McDaniel
It’s rare for a movie to live up to the hype of its globally acclaimed source material — especially when it’s a book published back in 1965 and considered by many to be the greatest sci-fi story of all time, selling millions of copies around the world. But the newest cinematic release of “Dune: Part Two” rides into theaters in epic fashion.
Picking up where “Dune: Part One” left off from its 2021 theater release, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) leads the Fremen to defend planet Arrakis against House Harkonnen, the very people who murdered his family and now try to steal the planet’s valuable spice.
The adventure is a visual marvel to behold, from sweeping deserts with sandworms the size of high-rises, to birdlike aircrafts hovering over giant harvesters exploding in battle.
The action is varied and fierce, whether rapid hand-to-hand combat or riding the worms into enemy brigades that fill the landscape.
As author Frank Herbert first did decades earlier, director Denis Villeneuve captures our imaginations with incredible worldbuilding. But it’s the performances of the deep and talented cast that kept me glued to the screen.
At the story’s center, I believe the love story between Atreides and Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya) and the turmoil they feel when difficult choices need to be made.
The list of familiar actors and actresses is long, but most likely to stay with the viewer is the dark-eyed Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) as the murderous nephew of the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). The “Elvis” star is chilling, with straight up evil in his performance.
The film is long at 166 minutes, but there’s something to enjoy for everyone, whether you’ve read the book or not.
Now, if you haven’t read it, I could see all the strange names and histories being a bit hard to follow and certain details confusing. Take Paul’s mystical mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) who becomes the Fremen’s new Reverend Mother. Her role is complicated, as are the limits of her powers — such as the fetus in her womb being able to communicate telepathically with her. While the book provides context to better understand these characters, the movie doesn’t always take the time to.
Though not everything translates from the book effectively, the latest film is a wildly successful reminder why “Dune” is considered one of the greatest sci-fi adventures ever.
4.5 / 5
Scott McDaniel is an assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College. He lives in Bargersville with his wife and three kids.
