Dune: Part Two may be the highly anticipated sequel from Denis Villeneuve, but somehow, the sequel far surpasses its predecessor. Picking right back up with Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) time on Arrakis, Part Two finds a balance between its new characters and time with those we loved before.
Much like many a great fantasy/sci-fi story, Dune: Part Two has the advantage of already having the groundwork laid for us to be thrown right into the thick of it. Paul Atreides has coped with the death of his father Leto (Oscar Isaac), and he is living among Arrakis’ native Fremen to learn their ways on the desert planet Arrakis. A mix of Paul’s journey to becoming Muad’dib and the struggling of his relationship with his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Dune: Part Two lets its characters breathe so when we do have bigger action sequences, we care about their wellbeing.
“Power over spice is power over all” is one of the first things we hear in the movie, and it sets the tone for the fight for the Fremen and protecting the consciousness-expanding “spice” on Arrakis. Paul, who in Part One was trying to mine the planet along with his family, is now learning of the importance of the Fremen and their mission. They want to be free as others seek to exploit them in the production of spice, and while he is growing to be a strong leader for not only his family but for the Fremen as a whole, he still has moments where that ambitious and angry young man makes an appearance.
Paul is driven by his anger (at times) over his father’s death. Even when he is told, “Your father didn’t believe in revenge,” he lets himself be different from Leto and says, “Well, I do.” And through it all, we are watching Paul Atreides understand his place in the world of the Fremen. “You want to control people? Then tell them a Messiah will come.”
A foe for the ages
Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) is one of the more fascinating characters in the Dune universe, but even more specifically within Part Two, the nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and a bloodthirsty man dedicated to his quest for power. What makes this particular take on Feyd-Rautha so memorable is how Austin Butler brings a sinister approach to him.
Feyd-Rautha and Paul do not meet early in the film, but still, the tension is there. We know that these two will meet eventually, and it won’t be a peaceful introduction. But what makes Butler’s take on Feyd-Rautha so noteworthy is the fact that he plays him in such a way where you are afraid of his every move. He is constantly teetering on the edge of madness with every passing moment, and as we see his ascent to power, it is terrifying.
But on the flip of that, Villeneuve brings Paul’s rise to becoming Muad’dib (a Fremen name that Paul chose for himself) to us in a series of slow moments, making it clear that Paul is doing this because of what he is destined for and not necessarily what he wants, and to see Paul and Feyd-Rautha’s journey to their battle is one of the highlights.
The women of Dune
2021’s Dune lacked a strong female presence, mainly because it was setting up a story where the female players did not come in until later on. Yes, Chani (Zendaya) was there in visions to Paul, and he always had his mother, but Dune: Part Two is decidedly more focused on the journey that these women are going through. Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan is constantly learning, working behind her own curtain to try to understand what her power means in this world and where her place will be in it.
She’s strong and calculated, but Princess Irulan is also determined to continue to be there for her father, Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken). We are with her as she is listening to him, as she is being educated on the ways of this world, and when we see her finally stand up for herself towards the end of the film, it’s clear that she has always been thinking about making the best move for herself.
On the other hand, we have Jessica.
Jessica spends her time on Arrakis with little choice. She must become the Reverent Mother, and that is her calling. Much like her son Paul, Jessica is Bene Gesserit, and the training of her mind and her powerful abilities made her the perfect candidate for Reverend Mother, a position of power and enlightenment. Jessica’s intentions throughout the movie then become skewed, with those close to Paul not knowing what she is doing.
Jessica is so split between her dedication to her children (as she is still pregnant) and her new title that she does not explain her intentions, just using Paul’s trust to get him to do what she believes is best, and that doesn’t always work with Chani and her trust.
One of the shortcomings of the previous movie was the use of Zendaya. While Chani was not yet an important character to Paul, outside of the dreams he had of her, we as the audience only got crumbs of Zendaya’s performance. Part Two shines in how it gives her power as a voice among the Fremen while still building out her relationship with Paul.
She is not limited by the romantic connection the two shared, but rather, she uses it to her advantage and tries to reason with Paul when he seemingly needs it most. Pushing back against the idea of the “Messiah,” Chani is not afraid to use her voice to yell at those who are making decisions for all of the Fremen. She’s vocal about how this “prophecy” is trying to control them all, and when Paul continues to fall into its path, she stands up for herself and her beliefs with him.
That strength is beautiful to see in her character, and it makes me long for more of Chani in all Dune stories.
The dilemma of Paul Atreides
What Dune: Part Two comes down to is a dilemma for Paul: follow his heart or follow his destiny? The movie really shines in its ability to show how Paul is trying to have it all while still being there for Arrakis and the Fremen. He is falling in love with Chani, but he’s still listening to the men in charge telling him what he should be doing. He’s still taking advice from his mother, even when it has been proven to be dangerous.
Paul is torn throughout this movie, constantly being pulled in different directions, and then, when he does make a decision, it hurts everyone around him. Dune: Part Two is a truly stunning visual spectacle with a hero’s journey at its heart and is a film that you want to see on the biggest screen possible.
(featured image: Warner Bros. Pictures)
