on the dynamic between Paul and the Freman. Even with the various battle sequences and sandworm riding, “Part Two” is most compelling when exploring the relationship between Paul and Chani, especially as Paul reluctantly accepts his role in the prophecy (he’d really be into were it not for those pesky visions of galaxy-wide starvation rattling in his head).

While Vileneuve and his expansive production team already did much of the heavy lifting in establishing the world of Arrakis, “Part Two” is even more gorgeously executed. Vileneuve’s command of scale makes for routinely jaw-dropping images, especially as Hans Zimmer’s pounding musical score explodes around them.

Even with the action-intensive narrative in the book’s second half, “Dune: Part Two” occasionally loses its momentum over its luxurious 165-minute runtime. Some of the story details included for sake of faithfulness don’t entirely come together, particularly the lengthy introduction of Feyd-Rautha, the sadistic nephew of Baron Harkonnen, played by Austin Butler. Feyd comes around too late in the story as a direct adversary to Paul, but the character essentially replaces another villain (played by Dave Bautista) without enough distinct payoff. Pugh, always a welcome force, makes the most of her limited screentime, though it unfortunately comes alongside the rather distracting presence of Christopher Walken as this universe’s calculating Emperor.

Quibbles aside, “Part Two” demonstrates that Vileneuve indeed had the vision to execute what many thought was an unadaptable story. Yes, it’s more than five hours in the sand, but taken together, the two films combine into an impressive achievement.

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.

    This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Timothee Chalamet, left, and Zendaya in a scene from "Dune: Part Two."