Dune 2 Movie Review

Production Quality- 9/5/10

Story-9/10

Personal Enjoyment-10/10

Overall- 9.6/10

‘Dune 2’ hit theaters on March 1st, 2024, and, in the past month following its release, has received immense praise. Personally, on my nights out with family and friends, I’ve already watched it 3 times, so let’s consider me, Alan Dabbs, an expert. Now, amateur Google-ers would know that this movie is a sequel to ‘Dune’, a 2021 film, which was also directed by Dennis Villeneuve. They would also know that this movie is a science fiction film, about two hours and a half long.

What insight can an expert like me offer? There happens to be quite a backstory for the making of this movie. In 1984 the first ‘Dune’ movie was released, an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ novel. Fun fact: This novel inspired many movies and stories after it, most notably, ‘Star Wars’! This novel has quite the legacy, as the series continues to include 6 “Dune” books. ‘Dune’ 2021’s story was covered in the first movie, ‘Dune 2’ in the second, and the third book has a high chance of being adapted by Villeneuve in the coming years, to conclude the trilogy. 

Villeneuve took on a real challenge, as, previously, an adaption of the novel had been thought of as unthinkable. Reviewers share their opinions that the 1984 Dune had been a big failure, this was due to the director, David Lynch, having a creative, yet overachieving vision, which caused a dispute within Universal Pictures. No one truly blames Lynch, as the story of Dune is notorious for puzzling storytellers who seek to adapt it, as it contains very intricate details of the character’s thoughts, that struggle to translate to the big screen. Alejandro Jodorowsky wasn’t threatened and was even more determined to do the book justice, attempting another, bigger, more ambitious adaptation. His movie required a tremendous budget, even recruiting Pablo Picasso, and his own son as the protagonist: Mick Jagger! If it ever made it to the theaters, we’d all be sitting down in those velvety seats for 7 times the conventional 2 hour movie date.

So, how did Villeneuve succeed in HIS Dune adaptation? Don’t fret, the hate stops here (Remember: I’d have to be a complete maniac to spend 6 hours watching a movie I can’t appreciate). Firstly, the liberty of making two movies for the first book allowed him to steer clear of the rush that David Lynch faced in cramming all of the events. Without spoiling the movie, I’ll offer you a trailer. The movie is set directly after Dune 1, within a day after the first movie’s story ends. Similar to the first one, it surrounds Paul Atriedes, a member of a powerful noble family, and his mom, trying to survive and thrive throughout political conflict. Taking place on Arrakis, a planet completely covered in sand, holding a valuable resource that pushes humanity to where it is today… This movie reflects the somewhat controversial message of the original author, who in his original work tried to reveal the possible dangers of religious extremism, through the prophecies in the movie. The aspect of the prophecy, how the characters take advantage of it, but ironically follow it is intriguing. The quality of the movie is phenomenal, with Hans Zimmer, doing the soundtrack, (the same sound producer as ‘Interstellar’ and ‘Inception’), and amazing cinematography and direction in the play, which enhances every moment even more. Not to mention that Villeneuve does a great job of worldbuilding, by creating a depiction of the future that is both incredible and innovative with its’ rule-breaking. A great example of this is how there is no gunfire used in combat, as shields against fast-moving projectiles were invented, and the way the story works around this system makes the movie unique. Moreover, every turning point feels powerful (unfortunately, saying which would spoil your fun), but once you make it there, you’ll understand how, 3 times over, the soundtrack and visuals allow the moments to hit you like a truck. The entire movie is eye candy from start to finish, for example, they cut to a planet to show another part of the story, and the color palette completely changes into something unique, making this part of the movie really seem like a different world. If you aren’t convinced yet, don’t forget that your favorite actors had a stellar performance. Remember these names? Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Austin Butler. Well, you won’t be disappointed with their transparent reflection of the novel’s intentions for the characters.

Overall, I can tell you that ‘Dune 2’ is both a masterpiece in quality and storytelling. While no movie is flawless, its minor fumbles don’t take away from the dizzying feeling you get walking out of that cinema, and that alternate world. Go watch it now, and add this movie to your favorites list!