Dune is one of four known book series largely considered unfilmable. The 1984 feature film Dune – directed by David Lynch with a young Kyle MacLachlan as Paul, Sting as Feyd Rautha, Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck, Virginia Madsen as Princess Urulan, and Brad Dourif as Piter De Vries – was the first stab at the books… but it was a single flick trying to encapsulate the whole series.
Fast forward to 2021, Denis Villeneuve took a stab with the series with the idea of starting with the first of a two-movie set that saw Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to a dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of a precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their fear will survive. That is mind, Dune: Part One was released Oct. 22, 2021 through Warner Bros. to great reviews.
This leads us to March 1, 2024, when Dune: Part Two was released in theaters, before arriving on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 14th. Again, starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, and Charlotte Rampling, this is while Léa Seydoux (Spectre 2015, No Time to Die 2021), Austin Butler (Elvis 2022, The Bikeriders 2023), Florence Pugh (Midsommar 2019, Oppenheimer 2023), Christopher Walken (Catch Me If You Can 2002, The Outlaws series), and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch 2015, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 2024) with Paul Atreides unit with the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future.
Where the 1984’s Dune boasted a relative cast of newcomers at the time that are now well known, Dune: Part Two cast is varied with newer and established actors and actresses with Chalamet as Paul, Austin Butler as Feyd, Josh Brolin as Gurney, and Florence Pugh as Princess Urulan. With this in mind David Dastmalchian (who played Piter De Vries in the first part), is not in Dune: Part Two.
Dune: Part One with a perceived or biblical messiah theme dates back to La Passion (The Passion) the first film about Jesus, released in 1897, which was followed by 1912’s From the Manger to the Cross. The latter film also boasts being the first five-reel American picture (considered a feature in those days), the first to earn around a million dollars, and one of the first to shoot on location in the Middle East. Fictionalized messiahs are normally referred to as ‘Chosen Ones’ like Anakin in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
That said, Paul being prophesized as the ‘Messiah’ is a central theme running through Dune: Part Two, however, this strains his and Zendaya’s Chani’s budding relationship. Of course, she wants him to fulfill his destiny, if it’s truly his destiny and not what people are trying to make him out to be, without losing himself. Politics between factions play a huge part in both movies. Each part runs under three hours, so keeping every faction’s goings-on in order can get complicated.
With something like Dune, the acting could get hokey quickly. Star Wars, considered a classic franchise, has always been called out for its ‘wooden’ or hokey dialogue, but fans have taken it as part of the franchise’s charm. Dune: Part Two plays it straight for the most part giving it a possible real-world feel.
With the breadth of the movies, the score needs to be up to the task of complimenting Greig Fraser’s cinematography. Considering this, Hans Zimmer returns for Dune: Part Two. As with other soundtracks Zimmer has composed, he balances all the feels in sweeping themes coinciding with the action or lack thereof or the character/characters onscreen.
So, what did Villeneuve change from the books for the movie? Paul’s character is changed to be more vengeful, and Chani’s character is also changed, with her feelings for Paul changing as the movie progresses. Furthermore, Dune: Part Two makes it clear that some Fremen are less religious than others, which is not the case in the book. The movie also removes the two-year time jump from the book, and the ending is changed, with Villeneuve explaining that he wanted it to be more romantic and emotional.
Overall, Dune: Part Two did substantially well at the box office. This bodes well for his proposed Part Three; which Villeneuve has been polishing, eschewing Hollywood’s need to ride a gravy train to the ground with diminishing returns owing to shoddy product. Also, Villeneuve needs Timothee Chalamet older naturally to finish his trilogy. Until then, the upcoming Max series, Dune: Prophecy, featuring events that take place 10,000 years prior is Dune: Part One, dropping on November 17th with much anticipation. Looking forward to more, Cryptic Rock gives Dune: Part Two 4 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment