Dune: Part Two

Saw an early screening of this film at the Tilton Square Theatre in New Jersey, and I was completely blown away. From the opening scene all the way until the credits I never felt bored, which is impressive for a 2 hour and 45 minute film.

I don't want to write too much here, I prefer anyone reading this with the slightest bit of interest in the film to go see it immediately. It doesn't release worldwide until March 1st, so grab tickets and I would highly recommended you see it in IMAX if possible. Almost the entirety of the movie is filmed with IMAX cameras.

This movie is an absolute visual spectacle probably going to win a couple Oscar's for sound editing, picture, etc., and the fight scenes are choreographed so fantastically. Like I stated in the beginning, see this film!

Denis Villeneuve's DUNE: PART TWO is a review-proof film. Either you watched - and loved - the first part, in which case you have already gone out and seen it. Or...you didn't like the first part (or didn't watch it), in which case you are not going to the Cineplex to check out the sequel.

If you ARE going to see this film, the BankofMarquis strongly recommends you see it in theaters with the best sound and largest screen possible...for 2 reasons.

Reason 1: This film is visually and audibly stunning. It is a feast for the eyes and ears. Director Villeneuve (and all involved in the production, costume, sound and Fx design) have topped the very high bar they set for themselves with the first Dune and expect this film to rake in ALL of these types of awards come next Oscars' season. They visually (and audibly) credibly present new worlds in such a way that you are sure that the movie was filmed on location when (in fact) it is all pretty much green sky. An amazing technical achievement

Reason 2: It's a good thing that this film is visually and audibly stunning, because the storyline itself, is rather boring and somewhat complex. This is the fault of the source novel as Dune (and it's sequels) are just as interested in the politics and back room dealings of how you turn a hero into a Messiah (with a ton of backstory and plot development thought by the characters - never a good way to present a movie). So you will want to watch this in a theater so you can keep focused on the plot (as opposed to at home where you will be tempted to pick up your phone, pet the dog, go make a sandwich etc.) and not miss some of the intricacies.

Caught between Reason 1 and Reason 2 are a laundry list of performers and performances that are struggling to match the technical achievements of Dune: Part Two while acting against a green screen with some long, boring speeches and some very clunky dialogue.

Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Charlotte Rampling all return from the first part and they are "just fine", not really elevating things, but not bringing them down either. They gamely bring their best to a rather difficult and thankless job.

Thank goodness Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin are back as their characters bring some life and energy to the proceedings while Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Lea Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgard and (especially) Christopher Walken (!) are wasted in their roles, really being more of a piece of furniture to move around rather than anything that represents an interesting character.

Only Austin Butler's Feyd-Rautha brings new excitement to the 2nd half of this 2 hour and 40 minute epic and, by that point in this film, it is much needed.

Come to DUNE: PART TWO for the visual and sound achievements and stay for...the visual and sound achievements - and the setup to the inevitable sequel.

Letter Grade: B

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)

I saw Dune 2 on an XD screen and sound system. Visually, Dune 2 was jaw dropping. The sound was intense, and at times, too loud and droning. If you are interested in seeing this movie, it is worth seeing on a big screen.

Though I was fully engaged for its 2 hour and 46 minute run time, I would not call Dune 2 a masterpiece. Most characters acted emotionally flat. I also felt the romance between Paul and Chani was not convincing. When the story was reaching its climax, I did not care about the characters. I also think the movie should have spent a little time on setup about the Fremen. I get that they are oppressed by the Harkonnen, but their sacrifices and lost freedom should be shown to the viewer so we understand the emotional motivation to do a full assault on the Harkonnen.

Austin Butler was so intense in the movie. It illustrates his acting range. I hope he is recognized for his performance.

And here are some little nit-picky criticisms. They don't address how the Fremen eat. In terms of world building, these sort of details are necessary to make the world believable. I'm not convinced humans could survive on Arrakis. There is no way you could grow crops and raise animals. Did they eat synthetic food? The planet also couldn't sustain gigantic worms. These huge beasts would have to consume millions of calories a day, which is not available. Showing the details of a sustainable life on such a dry planet would help with believability. And the voice control thing done by the Bene Gesserit is sort of dumb. I know this is from the book, but that part of the book doesn't hold up over time.

Like the first part, the second part is visually stunning, though having read the book twice, I regret to say that unlike the David Lynch version from the eighties, De Villeneuve almost deliberately destresses the mystical/mythical core of the story. This makes for an impressive viewing that somehow left me unsatisfied. In De Villeneuve's hands the story becomes one of political grandstanding which is but part of what the book is about, both in relation to the hidden ways of the Fremen and the nature and mission of Paul and his mother. For example, in the second part those scenes where Paul Atreides becomes the Kwizatz Haderach are rather weak and not very convincing.

Having left this essence out of the movies, they become a bit of an emptied out visual experience. A kind of secular, profane Dune. Still nice, but also a bit disappointing.

Had the pleasure to watch this film in an early screening and was completely blown away.

"Dune: Part 2" is everything one could ask for from a film of its kind. As a big fan of the Game of Thrones franchise, it's been a long time since iv'e encountered this level of world-building and epicness. The plot and story development are carried out in an awe-inspiring manner throughout the movie, progressing at a precise pace toward a spectacular climax that is executed perfectly.

Denis Villeneuve continues to prove himself as one of the most promising filmmakers of our time, and if it was up to me I would keep him in these high-budget epic tales such as these since there are very few directors working today that can tackle this genre as good as he does. The film received praise from many great filmmakers, the most notable being Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Oppenheimer), who very accurately compared Villeneuve's achievement in this film to the "Empire Strikes Back" of the modern era.

Would highly recommend to re-watch the first movie in order to appreciate the subtleties and foreshadowing better, though it's not completely necessary since the movie is pretty self-contained. More specifically, one of the most prominent and impressive strengths of the movie is how it stands on its own without relying too heavily on the first part. Of course, for those who really want to enjoy the story, there's no real point in watching the second part without having seen the first one. However, even those who watched it a few years ago and don't remember every little plot detail will be able to catch up very quickly while watching the Pt. 2 and will understand all the important details-even the smaller ones. Non-ideally, even someone who hasn't watched the first movie at all will greatly enjoy this one, as it is very self-contained despite relying heavily on the first movie-an impressive and highly commendable screenplay effort by the writers.

Timothée Chalamet delivers a very impressive and charismatic performance, to the point where it seems like this is the role he was born to play. Zendaya also gives a very good performance, with significantly more screen time than in the first movie. Austin Butler manages to be terrifying in the role of the villain, Rebecca Ferguson shines in one of the best performances of the year, and Javier Bardem surprises in a role that sometimes provides the comic relief of the movie. In addition to them, the film is filled with top-tier actors and actresses who all perform their roles amazingly.

Hans Zimmer's score is masterful just as you'd expect, and one step up from the Oscar winning and Grammy nominated score of Pt. 1. Technical aspects such as VFX, Production Design, Sound, Editing, etc. Are all top notch and awards-worthy. The action sequences are absolutely mind blowing and sent chills down my spine. Denis direction is impeccable, and the story is absolutely fascinating- continuing to develop characters from Pt. 1 even deeper and introduce new incredible and intriguing characters.

In my personal opinion, the movie is better than the first part in pretty much every aspect. While the first part was excellent, it mainly served as a setup and positioning of the pieces for the sequel. In "Part 2," the story reaches its climax, with one of the strongest climaxes seen on the big screen in recent decades, befitting the complex work Frank Herbert wrote many years ago.

I believe (and surely hope) this movie will be a major player in the next Award Season. Below-the-line wins are pretty much guaranteed as of now, but I hope it will get some love in above-the-line categories such as Direction and even Best Picture, perhaps to break stigmas presented against the Fantasy/Sci-Fi genre in recent years at the Academy. As a big fan of the genre, unless a better competitor will be released later this eligibility period, maybe it's time for a movie like this to triumph once again.

While the movie serves as a great wrap-up to the story introduced in Pt. 1, in my opinion it could serve as an even better set-up to a possible masterpiece in "Dune: Messiah", which I really hope will get green-lit soon.

Don't miss the opportunity to catch this movie on IMAX, since I believe it's an historic piece of epic-Fantasy/Sci-Fi cinema and a movie that will be remembered as a classic of the genre.

Extremely recommended.