It’s common to walk out of a movie and be starry-eyed over the acting, the graphics, set design, or costumes, but you know what’s a weird feature to notice first? Sound. Unless it’s the point of the whole show (a silent film, for an ironic example), sound is one element that’s supposed to blend and vanish. We’re meant to appreciate it by not noticing it – unless your name is Denis Villeneuve and you’re handed the remake of Dune. From Hans Zimmer’s thumping soundtrack to machines buzzing, birds fluttering, and little waves of vibration in the sand, sound propels Dune: Part Two. Even the quiet scenes have a kind of mute weight. The first installment of Dune felt lore-heavy, a bit too edgy, and unavoidably thick with political hierarchy. Dune: Part Two graduates from the intro course and finally moves on with the story, all while continuing to be a feast for the senses. This is what you get when every department, from visuals to sound to I have no doubt catering, gets an equal amount of attention.
Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and his pregnant mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson),
are without friends and connections after the death of Duke Leto and the destruction of their house. They’ve sought refuge with Arrakis’ Fremen who have hesitantly welcomed them into their ranks. It helps that Paul is eager to fight for their cause and that his sponsor, Stilgar (Javier Bardem), enthusiastically markets Paul as their long-prophesized messiah. While Stilgar builds Paul’s reputation, the local religion pressures Jessica into becoming their new Reverend Mother. It’s a lifelong commitment that no one wants with a nasty initiation ritual. When Jessica unexpectedly survives, she gains an unrivaled position of power and influence over the Fremen. Or as some would say, leverage. Paul, meanwhile, hates being their space Jesus and seeks refuge in the company of Chani (Zendaya) who offers a welcome dose of level-headed scepticism. They have a cute run as boyfriend/girlfriend until Paul starts fulfilling Stilgar’s prophecies. Whether an ancient religion is finally nearing its judgement day or mom’s doing a great job of talking up her son, Paul begins to show
signs of becoming an influential leader. On a planet under attack from the resource-hungry great houses, the sudden appearance of a messiah who will lead the Fremen to freedom and paradise starts to look a lot like divine intervention.
Meanwhile in space, Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) continues his run as hairless Immortan Joe and executes every messenger who brings news about the rebellious Fremen. His favourite, Beast Rabban (Dave Bautista), starts to crumble under the pressure, giving way to a more ruthless replacement: Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). But I know what you’re thinking: do I have to remember all these names? What happened to “Paul” and “Jessica”? The wonderful, intentional thing about Dune is that every character is a recognizable face.
Forget the names, forget the families, just remember that guy from Guardians of the Galaxy, or the woman from James Bond, or – is that Christopher Walken? Dune repeats every name of importance often enough to follow along, and substitutes the more complicated ones with titles like Emperor or Duke. It knows us. It understands our goldfish memories. It does us a kindness.
Even with a stacked character list, the story is easier to follow than you might think. Paul is the John Smith of this Pocahontas epic, his mom talks him up like he’s the next Alexander the Great, and every bald person is a ruthless, heartless greed bucket. For a nearly three-hour film, the pacing is surprisingly smooth, balancing quiet moments perfectly with eye-popping action. There are several heart-pumping “big” scenes interspersed with a delicate build of Paul’s 
leadership abilities until he’s shouting election promises in the town square. Dune: Part Two builds slowly and steadily until we’re frothing at the mouth for Part Three.
But that’s not what I’m here for. The story is what made me stay, but the production design is what pulled me in. Dune: Part Two is massive. It’s visually incredible, like the screen’s frame just can’t contain it. The effects are seamless; flawlessly designed, conceptualized, and lit to the point that I forgot I was watching CGI. This was CGI… wasn’t it? If someone told me they physically built an army of dragonfly helicopters, a hovering mirror sphere, and two or three Howl’s moving castles for this film, I’d believe them. Mix that with a culture designed to blend effortlessly into the desert and I found myself smiling at the screen like a hypnotized moth.
Cocoon all that design under a blanket of sound and, my dear, we have something special. It’s the details that make this movie pop. Villeneuve left no stone un-airbrushed, no grain of sand safe from a
close-up, no glow of light un-reflected. Dune: Part Two is a vibe. It’s a sunset sandstorm filter accompanied with an abrasive musical score. And in the middle is a cast that clearly feel honoured to be included. It must have been hard to emote under all those veils and scarves, but somehow this cast brings heart and grit to every scene. Like everything else in this film, they build their characters slowly and intentionally until the people we end up with are radical versions of the ones who began the story.
If you can’t tell, Dune: Part Two exceeded my expectations – which, granted, were pretty low. It’s just so pretty. Is this what an A-list crew can do with $190M? Pick the best in the business, give them seemingly unlimited resources, adapt an outrageously out-of-the-box source material and voila, a sci-fi epic that looks, sounds, and feels polished to perfection. Sure, it won’t appeal to everyone; the plot is still Dune, after all, with all those names, politics, religions, and galactic economics. But hopefully the skill behind and in front of the camera attracts audiences. This one is sure to make a box office explosion and build the hype for Part Three. Dune: Part Two is an eye-opening 8/10.
Plenty of Popcorn 