Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Rebecca Ferguson, ably supported by Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and an electrifying Austin Butler, execute Denis Villeneuve’s majestic vision to the lush beats of Hans Zimmer’s operatic score
Atreides, Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), have to face the suspicion of the fremen, the native people of the spicerich Arrakis. Though a desert, Arrakis is important to the empire as it is the only place that produces spice, which is necessary for interplanetary travel and to remain forever young.
There are power struggles between the allround bad guys, the Harkonnen — led by the corpulent Baron (Stellan Skarsgård) and his nephews, Rabban (Dave Bautista) and the psychotic FeydRautha (Austin Butler) — and the Emperor (Christopher Walken), who might or might not be involved in the dirty deeds. His daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), also has stakes in the power struggle.
The shadowy order of the Bene Gesserits is embedded in every part of the empire; Jessica is one of the order as are the emperor’s truthsayer, Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling), and friend Lady Fenring (Léa Seydoux). Though initially resistant, Paul finally comes to accept his role as the leader of the Fremen. He is mentored by Gurney Halleck ( Josh Brolin), a former military leader of House Atreides, and Fremen leader, Stilgar ( Javier Bardem). Paul also finds love in Chani (Zendaya), a Fremen warrior, much to his mother’s dismay as she wishes him to make a politically relevant marriage.
The meditative aspects of Dune have been eschewed for a conventional scifi war movie, with a spot of romance and a suitably epic, martial score by Hans Zimmer. As with all Villeneuve projects, Dune: Part Two is visually arresting and the battle sequences leave one gobsmacked. The transport vehicles, whether the dragonflyinspired ornithopters (Herbert does not describe them either, but they are extraordinarily wellrealised in the movie) or the huge carriers, are aweinspiring.
One cannot get a handle on Paul and Chani’s relationship as it struggles to find a balance between a teen romance, planetleveling emotion and a saas-bahu saga. The philosophical concepts of the cult of messiah and the environmental impact of greed are touched upon. Actingwise, Butler has a rollicking time as FeydRautha (he looked to sharks and Mick Jagger for inspiration!) while Ferguson continues as Elsa Faust brooking no nonsense from Hunt, Harkonnen or her son.
Dune: Part Two has all the hallmarks of an epic event movie, from the costumes to the battles and language — Game of Thrones language creator David Peterson and Villeneuve created the Fremen’s language, Chakobsa. If only one could have seen the sandworms better, we would not have to stare into the night wondering how they move. Guess we might have to wait for Part Three based on Dune Messiah.
Dune: Part 2 is currently running in theatres