Won't He Muad' Do It

A Spoiler Free Review of Dune: Part Two

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya as Paul Atreides and Chani in Dune: Part Two (2024)

I wanted to wait until after my second viewing of “Dune Part 2” to give my review but I’ve been literally buzzing since the final scene. I have never been so transfixed by a film as I was by this one. I quite literally stopped breathing properly at one point and ended up with a massive headache as a result. There wasn’t a single lull or distracting moment. This is a film is one that grabs you buy the chin and locks you in completely so much so that I hardly felt the exhaustion that I would expect to feel after watching a three hour long film. No exaggeration, but this is a movie I want to watch everyday for the rest of my life.

I have never seen a fictional world portrayed so realistically. Every planet visited felt textured and storied, with so much care put into every bit of its portrayal. There was so much emphasis placed on the background and lighting that my brain was allowed to fully buy into the idea of these being real. Denis’ directing really shone through as each actor was given space to fully create and embody their own characters and his faith in their abilities was felt from start to finish. This style of directing allowed for several career defining performances, particularly for Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, and Timothée Chalamet. But the best part, the absolute PEAK of this film was the music. The music. I don’t even know where to begin. How is Hans Zimmer outdoing himself decades into his career like this? Singing and drums and strings were made to sound so alien and distinct that I could hardly believe these sounds were created in a studio for a feature film. This film is truly a feast for all of the senses.

Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Dune: Part Two (2024)

Just yesterday, I was lamenting the state of tv and film. Quietly despairing at the state of media and of media literacy so much so that I was finding a was to re-orient my tastes to suit a world with less color and little to say. I am happy to announce that I was so wrong in that assessment. Brilliance is there, albeit with examples that are few and far. We can all rest easy about the state of media. We’re in Denis’ hands and things are the better for it. I am begging you to go and watch it. Then watch it again. And again. Go with different assortments of friends. Take your family. Take your coworkers. Take your church group (actually make sure you have a discussion about fanaticism with them after). Then go by yourself. It’ll probably be worth it every time. (10/10)