Cinema is not just about storytelling, it’s about the experience as well. I for one will never forget watching The Force Awakens at a midnight showing, or the incredibly immersive sensation of Top Gun: Maverick on the big screen. Every so often a film comes along that reminds you the true power of cinema. Back in 2021, post-pandemic, we were treated to a modern reimagining of the epic Frank Herbert novel Dune. Dune felt like a cross between Game of Thrones and Star Wars. The film had scope, a mix of practical and visual effects and a highly engaging story. Dune was also a truly cinematic experience; from the first time we see the sand worms to the battle at the end, it felt like an experience just as much as a story. The same can be said about the sequel, Dune: Part Two.
Dune has a huge world full of lore, mythology and depth. The centre of the story is the sand planet Arrakis. The Atriedes family own and control the spice on the planet as they mine it, but in the first film the Duke of the Atriedes family was killed and the Harkonnen family took over the operation. What the Harkonnen’s don’t know is that Duke Leto Atriedes son, Paul Atriedes played by Timothée Chalamet, fled to the desert and joined forces with a local Fremen tribe. This sequel sees Paul and the Fremen take down House Harkonnen which is led by a tyrannical Emperor. It sounds like a lot going on but filmmaker Denis Villeneuve does a fantastic job at balancing every character strand and making sense of the world.
The cast list for this film is just as impressive as the filmmaking. Joining Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet in the cast is Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken with Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard and many more returning from the first film. Every actor brings their all, elevating the story and heightening the characters. A special shout out goes to Austin Butler as the heir to the Harkonnen empire Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Butler truly transforms into this mystical warrior who looks and acts like an entitled, angry boy with some serious parental issues. He is a villain in all but name, and his confrontation with Paul at the end is one of the many highlights of the film.
From the opening scenes, to riding sand worms, to the monochromatic home world of the Harkonnen’s, every second of the film is not wasted and it adds to the whole cinematic experience. The sound design, the cinematography and the script writing is all unique and feels distinctive. There is no other film like the Dune films and all the credit goes to filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve is a masterful and visual filmmaker and his previous work on films such as Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 are reflected in this film. I just hope he makes one more to complete this story and this legacy, at least then we have another truly cinematic and perfect film trilogy that joins the likes of The Lord of the Rings.
★★★★★
5/5
Final Verdict:
Dune: Part II is breathtaking. From the opening shots, to the ethereal score that pounds off the screen you’re just immersed within this world. From start to finish you will join Paul and his followers as they bring down the prideful and wealthy Harkonnen empire. From Chalamet to Zendaya, to Javier Bardem to Austin Butler, every actor impresses and brings a level of authenticity and humanity to the film. You will leave the cinema wondering how they managed to achieve such a film and the memory of the film will not leave you anytime soon.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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