Dune: Part 2 Review (Spoiler Free)

After five months of delays and two guild strikes, Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up to Dune (2021) is finally here! Villeneuve takes audiences back to a much more dangerous Arrakis than we left it: the Harkonnens, having taken control of the planet, are still hunting down Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) as Paul plans his revenge, assimilates into Fremen society, and reckons with his destiny as Kwisatz Haderach/Lisan al-Gaib.

Arrakis feels more lived in than the previous installment, which is saying something. Villeneuve did an excellent job of introducing audiences to Arrakis via Paul as he becomes familiar with his new home. Equally stellar is Villeneuve's portrayal of Fremen culture, facilitated through Paul and Lady Jessica's interactions with Fremen leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and Fedaykin Chani (Zendaya). Originally treated merely as a resource by outsiders, water is viewed with a religious reverence second to none. Through ceremonies and battles alike, the audience becomes as entrenched in Fremen society as Paul, highlighting the importance of their cause.

Similarly, Chalamet's portrayal of Paul evolves throughout the movie. By the final hour, he commands the screen with an authority befitting the messianic figure his character is destined to become. For as sweeping and epic of a sci-fi blockbuster as this is, Chalamet equally shines during the film’s quieter and more intimate moments. His facial expressions convey more of his emotional well-being than pages of dialogue ever could. The result is that the audience experiences the same dominance as Paul during his highs and the same vulnerability and conflict during his lows.

Any rising hero needs a threat of equal stature. Enter Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the Baron’s sadistic nephew and heir apparent to the empire. Gone is the bed head and metal thong from Sting’s infamous portrayal of the character from Dune (1984); Butler is unrecognizable with a bald head (eyebrows included), leather armor, and spine-tingling voice. Butler’s scene-stealing menace is one of the many highlights of the film. Following a sinister introduction, Feyd-Rautha’s presence is felt during the remainder of the movie that perfectly sets the stage for a pulse-pounding climatic showdown with Paul. Without a doubt, Butler’s Feyd-Rautha is one of the most memorable movie villains in recent memory.

By adapting the seemingly unadaptable book, Villeneuve cements himself as a modern-day master with both Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two. The director delivers an unmissable, emotionally thrilling science fiction blockbuster in Dune: Part Two. If the director and fans have their way, a trilogy capper in the form of Dune: Messiah could be in the, hopefully, not-too-distant future. A future visible by strong box office numbers instead of the Water of Life.

By Thad Boone