Dune: Part Two (12A)

Paul Atreides continues to pursue revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family by aligning himself with Chani in the vast deserts where sandworms roam and are venerated by the Fremen. To achieve his goals, Paul will need to navigate a perilously thin path between Emperor Shaddam IV and his daughter Princess Irulan, and bloodthirsty rivals from House Harkonnen led by Baron Vladimir and his intended successor, Feyd-Rautha.

LondonNet Film Review

Dune: Part Two (12A) Film Review from LondonNet

Bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to the spectacular second chapter of French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s supposedly ‘unfilmable’ 1965 novel. More bombastic and visually arresting than its predecessor, Dune: Part Two demands a gargantuan screen – preferably IMAX – with a sound system capable of conveying every bone-shaking roar of composer Hans Zimmer’s epic orchestral score. Villeneuve’s brio energises thunderous set pieces including bloodthirsty skirmishes in the desert between Fremen and heavily-armed enemies and the long-awaited moment Timothee Chalamet’s vengeful son must prove his worth by surfing on the back of a hulking sandworm…

Impressive visual effects marry seamlessly with practical filmmaking, elevated by no-expense-spared production design, costumes and grotesque make-up effects to realise the bloated and shaven-headed House Harkonnen. If audience’s appetites were fed solely by dazzling the eyes and ears, Villeneuve’s sensory banquet would flirt with the oft-used superlative of masterpiece. However, a script co-written by the director and Jon Spaihts isn’t equally bountiful with narrative progression and character development. It is ironic that a film which constantly berates protagonists for shedding tears and squandering the most precious resource on Arrakis should tread water for periods of its indulgent 167-minute running time. The romance between Chalamet and Zendaya simmers to a final shot that winks knowingly to the proposed conclusion of a trilogy.

Paul Atreides (Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) continue to hide from Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) and his murderous horde in the deserts of Arrakis. They are sheltered by Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and members of the superstitious Fremen whose eyes glow blue from prolonged exposure to highly addictive Spice. Stilgar fervently believes that Paul is a messiah from prophecy and Lady Jessica fans flames of religious fervour to instal herself as the Fremen’s new Reverend Mother.

Her son holds firm to a different course, fighting alongside lover Chani (Zendaya) and warrior compatriot Shishakli (Souheila Yacoub) to dismantle the Spice-harvesting operation spearheaded by Glossu Rabban Harkonnen (Dave Bautista). Meanwhile, scheming Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) dispatches her ally Lady Margot Fenring (Lea Seydoux) to seduce the Baron’s anointed successor Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler).

Dune: Part Two is a colossal exercise in world-building, which empowers female characters and expedites the narrative through detours from Herbert’s text. Oscar nominee Butler makes an immediate impact as the sociopathic heir to the Harkonnen empire and his inevitable collision with Chalamet’s rival is suitably brutal and bloody. “I will love you as long as I breathe,” Paul repeatedly coos to Chani. I’m not so hopelessly and deliriously enamoured by Villeneuve’s sequel but I’m certainly smitten with the creativity and verve required to tame a cinematic beast of this muscular, jaw-dropping scale.

– Jo Planter