If you don't already understand the plot, don't worry. With Dune: Part 2, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve does a smooth job of bringing the audience back to the topic, even if some viewers have to be reminded of the difference between a movie and a movie. T probe and criss knife. Those who don't need refreshment will want to rush to the nearest complex and plunge once more into the imaginative world of novelist Frank Herbert, brought to vast, sandy life by Villeneuve. If it's chillier than a dying icy planet, “Dune's” fierce insistence on its own importance may begin to wear off after his first two hours. At that point, cheer up! He only has 46 minutes left.
As he did with Dune Part 1, Villeneuve brings passion and detail to a project steeped in cinematic legend and lore. Abandoned by director Alejandro Jodorowsky, his 1970s film Dune remains an interesting what-if story. David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation of Herbert's science fiction epic was an ambitious attempt, but was largely rejected. It didn't help that George Lucas seemed to have lifted much of the plot and overall atmosphere of this book to create a “Star Wars” version with a generous sprinkling of nostalgia and playful humor. . Villeneuve's film “Dune'' deserves praise simply for its loyalty and ambition. The filmmakers' respect for Herbert's original work radiates from every frame of a film that feels as ponderous as it is finely tuned.
Plus, he did a great job of casting. Chalamet is the perfect actor to play a character who starts off as a surly prince-like figure, but eventually transforms into a more charismatic and sinister figure. Zendaya, though almost grim-faced, still exudes a convincing gentleness as she teaches the soft-footed Paul the art of mercenary warfare and survival on Arrakis. Dune: Part 2 is full of flashy desert walks, sandworm rides, and quite a few blue eyes. While Ferguson's Jessica takes some radical steps when it comes to Paul's future as a savior (wearing flashy costumes and make-up for the role of a newly minted minister), Javier Bardem plays the Fremen leader warmly and funny. , providing the only genuine laugh in the film. Stillgar's claim that Paul is The One borders on Life of Brian-esque stupidity.
All of the new cast members are top notch. Florence Pugh and Christopher Walken effortlessly slip into the roles of Princess Irulan and her father, Emperor Shaddam IV, and Austin Butler plays Elvis – at least for now – thoroughly bald and all-white. Exiled. Visually portraying the psychotic Feyed-Rauta, the gladiator exhibition for his uncle Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård, returning in stunningly padded glory) is portrayed with fascistic precision. It is performed in
Heavy on Biblical themes of prophecy, sacrifice, redemption, and resurrection, with Shakespearean grace notes about fate, family, and revenge, Dune: Part 2 feels both hectic and strangely lethargic. . Things definitely happen in the plot, where Paul has to decide whether he's a full-throated revolutionary or a reluctant demigod. Villeneuve stages the requisite number of fights and combat scenes, becoming more and more incendiary with each confrontation. The audience is shown (exposed?) to far too many shots of the baby in the womb, perhaps in service to a subplot involving Paul's sister who will join Paul in the next chapter. It's all meticulously conceived and impressively staged, but it can become repetitive and monotonous, and for those who haven't fully immersed themselves in the world of Dune, the dust, smoke, fire, and sand It turns into a hazy orange and ocher soup.
There's a lot of sand. Like its predecessor, Dune: Part 2 constructs an undeniably spectacular world, compressing a vast, borderline incomprehensible story into an efficient narrative delivery system (Villeneuve's perfunctory editing The style takes some getting used to, but it keeps things moving quickly.) For “Dune” fans, this production gives their beloved novel the epic treatment it has long deserved. Everyone else may have to fight their way through the fog of the elements of Orthodox Arcana and Arrakis to find the joy of escapism. Even if you have to wait for “Part 3,” it's out there somewhere.
PG-13. at area theaters. Contains some strong violence, some suggestive content, and a brief strong profanity. 166 minutes.