By Lucas Castillo ’25
Dune: Part Two is an epic, fantastic, and enthralling film that will always have you wanting more. Its characters are rich and engaging, its plot is both complex and simple in the ways in which it needs to be, and its story is incredibly well developed and satisfies many of the loose threads left from Dune: Part One. With that being said, you will not understand anything about this film if you have not seen the first. So, if you want the full Dune experience, then you’ll need to watch two and a half hours more worth of content, on top of the two hours and forty minute runtime of this film, so take that how you will. I watched the first film the night before I went to the theater, and it was probably the best way I could have experienced it, as every character, plot line, and piece of knowledge that I gathered from the first, was fresh in my mind when I sat down to watch part two. I would highly recommend watching them in this way.
Compared to the first film, I thought that the plot lines and character actions were set up and were explained with more clarity and intention. The story of this film, in my opinion, is the best part by far. To see Paul and Chani’s relationship develop beautifully throughout the film, to then see him have to choose between her and the ideals that he had developed during his tenure with the Fremen and his spiritual and political destiny, which was forced upon him by his mother, come to a head in the final duel of the film was intense and gripping. Every element of the plot and story – the cultural elements, the religious themes, all of the political elements and characters – had a purpose to play in this adventure, and elevated the story of Paul and Chani at the center of the film to be truly epic.
This film, more than the first, differentiates itself from the other sci-fi franchises and brands by putting more focus on its religious and cultural elements. In particular, Paul and his mother’s dynamic and roles in this respect really add different layers to the religious elements and allow for the characters’ different and opposing perspectives on superstition and religion to be expanded upon further. Pretty much every character that didn’t die in the first film came back for the second installment. Many of them even had expanded roles in this one, with characters like Chani, Stilgar, and Paul’s mother all having more to do than they had in the first film. The new characters added further context to the story and plot, and will no doubt be important for the inevitable Dune: Part Three. Along with the new blood, this movie had its fair share of new and established character deaths, as expected. Despite all of these new and returning elements, the focus, more than ever, stayed squarely on Paul and his relationship with the Fremen and Chani and his relationship with his greater heritage and destiny.
All of the actors did a very good job with their roles and performances, but the stand out for me was Austin Butler’s performance as Feyd-Rautha. The chilling and often unsettling insanity that Butler portrays in this role is amazing and always entertaining. I honestly couldn’t recognize him at first in the role, and was surprised to learn his casting, considering just how different his other more notable roles have been.
This film’s setting for the majority of the time is the desert of Arrakis, and, funnily enough, it never gets boring. In fact, the exploration of the Fremen culture and the ways of the desert, made the desert feel richer and more alive than before. The film felt much faster than its predecessor, which absolutely helped with its long runtime, which was, ironically, even longer than the first film. I think that because there was more action and generally more going on in this film, plus the fact that the audience practically already knows what’s going on, plot and character wise, that you never really felt bored or wondered when it was going to end. I definitely felt that sentiment during the last installment. The visual effects were incredible, especially considering the effects of some big blockbuster movies in recent times. I honestly forgot this movie had any special effects, they were that good. The practical effects, as well, were excellent, as I could not discern between what effects were digital, practical, or even both.
The movie’s sound design did a good job at immersing you into the story, especially with the worm bumpers. One scene in the beginning, in this respect, really pulled me in with its powerful silence, immersing me into the situation and giving me that same sense of disorientation that the character was feeling. The film’s score, however, is nothing special. Don’t get me wrong, I think it complements the film well, and even heightens a few scenes to a higher degree, but in a vacuum the music isn’t as good.
This movie is incredibly dynamic and well directed. Every element and character in the action and dialogue scenes were well balanced and placed, with one of the stand out scenes for me being that part before the big climax, where Paul is standing in the middle of the Fremen council and all of the Fremen. The positioning and the movement of the scene just added to the epic grandeur of that moment, and fully conveyed to the audience how integral this moment was to both Paul’s arc and the plot of the Dune franchise as a whole. Over all, in my personal and all but factual opinion, I give Dune: Part Two a 9 out of 10 – go watch it now!
