Dune: Part Two

February 28, 2024, PG-12, 2 h 46 min, Warner Bros. Pictures

SPOILER-FREE!
When a movie is as breathtaking as this one (even for people like me who know the books), it’s absolutely no problem to keep seated for 3h without even feeling the urge for a WC break…
The story: Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

I can keep it short – the second part is at least as brilliant as the first one – maybe even better. Such powerful visuals, the music – goosebump-inducing, sucking you into this epic story in this fascinating desert world. One of those movies you HAVE TO watch on the big screen and even better, in IMAX format!
The cast up to the smallest Fremen in the background deserves praise, and the new faces here are e.g. Austin Butler (Feyd-Rautha), Florence Pugh as Irulan and Christopher Walken as Emperor. And well, an as “desert mouse Muad’Dib” absolutely convincing Timothée Chalamet carries the main part responsibility on his slender shoulders with ease – you don’t need Spice to see a couple of golden statues in the (near?) future of this young actor …

By far the best of all earlier Dune film attempts, a worthy visual translation of those fascinating Frank Herbert books (which I can say for the first 3, not so much for what followed afterwards) – kudos to the screenwriters who managed to weave the complex political intrigues into the plot (with a contemporary twist) and still keep it comprehensible and exciting. (And I appreciate that Villeneuve did NOT visualise some of the more disgusting scenes in the books.) Hopefully there will be a Part 3, and Part 4…

A 10/10 for sure.

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Screenplay: Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts; novel: Frank Herbert

Cast
Timothée Chalamet – Paul Atreides
Zendaya – Chani
Rebecca Ferguson – Jessica
Javier Bardem – Stilgar
Josh Brolin – Gurney Halleck
Austin Butler – Feyd-Rautha
Florence Pugh – Princess Irulan
Dave Bautista – Beast Rabban
Christopher Walken – Emperor
Léa Seydoux – Lady Margot Fenring
Stellan Skarsgård – Baron Harkonnen
Charlotte Rampling – Reverend Mother Mohiam
Souheila Yacoub – Shishakli
Roger Yuan – Lanville
Babs Olusanmokun – Jamis
Alison Halstead – Maker Keeper
Giusi Merli – Reverend Mother Ramallo
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