Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune has had several motion picture adaptations, including a 1984 film directed by David Lynch and a television miniseries in 2000. But Denis Villeneuve’s more recent film adaptations have knocked it out of the ballpark as far as most reviewers are concerned.
The first installment of his version of Dune, released in 2021, was well received and won six Academy Awards, while his second film, Dune: Part 2, which hit the screen in early 2024, maintains its pedigree and is nothing short of epic.
Dune: Part 2 again focuses on Paul Atreides—played by Timothée Chalamet—while on a path of retribution against those who destroyed his family.
While tagging along with Chani—played by Zendaya—and the desert-dwelling Fremen, Paul faces a pivotal decision: love or the fate of the universe. With a future he alone can predict, he strives to avert catastrophe.
Chalamet and Zendaya are joined in the film by an international ensemble cast that includes Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem.
See a range of snippets from some reviews below.
JUDGEMENT
“The word that will likely be used most often to describe Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is ‘massive.’ Expect a whole lot of variations on the words “epic” and “spectacle” too. Whatever big words you apply to the result, Villeneuve undeniably did not approach Frank Herbert’s beloved sci-fi novel with modest aspirations, and it’s his ambition, along with the top tier of behind-the-scenes craftspeople with whom he collaborated, that have paid off in this superior follow-up to the Oscar-winning 2021 film.” Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
“With so many characters to juggle, some of them, e.g., Pugh’s Princess Irulan, are thinly drawn and get scarce screen time. On the plus side, Javier Bardem as Stilgar and Josh Brolin as Paul’s former mentor, the swashbuckling Gurney Halleck, are scene-stealing forces every time they pop up. Chalamet and Zendaya have a lovely chemistry in their quiet moments together; they would make for a power rom-com couple for sure. Even when Dune: Part Two gets a bit lost in the weeds, or should we sands, of the plot, it’s an impressive and at times gloriously beautiful piece of work.” Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times
“In short, there are plenty of plates spinning — and for the most part, Villeneuve displays remarkable control over them all. Beyond that, he marshals staggering sequences to blow you to the back of your seat: an opening attack from gravity-defying Harkonnen warriors is hair-raising stuff; a ragtag rocket-launch mission with Paul and Chani taking down enemy ornithopters is breathlessly exciting; Paul’s long-awaited first sandworm ride is an overwhelming feat of sound and vision, with thunderous bass that’ll turn any regular cinema into a seat-shaking 4DX experience.” Ben Travis, Empire
“Director Villeneuve’s definitely got style and a genuine specificity of vision—I’ll give him that. But this dark world and universe, with it’s alabaster-white evil humans is, for my taste, too eerily (and suspiciously) similar to Ridley Scott’s Prometheus world, with its evil alabaster-white humanoids, and its direct links to those face-hugging, acid-veined, chest-exploding aliens that have taken up permanent residence in our collective imagination since 1979. I’ve grown a little tired of the endless darkness and tales of moral compromise.” Mark Jackson, The Epoch Times
“Those battles and their artistry are part of what make Dune: Part Two such an effective spectacle and a masterful showcase of Villeneuve’s ability to realize worlds that are as beautiful as they are terrifying. For all of its heady solemnity, the film is categorically breathtaking and dominated by nuanced performances made that much more powerful by Hans Zimmer’s richly textured score. But the most impressive thing about Dune: Part Two is the way it manages to weave all of its threads together into a fascinating tapestry — one whose story is poised to become even more monumental and portentous if Villeneuve gets the chance to keep expanding on it.” Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
