Crew behind camera pushes sequel to impressive heights
I can’t believe director Denis Villeneuve pulled off the big scene in “Dune: Part Two” in which Timothée Chalamet learns to ride the world’s largest pool noodle.
True, “Dune” offers some built-in possibilities for success with such a potentially ridiculous scene. This continuation of 2021’s “Dune” is the sandiest movie since “Lawrence of Arabia.” This means whirlwinds and sandstorms worthy of Frank Herbert’s massive hunk of sci-fi lit, which in turn means lots of dramatic visual texture — all the better to complement the sequel’s sophisticated blend of digital and practical design elements.
As the budding anti-colonialist revolutionary Paul Atreides, Chalamet risks life, limb and career embarrassment, faking like he’s getting his balance against considerable headwinds and zero visibility atop a gargantuan sandworm.
He’s clobbered with everything the sound designer, composer, editor, cinematographer and effects armies have created, and it’s chaotic.
And then a smile comes over your face because the scene actually works, and you believe it. There are many flights of fancy in director David Lynch’s 1984 “Dune,” but in that one, the “ride ’em, wormboy!” scene does not work. This one works because Villeneuve and his digital and practical design wizards are the best in the industry.
But these first two “Dune” films really are gorgeous. They don’t behave like any comparable, massively budgeted studio enterprise, whether it’s a Marvel or Star Wars derivative.
Is “Dune: Part Two” my thing? Does the fall of House Atreides and the vengeful rise of messiahin-training Paul Atreides; the battle for domination over the spice harvesting business on the planet Arrakis; and the machinations of the Emperor of the Universe (Christopher Walken) and his daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) amount to a hill of beans in this world? What about the political and romantic alliance between Paul and Chani (Zendaya), the fierce Fremen warrior fighting for her people? Javier Bardem returns, too, with an expanded presence, as Fremen leader Stilgar, heading the revolt against the invading Harkonnen.
With a different filmmaker, I’d say no, not my space jam. I read the first “Dune” novel only to prep for the 2021 film, and I fought it most of the way. But Villeneuve, whose previous works include “Incendies” (2010) and “Arrival” (2016), uses the screen to imagine otherworldly amazements, and treat them matter-of-factly. A movie can strip source material for parts and still capture its essence.
At heart, the movie’s a study in how the younger generation, nearly 11,000 years in the future, is still learning to maneuver around know-it-all elders. Like Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson enjoys a larger share of the storyline this time. As Lady Jessica, the now-widowed pregnant mother of Paul, she communicates telepathically with her newborn daughter while movin’ on up to the mystics who foresaw Paul’s destiny before anyone else. She’s pushing her kid to fulfill that destiny; meantime the oil-slicked blob Baron Harkonnen sees in his nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), a bloodthirsty kook and the heir to his part of the universe.
“Dune: Part Two” is a middle-chapter installment, landing on the note of “to be continued, if business is good.” What Villeneuve and company achieve here is every bit as impressive and hypnotic as its predecessor.
MPA rating: PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material and brief strong language) Running time: 2:46
How to watch: In theaters