Are you ready to meet the kwisatz haderach? Dune: Part Two is set to fulfill its destiny as a science-fiction masterpiece for the ages, and the reviews only confirm the feeling.
Denis Villeneuve's film is the second instalment in his two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's landmark sci-fi novel. 2021's Dune established the puzzle pieces and now we get the awe-inspiring, seat-shaking pay-off as Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides grapples with an intergalactic destiny that has implications for the entire universe.
Everything about Dune: Part Two is massive from the sandworms to the bass-heavy action sequences and Hans Zimmer's percolating score. The emotions are big as well as multiple character trajectories dramatically overlap, including that of Paul's dreaded Harkonnen nemesis Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler).
The scale of the movie is amplified by its Cineworld presentation in premium format IMAX and 4DX. Make no mistake, this is a movie to be absorbed, devoured and savoured on the biggest screen one can find.
If you weren't excited enough, the following review snippets will likely send your adrenaline levels into overdrive. Read them and then book your tickets for Dune: Part Two via the link at the end of this post.
Denis Villeneuve's sense of scale is lauded
"Part Two picks up where the first instalment left off, literally and figuratively, delivering another stunning set of gorgeous visuals and exceptional action sequences.
"As Hans Zimmer’s propulsive score juices the drama and thrill of Paul’s quest, Part Two achieves the sort of big-screen momentousness that is too rarely dared in contemporary cinema. Anyone swept away by the 2021 film will hunger to return for a second helping — and be richly rewarded." – Tim Grierson, Screen International
The visuals are out of this world
"With breath-taking landscapes, incredible special effects and awe-inspiring action – a black and white German expressionism-inspired sequence featuring a beautifully devised gladiatorial battle is simply jaw-dropping in its perfection – Villeneuve and cinematographer Greig Fraser deliver a masterclass in seamless, powerful filmmaking.
"Chalamet’s portrayal of Paul Atreides is nothing short of mesmerising, showcasing a depth of emotion and complexity that firmly establishes him as one of the most compelling protagonists in recent memory. Those among us who have remained immune to the young actor’s charms hitherto, might have to finally admit defeat." – Linda Marric, HeyUGuys
The performances are uniformly strong
"Chalamet and Ferguson take all that was regal and dignified about their performances, and apply to them a poisoned tip. Chani is critical here, too, with a significantly expanded role as the film’s moral centre – Zendaya holds the film in her palm, with resolution and clarity. Granted, the traditional baddies are still here: Stellan Skarsgård’s Baron Harkonnen returns, still floating around in his evil little nightgown, and we’re finally introduced to his nephew and heir, Feyd-Rautha.
"He’s played by Austin Butler without a trace of the Elvis drawl, but with such an uncanny Skarsgård impersonation that sons Alexander, Gustaf, Bill and Valter should be concerned they’re about to be replaced. Butler not only cleanses the mind of any memory of Sting in metal underpants (from David Lynch’s notorious 1984 take) but commits every cell of his body, from his bald head to ink-stained teeth, to snarling and slaying his way across the universe." – Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent
It stays true to Frank Herbert's disquieting themes
"The second part of Denis Villeneuve’s monumental Dune adaptation lands with a sternum-juddering crash; it’s another shroom of a film, an epic sci-fi hallucination whose images speak of fascism and imperialism, of guerrilla resistance and romance.
"Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel – working with co-writer Jon Spaihts – draws on David Lean, George Lucas and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator in the (perhaps inevitable) mega-stadium combat scene with the tiny billions of CGI crowds in the bleachers. But he really has made it all his own: secular political cruelty meets Indigenous people’s struggle in those vast mysterious planetscapes.
"The sound design throbs and drones in this film’s bloodstream, lending a queasy frisson to its extraordinary visual spectacle and the recurrent horror-fetish BDSM chic which appears to govern so much intergalactic-wrongdoer style." – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Timothée Chalamet owns the role of Paul Atreides
"Chalamet... rises to the challenge of playing Paul, a character whose future is so dark it needed the actor to approach the role with care so that it hints at, but doesn't completely give away, what he is to become in Dune: Messiah, should the sequel get green-lit.
"Chalamet is charismatic in one moment and terrifying the next, and the actor proves his remarkable acting ability to bring this difficult character to life and make it look easy." – Roxy Simons, Yahoo Movies UK
Have those reviews convinced you to return to Arrakis? Then click the link below to book your tickets for Dune: Part Two. It opens at Cineworld on March 1st.
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