Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh
Could do with more power
Paul is back! And he’s doing more of the same old shite only this time it’s bigger and longer than ever before. Admittedly, I wasn’t a massive fan of the first Dune but after this one was getting rave reviews I decided to brush up on my Dune knowledge and even watched a few recaps to try and truly understand what was going on, and I think I got the gist! So I came to Dune 2 armed and dangerous in front of a gorgeous IMAX screen and still felt bugger all.
But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t appreciate a lot of it! Actually, I really enjoyed the first hour or so, it felt very focused and engaging. Zendaya makes a great additional character and the blossoming relationship between her and evil Timothee Chalet was gorgeous to watch and actually added some much needed emotion for the first ever time in this series!
The action set pieces are also spectacular and feel incredibly intense and real, much like a Christopher Nolan action sequence. When you watch prophet Paul riding the giant worm, you feel like you’re riding it yourself. When gargantuan bombs are dropping and weird machines are exploding, you can almost feel the heat on your face, it’s beautifully immersive and thrilling.
The set design is also incredible and great at building this bizarre world. I know a lot of it is just desert but the weird looking space ships and even the tents that populate it add an interesting depth. The world of the evil bald white people is also astonishing, especially that gladiatorial arena, it feels so dangerous and foreboding. It’s pretty impossible not to be impressed by the scale and ambition of the whole film.
However, ultimately (much like the first) it lacks heart and interesting characters which are pretty key to a film pushing the three hour mark. Apart from Zendaya and the evil white people, there’s no one interesting or memorable here. Even our hero Paul is pretty boring and flat, you start to wonder what on Earth Zendaya sees in the little twink. I just didn’t care for anyone on screen and even the climatic finale left me feeling nothing, when I should’ve been on the edge of my seat.
I’m glad that it was long because I got my money’s worth, but putting that aside, it’s also needlessly drawn out. It felt a bit like watching a Coronation Street omnibus, not boring exactly but it feels like you’ve been watching it your whole life. It was daylight when I entered the cinema but when I left it was dark and I wasn’t sure if I was in the year 10,10052636 (or when ever this drivel is supposed to be set) and if I should be hitching a ride on a sand worm to get back to my car.
Dune 2 is big and bold but it’s also a bit empty. It goes on and on but I honestly couldn’t give you a summary of what happened because I don’t think an awful lot did to be honest, it’s all waffle. I have no desire to see what happens next but no doubt it’ll get lauded with praise so I’ll have to drag myself to see it but we’ll worry about that nearer the time. For now, I’ll hold 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar as the greatest sci-fi films.
Movies Plus Madness 