Dune Part Two: Villeneuve’s Elegant, Impactful Sequel Gets Herbert’s Tale Just Right

By Karen Gordon

Rating: A-

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two wraps up his vision for the adaptation of the first book in Frank Herbert's Dune series in an epic action film with complex themes that delivers on the promise of 2021’s Dune.

There are battles, dark enemies, hidden agendas, betrayals, issues of fate, and a coming-of-age love story, here all played out against Villeneuve’s gorgeous visual canvas.

If you’re hoping to see a straightforward story about heroism — as young Paul Atreides wrangles with the opposing forces that are pulling at him — remember we’re in the hands of Villeneuve, who is a master at getting emotional depth out of his characters and taking his movies into deeper psycho-social territory as well. With Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve and cowriter Jon Spaihts draw out the meat of Herbert’s story while presenting its themes as a cautionary tale about the dangers of fanaticism.

Dune is set on the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis, prized in the galaxy because of its natural resource: spice, a byproduct of giant worms that travel underground on the planet, making the mining of the spice difficult and dangerous.

Only found on Arrakis, spice is a resource that is so lucrative that the emperor who rules has moved in on the planet, assigning various powerful families to run the mining facilities. This has put them into a long-running war with Arrakis’ native people, the Fremen, for whom the spice is a key part of their religion, and who want the invaders off their planet.

Dune part one focused on the royal Atreides family, sent by the emperor to run the spice operation on the planet, and who were ultimately betrayed. Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) was murdered by a rival family, the brutal Harkonnens, who want to take back control of Arrakis.

Leto's son and heir Paul Atreides (Timothée Chamalet) and Leto’s consort (and Paul’s mother) Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) escaped with their lives and fell into the hands of a group of Fremen, led by Stilgar (Javier Bardem). Dune: Part Two picks up a few hours later. Paul and Lady Jessica have been grudgingly taken in by the Fremen.

Stilgar is a tough leader, steeped in the old ways of his people and their religion, and in particular he's deeply invested in a belief that a messiah from outside of the Fremen people will come to lead them to victory over their enemies.

Then there's Chani (Zendaya), a young warrior who represents a different generation and who rejects these beliefs as superstition. Paul has been having visions since before coming to Arrakis, and in particular of Chani. The two have a deep connection that feels like fate, and ultimately fall into a romantic relationship.

The Fremen have a mixed reaction to Paul and Jessica, but some begin to believe that Paul is the messiah, something he denies.

Still, it's hard for him to completely dismiss what's happening. Affected by the spice, Paul has been having dreams that he worries are prophetic. Among them, he has visions that say if he travels to the south of the planet, where people will believe he is the messiah, will lead to a horrible war with much death and suffering.

But war — led by the brutal Beast Harkonnen (Dave Bautista) — comes to the north and to the Fremen. Despite Paul's apocalyptic visions, the Fremen must make choices about whether they’ll move to the south.

As well, Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica, who is already a secretive character, becomes more so. She is a Bene Gesserit, part of an order of women trained to master significant mystical powers, under the command of a powerful Reverend Mother (Charlotte Rampling).

Stilgar, who has threatened her life, forces her to become the Reverend Mother of the Fremen in a dangerous and possibly deadly ceremony. Surviving it makes her deeper and darker. Unbeknownst to anyone except Paul, she's pregnant, and is communicating with her fetus who has strong prophetic skills.

While Paul and his mother navigate their roles within the Fremen society, there are other players in the galaxy maneuvering for control of Arrakis and bearing down on them. The violent Baron Harkonnen, displeased with Beast, puts his faith in his nephew Feud-rathya (Austin Butler), a terrifying, sadistic psychopath.

Behind the scenes, the emperor (Christopher Walken) pulls the strings, and with his daughter Princess Irulin (Florence Pugh) as his heir, considers how to hold on to their power by manipulating the various players.

There is a lot of plot in Dune: Part Two, which accounts for its running length of two hours and 46 minutes. And lots of terrific characters, well played. The women's roles in Dune are especially strong with Zendaya and Ferguson as particular standouts.

As well, Villeneuve has created exciting action sequences, which are big sensory experiences, meant to be seen on the big screen, while simultaneously paying attention to details and small gestures. With so much going on it might benefit from a second viewing to take it all in.

But as it moves to its conclusion, what really hits are the undercurrents. The world of Dune is rife with secrecy and clandestine agendas. There are power struggles in every relationship that we see; people vying for power, for wealth, all tied to deeply felt and long held belief systems that keep them in a perpetual state of antagonism and war. Both Paul and Chani, in their way, are seeing through each other the potential of a different way to live.

Put together, Dune and Dune: Part Two complete the first novel in the Dune series which, on its surface, is a coming-of-age story of Paul Atreides and how the pressures of heredity and fate bear on his choices.

But there is much more going on here that Villeneuve has beautifully translated from Herbert's novel.

The action, the battles, the love story… all of this continues through the film, but as it progresses it subtly turns, leading us to some bigger, and heavier themes such as the pointlessness of war, the dangers of religious fanaticism, fascism, and the questions of people who find themselves swept up in fate. It works as pure action, but with all of this, Dune: Part Two is a potent and layered film.

Dune: Part Two. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Written by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautisa, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Charlotte Rampling. In theatres March 1.