Dune: Part Two (2024): Movie Review
Javier Bardem’s Stilgar is the dark horse of this brilliant production
After a long delay, fans were finally treated to the much awaited sequel of Dune: Part One(2021) i.e. Dune: Part Two (2024). The first movie was highly acclaimed both by fans and critics and left its viewers in eager anticipation of Paul Atreides’s future adventures in the desert world of the Arrakis. After a positive start for House Atreides on planet Arrakis, Dune: Part One (2021) unveiled the destruction awaiting House Atreides due to their idealistic stance in an otherwise corrupt political environment of the Dune cinematic universe.
Dune: Part Two (2024) starts with Paul Atreides and his mother attempting to fit into the world of the Fremen by living amongst them and adopting their ways. The Fremen on the other hand have an internal divide whether to accept Paul Atreides and his mother. Some Fremen see him as Lisan Al Gaib i.e. a prophet type figure who is going to help the fremen reclaim the lands of Arrakis from the clutches of the Emporer and the Harkonnen and lead them to “The Green Paradise”. While on the other hand some other Fremen had doubts about Paul Atreides and his mother’s intentions. They were not sure whether he was using them for his own benefit or genuinely had the best interests of Fremen in his mind.
Timothy Chalamet’s portrayal of a prince who wants to avenge his father and at the same time do right by the people who are sheltering him is poignant to say the least. On the other hand Zendaya’s Chani, a pragmatic freedom fighter seemingly without any feelings whose sole objective is to regain Arrakis for its native i.e. the Fremen, plays a perfect foil to Chalamet’s Paul Atreides. Their evolving relationship is the barometer through which Paul Atreides’s psyche can be judged throughout the movie. As other voices start to take over Chani’s voice of reason in the film, Paul Atreides starts evolving and the director has done a brilliant job of keeping his actions as open ended as possible so that the audience is never able to fully gauge Paul’s true intentions throughout the film.
Another brilliant choice by the director Denis Villeneuve is to have the setups from Dune: Part One (2021) pay off in Dune: Part Two (2024). Whether it was Paul Atreides struggling to use the “Voice”, or the side effects of the mass manipulation of the Bene Gesserit, or the emperor’s corrupt practices, this movie addresses all these plot points and more making it a compelling sequel that simultaneously answers questions from the prequel while also setting up future questions that will need to be answered.
The dark horse of the movie however, is Stilgar’s innocent faith in Paul Atreides’s incarnation as the Lisan Al Gaib. Javier Bardem’s character brings out the laughter from the audience throughout the film through his devoted demeanour in front of Paul Atreides and his preaching amongst the other Fremen. Of course it’s not just the comedy that the actor delivers but his ability to transform a comedic plot point into a serious and engaging one is what hinges the whole movie, and deserves a lot of praise.
Honestly there aren’t enough good things one can say about this film, from its visuals to story to acting performances, it is a brilliant addition to the currently oversaturated world of entertainment which is a testament to its brilliance. Grab your popcorn and soda and dive deep into the world of Arrakis in Dune: Part Two (2024) 🍿😁