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Dune: Part Two -
Have you ever had a really fun vacation day where a friend or family member constantly told you about all the things you would do not on the current day, but the next day? It makes living in the moment difficult, doesn't it? I ask because this sums up my main gripe with Dune: Part Two: it could use a little less continuation and a little more closure. Despite this issue, Villeneuve raises the bar for epic sci-fi and fantasy filmmaking here.
If you are also tired of how weightless, spontaneity-deprived and scale-free action scenes in movies like this one have been lately, this movie's will feel like a shot in the arm. From the small scale to the knife fights to the large with the spice harvester takedowns, you will feel the jolts of adrenalin and have the visceral reactions you have missed. As for how this half compares to the first half, if you also felt it was workmanlike, and unlike Lynch's movie, not strange enough, this one makes up for it. As odd and unsettling as Lynch's movie may be, this one's vision of the Harkonnen home world in particular from its conformity to its disregard for the sanctity of life - even their own - may surpass even the 1984 movie's most alien moments. I also approve of how much more room for character growth there is here on the whole, which not only applies to ones introduced in part one, but in this one as well. Stilgar and Chani, and thus the Fremen in general, benefit greatly as a result. The most redeemed character, however, is Feyd, with credit going to Austin Butler as much as Villeneuve and company. Whenever I saw Sting on screen in Lynch’s movie, I laughed. Butler, on the other hand, gave me a much more appropriate reaction of reminding me of how Joffrey from Game of Thrones made me feel. The way Part Two captures the story's mystical moments also deserves credit. This applies to Paul's visions, but especially for how it captures what a spice high is like.
Again, what prevents me from fully embracing it is that it looks too much into the future: not into its own, mind you, but at the other books in the series. The finale in particular, despite how it made me think more about the implications of a messiah like Paul existing and the fate of the Fremen than the 1984 movie did, suffers as a result. What should have been a momentous occasion ends up being more setup than payoff. Is my franchise fatigue talking? Maybe, but it is possible to deliver the kind of payoff you desire from an ending while providing setup at the same time (see The Empire Strikes Back). Regardless, the quality of the action, character development, artistry, direction, etc. notwithstanding, the movie and its predecessor succeed at capturing Frank Herbert's vision, which is sadly even more like our planet in 2024 than it was in the '60s. Oh, and even though I complain, will I buy a ticket for Dune Messiah anyway? Yes, probably.
Have you ever had a really fun vacation day where a friend or family member constantly told you about all the things you would do not on the current day, but the next day? It makes living in the moment difficult, doesn't it? I ask because this sums up my main gripe with Dune: Part Two: it could use a little less continuation and a little more closure. Despite this issue, Villeneuve raises the bar for epic sci-fi and fantasy filmmaking here.
If you are also tired of how weightless, spontaneity-deprived and scale-free action scenes in movies like this one have been lately, this movie's will feel like a shot in the arm. From the small scale to the knife fights to the large with the spice harvester takedowns, you will feel the jolts of adrenalin and have the visceral reactions you have missed. As for how this half compares to the first half, if you also felt it was workmanlike, and unlike Lynch's movie, not strange enough, this one makes up for it. As odd and unsettling as Lynch's movie may be, this one's vision of the Harkonnen home world in particular from its conformity to its disregard for the sanctity of life - even their own - may surpass even the 1984 movie's most alien moments. I also approve of how much more room for character growth there is here on the whole, which not only applies to ones introduced in part one, but in this one as well. Stilgar and Chani, and thus the Fremen in general, benefit greatly as a result. The most redeemed character, however, is Feyd, with credit going to Austin Butler as much as Villeneuve and company. Whenever I saw Sting on screen in Lynch’s movie, I laughed. Butler, on the other hand, gave me a much more appropriate reaction of reminding me of how Joffrey from Game of Thrones made me feel. The way Part Two captures the story's mystical moments also deserves credit. This applies to Paul's visions, but especially for how it captures what a spice high is like.
Again, what prevents me from fully embracing it is that it looks too much into the future: not into its own, mind you, but at the other books in the series. The finale in particular, despite how it made me think more about the implications of a messiah like Paul existing and the fate of the Fremen than the 1984 movie did, suffers as a result. What should have been a momentous occasion ends up being more setup than payoff. Is my franchise fatigue talking? Maybe, but it is possible to deliver the kind of payoff you desire from an ending while providing setup at the same time (see The Empire Strikes Back). Regardless, the quality of the action, character development, artistry, direction, etc. notwithstanding, the movie and its predecessor succeed at capturing Frank Herbert's vision, which is sadly even more like our planet in 2024 than it was in the '60s. Oh, and even though I complain, will I buy a ticket for Dune Messiah anyway? Yes, probably.