Dune : Part 2 (2024)
I will be the first to admit that when I watched Dune: Part 1 for the first time, I wasn’t the biggest fan. It took one of my friends at the cinema where I worked to explain a little more about the world and what was happening before I re-watched the film and discovered all the little details and significant moments that now stood out amidst the grandness of this film. I always thought it was a beautiful film, with cinematography like no other.
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BUT COMPARED TO DUNE 2!
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Dune 1 was left in the sand. (Hahaha, get ready for some dad jokes.)
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Dune 2 will become a monumental moment in cinema, maybe one of the biggest advancements in the way we experience cinema in recent decades. This is our Star Wars. The film is a defining masterpiece that transcends both genre and film form, as well as capturing the highest amount of attention from its audience. You are glued to the beauty, the action, and the performances on screen. In this film, Paul has completed one of the most difficult odysseys he will face, becoming a man and an adult where he must make the hardest decisions possible and suffer the consequences. To become a leader, he must lose what is closest to him.
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The performances in this film are as jaw-dropping as the cinematography. We thought these actors, with their recent work, might be experiencing their peak. This film proves the exact opposite… they’re only just beginning. They have just proved to everyone in these cinemas that no matter what you may think of them or their past work, they have talent, charisma, and the potential to have one of those iconic careers we’ve seen in the past.
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Florence Pugh, though with a smaller part, still is intriguing and calculated. We see all her emotions in her eyes, and what is so amazing about her role is that she doesn’t need long scenes or monologues to have us know exactly what’s going on in her character’s head. Her emotions and future plans are clear to us; she is willing to sacrifice everything to stop the corruption her family has passed to the planet.
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Zendaya finally got to show us the significance of Chani and how she will aid Paul’s journey into becoming the prophet that he is, but god does she fight for her place in this film. She never lets any of the performances outshine her or let the audience forget she is there. Out of all the characters, she is the most human of them all. She knows that she is in love but refuses to give in to the belief of the prophecy because she knows that she will lose her place beside him and he will lose his place beside her people. Zendaya’s performance in Dune 2 really exemplified that it doesn’t take big and emotional scenes for you to draw in an audience and make them understand the power of your acting.
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Now, Austin Butler and Timothee Chalamet have just sealed and hand-delivered one of their best performances yet. Austin Butler, yes scary as shit and hunting, is yet mesmerising. His animalistic movements, his unapologetic eyes, and his fierce demeanour are those of a snake; we know that he is deadly and ready to attack at any moment. His character is just compelling in every way; we are obsessed with the strangeness and darkness of Feyd-Rautha, the way he hunts for sport and has a desire for violence and the need for chaos. His performance is striking and juxtaposes all of the work he has done up till now, and for the first time in this film, we feel the chill and darkness that this world can possess.
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Timothee Chalamet returns with a breathtaking performance, and I think he gives an insane amount of presence in this film compared to the first, but now we know why. In the first film, he wasn’t looked at as anything but a liability, and now he has the world ready to follow his every word and bow at his feet. His performance has two faces; one is for Chani, and the other is a mask that resembles the prophet that everyone was waiting for, a mask that he will be forced to use for the strength of his kingdom and the safety of his people. You can see him physically carry the burden and the weight of the world swell as the power that he now holds against everyone. This year has completely changed the outlook of his career with both Wonka and now Dune: Part 2.
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Dune: Part 2 is just amazing in all senses of the word, and if we thought that the crew did an outstanding job with the first film, then this film proves we were on spice. There is so much love and talent in this film; we can see that everyone involved has looked at every detail so profoundly. From the cinematography to the script, to the clothing. This film was nothing but revolutionary. Dune 2 proves that with talent, drive, and care for your art you can do no wrong.
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Oscars 2025 watch out! Paul Atreides and the Dune cast are riding a worm straight towards you.