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Dune: Part Two Spoiler-Free Review

This past Sunday, I was one of the lucky people who got a ticket to AMC’s fan preview for Dune: Part Two. The theater was nearly full, and I had a seat close to the front row. While I wasn’t one of them (yet), plenty of people had bought that Dune popcorn bucket that had become a meme. Having gone to see the first part opening weekend three years ago, you can imagine my expectations were high. Part One was the prologue, with Part Two containing the main event. Having sat through the nearly three-hour movie, Denis Villeneuve didn’t meet expectations. He surpassed them. Dune: Part Two is the best film of 2024, even the best sci-fi film of the decade.

Now, the Real Story of Dune Begins

Picking up where Part One left off, Dune: Part Two begins with the fall of House Atreides. Its last survivors, Paul, his mother Jessica, and her unborn child, are forced to take refuge with the Fremen of Arrakis. Driven to avenge his father and make the evil Harkonnen and the Emperor pay for betraying them, Paul joins the Fremen in their fight to free their world. On the surface, it seems like a classic good vs evil story, with Paul the destined savior of Arrakis that the Fremen have waited for. But this isn’t Star Wars; it’s Dune. And in Dune, good and evil can blur quickly. 

In the three years since seeing the first film, I’ve learned more about the universe that Frank Herbert created. And calling it like Game of Thrones was an understatement. Dune was subverting and deconstructing the idea of good vs. evil, prophecies, and chosen ones decades before Game of Thrones did! And while Part One did play with those concepts, things were largely vanilla. Atreides are the good guys, the Harkonnen and the Emperor are the bad guys, and Paul is set up to be this big hero of legend and prophecy. 

Part Two is when the story starts deconstructing this and shows us how bad that could be. 

Frank Herbert’s Warning about Messiahs Feels Clearer than Ever

The central theme behind the Dune saga is Frank Herbert’s beliefs surrounding heroes and messianic figures. People tend to gravitate towards them, even when we don’t mean to do so. Eventually, we stop questioning them entirely and do whatever they want, or worse, do what they don’t want but believe they do. That’s the trap that Herbert believed heroes and messiahs to be. And this film shows that Villeneuve understands Herbert’s message and works to ensure the audience understands it.

We naturally want to cheer for Paul as we see him fight the Harkonnens and ride a giant sandworm. It’s fantastic, and the Harkonnen’s are pretty easy to hate. At the same time, Paul keeps seeing visions telling him that if he continues on this path, he’ll let the Fremen loose on the Galaxy, and they’ll kill untold billions. That’s not something we should be okay with, and neither is Paul. Yet, thanks to his mother (who’s a lot more sinister here) using the prophecies her order gave the Fremen, he keeps getting pushed onto this path. It’s heartbreaking on several levels to see him slowly surrender to this fate. However, this is best shown by how it affects his relationship with Chani.

Zendaya more than makes up for her lack of screen time in Part One by making Part Two as much Chani’s film as it is Paul’s. Unlike other versions, who become one of Paul’s most prominent supporters and love interest, this Chani is more skeptical. The more she sees the Fremen fall under Paul’s thrall, the more she openly calls him out for it. It’s a noticeable departure from her characterization in previous adaptations. But if Villeneuve intended to make Chani the means to remind the audience of the deadly consequences Paul’s actions have, then it works. I loved it!

A Film Meant for the Biggest Screen Possible

Storytelling and characters were only one part of what made Dune: Part Two a must-see on the most giant Imax screen possible. The costumes, the settings, the special effects. Everything about Dune: Part Two was a visual and auditory feast! Even from the poor choice of seating that I had to endure, I could tell how well this movie cooked.

With most of the film now taking place in the wild, we got a much better look at Arrakis in all its savage beauty. From the rolling dunes that give the franchise its name to the hidden villages of the Fremen, it’s clear that Villeneuve and his team put a lot of care into making Arrakis as natural as possible. After seeing this film, Tatooine pales in comparison to Dune.

As for the Sandworms, they are a far more present entity in this part. As awe-inspiring as they are by nature, the Sandworms become even more impressive when used by the Fremen. From the sight of the Fremen riding them into battle to moving entire communities on their backs, the Sandworms remain one of the best parts of the franchise.

If I had to pick a part of the most visually stunning film, though, it would be the section spent on Giedi Prime, the homeworld of the Harkonnen—the entire world’s entirely in monochrome and without color. Even the sun in the sky is black and white, illustrating how messed up life is under House Harkonnen. Everything about the Harkonnen was terrific. Their soldiers barely looked human, and with his black teeth and pale white skin, Feyd-Rautha looked like a demon. 

Dune is THE Movie to See in 2024

To summarize, if you choose to see only one film in theaters this year, I highly recommend Dune: Part Two because this may only be the start of what’s to come. Especially since the ending of the film deviates a bit from what’s found in the book. I won’t say how, but if you’ve seen my post about it on Twitter, then you’ll know how surprised I was by what happens, and wonder what it means for the future. 

The ending of the film makes it clear that the story of Paul Atreides is far from over. His story continues into the sequel, Dune: Messiah. If Villeneuve wanted to, he could easily adapt Messiah into a third film, rounding out the story of Paul with a neat trilogy. But why stop there? The Dune Saga has eight books in the main story. Villeneuve or another ambitious director could try to adapt all of them. It depends on how badly the public wants to see them. 

In the meantime, though, Dune: Part Two might be the best sci-fi film of the 2020s. It’s a must-see on the big screen, and I’m considering seeing it again. At least to get that popcorn bucket!

I Give “Dune: Part Two” a 5/5