In spite of its hype, I wasn’t all that excited about Dune Part 2. One reason was because the first one was too slow. The other reason was due to the negative rep the original sequel from decades ago has. Luckily, I decided to go against my better judgement and see take a chance.
This sequel picks up right where its predecessor left off. Right from the start, the pace felt faster. This made me feel more interested in what we were about to see, but I also understood that it’s the opening sequence and in film, that’s normal. As it rolled along, I expected it to slow down to a crawl, but that never quite happens.
Whenever it felt like it may start to slow down too much, something happens in the film that keeps your interest as well as push things forward. A part of me feels like I was able to accept this because it was my first time watching it. Obviously, once you know what’s happening, you won’t get the same response from a film, but if it’s rewatchable to it, that won’t matter as much when going back to check it out.
I also think this moves pretty well because there’s less world building and we don’t have to be introduced to most of the characters again. While we do meet some new characters, their introductions are usually spread throughout the film and flow with what’s going on. This allows for the pace to be consistent.
While the length and pace didn’t bother me much, I still had one major issue. My biggest gripe concerning Dune Part 2 actually turned out to be the primary antagonists. A strong film usually needs a force with the capability to truly threaten our protagonist. This drives things forward and gets audiences rooting for the leads. Here, that doesn’t really happen.
Instead of feeling like a true adversary, the villains seem to be modeled after the likes of the Foot Soldiers from the Ninja Turtles whenever The Shredder isn’t around. Right from the start, these guys pose no threat in the slightest even though they appear to have the weaponry and the numbers to do so. Even though these scenes can be fun, it still takes things down a notch since there’s never any real sense of danger.
Other than that, I found Dune Part 2 to be thoroughly enjoyable. Those who know more about previous works and its general history will probably love it even more than I did. Since it’s done correctly for the most part, it’s one of those films that most will be able to come out of feeling good about. That seems to be a feat few films can genuinely accomplish these days.
Rating: PG-13
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast:
Timothée Chalamet
Zendaya
Rebecca Ferguson
Josh Brolin
Austin Butler
Florence Pugh
Dave Bautista
Christopher Walken
Léa Seydoux
Souheila Yacoub
Stellan Skarsgård
Charlotte Rampling
Javier Bardem
Film Length: 166 minutes
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: March 1, 2024
