Dune Part 2: A Visual Feast
If only one word could describe this insane movie, it’s Epic. There is nothing more I can say. It’s epic at the highest order. To the point that I was lost in words. The story, the characters, the visuals, the music. Everything. There is so much here. Let’s cover it:
First, the cast. The cast was unbelievable. Timothée killed his role as Paul. He grew up very fast if you ask me. From Part 1 to Part 2, he knew how to draw the audience in and make people love his character. Much about Paul should be pointed out, but much of it is a spoiler. I don’t want to do that, and I hope you can see for yourself when I say Timothée is Paul in and out. Zendaya returns for a more prominent role as Chani, Paul’s love interest. She delivered in every scene she was in. And that is a plus, for sure. Austin Butler shows up as Fetd-Rautha Harkonnen. And boy, he played the perfect villain. He was sinister in most of the scenes he was in—especially the Harkonnen arena or the black-and-white scene. I will get to that in a moment. Austin kills his role in many ways. And that was fantastic. Rebecca Ferguson carried this movie. And that’s saying a lot. Returning as Lady Jessica, she brings a whole new energy to her character. The plot twist is one of the most exciting because it changes your view of Jessica and Paul. And Rebecca kills it. Other famous actors took the stage, and everyone pulled their weight.
Seeing this film for the first time in theaters was the only way to go. Only a movie screen can genuinely show off the power of this filmmaking. It’s a beautiful movie, and the cinematography is insane. The camera work is terrific. Steven Spielberg, one of the greatest directors of our time, even called this one of the most brilliant sci-fi films he has ever seen. His saying that is a little crazy to me. Yes, there is a lot of sand. But it looked beautiful. One of my favorite scenes is the worm-riding scene. How in the world they pulled this off is beyond me. Several, and I mean several, tries, I presume. Another scene is the Harkonnen arena. This whole sequence is one of the most insane sequences in the entire movie. We tend to forget that films came from Black and White. They do it if they are brave enough, like the director, Denis Villeneuve. And pull it off in such a way I can not explain. It is one of the most breathtaking scenes in the whole movie. And it is just one example.
There will never be a man like Hans Zimmer again. Ever. I can’t even begin to explain this film’s music. It was on a whole new scale. Different than the first film. How Hans does this is beyond me. Yet, I understand his process. Hans brought a whole new feel to the movie by creating some insane sounds from strings and horns. And some of the most enormous drums I have ever heard. With every score, it seems like Hans brings in a new sound. And he pulls it off like he has been doing it for years. This score screams epic. While making this score, he said, “The thing I love about music is that you can move people within a second.” And I couldn’t agree more. He moved people. All over social media, there were videos of people reacting to this madness of a score. Some of my favorite songs are A Time of Quiet Between Storms, Arrival, and Kiss the Ring. That’s just the top three. And trust me, every song in this score has something to say. Over the years, Hans has rightfully put himself in the circle as one of the greatest composers of our time. He is my favorite composer. And there is no one else who can beat that.
Dune Part 2 is on a whole new level, and it shakes up the world of filmmaking. I have a lot more to share, but I would be giving away spoilers if I did. Watch this movie and have a visual feast. Because that is precisely what it is.