While Frank Herbert’s famous sci-fi series Dune wrapped up nearly 40 years ago, the property was only picked up by Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers in 2021. Surprisingly then, the movie saw runaway success, grossing 407.5 million dollars by the end of its theatrical run. After that, it was only a matter of time until the inevitable release of a sequel.
Despite Hollywood’s obsession with never-ending sequels and reboots, Dune Part 2 stands far and above all the others, and is substantially better than the first movie.
Continuing on the tradition of the first movie, the beginning of Dune Part 2 can seem slow, with very little progress being made. Unlike the first movie though, this pacing issue resolves itself and opens the movie up toward a more character-driven and impactful story that seems to genuinely have care put into almost every detail by the actors, directors, and filmmakers.
There are three areas where this care becomes obvious. The first is the music, which does a terrific job of complimenting the larger plot of Dune’s story, falling from hopeful, and nearly angelic motifs in the first half to orchestral riffs that fill the audience with a sense of appropriate dread. The way that these themes obviously shift throughout the movie, while still staying connected, is nothing less than genius.
The second area in which Dune Part 2 excels is in the visuals, where it clearly differentiates itself from most other Hollywood sci-fi action blockbuster films. Instead of focusing on huge, high-cost setpieces and fight scenes, Dune Part 2 is more concerned with crafting striking landscapes and settings. Whether it be huge explosions on the desert planet from which the story gets its name, or the quiet gardens in the emperor’s palace, Dune takes care to perfect every aspect of the story’s setting.
The final way that Dune Part 2 sets the standard for big-budget blockbusters is in the characters and acting. Despite Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of the main character, Paul, being strangely uninteresting at first, he pulls it together with a huge shift in attitude towards the middle of the movie, turning Paul from the hero of the story into a fanatical villain who fights to preserve his own power.
The other 2 standout characters from the movie, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) and Chani (Zendaya) round out a star-studded cast but can be one-note at times.
Overall, Dune Part 2 has set a nearly unbeatable standard for Hollywood, taking out movies with far higher budgets and presenting a story that is much more thematically interesting than most.
