One of the challenges as a critic is to try and be as fair and objective as possible. Obviously true objectivity is impossible because I am a human being full of biases, tastes, history and personal experiences that flavor my understanding and acceptance of any film. I still like to try as hard as I can to give everything I see the opportunity to wow me. However, some stuff has admittedly more of an uphill climb than other stuff…
This is where I admit I am just not a Dune person. I found the book to be one of the most excruciating experiences of my reading life with uninteresting characters, story and plot and neither of the feature film adaptations have caught my interest- both 2021 and 1984. The last one I think is well done for people that like Dune but since it was still Dune it didn’t do much for me.
Now we have Dune: Part Two and I was hoping I would like this one better because it focuses on a love story, and I guess I did, but it was still not my thing. In particular, the first hour was plodding and stocked full of uninteresting desert people without a compelling narrative to draw them forward. It all looks nice but the drama between Paul and the Baron and protecting his pregnant Mother feels like a lot of meaningful shouting without much actual meaning.
Once it becomes a war story with Paul leading the Fremen against their captors it is more engaging and we get some interesting dynamics from Timothee Chalamet as Paul who is a reluctant leader who only assumes the throne because there is nobody else to do so. The George Washington of the spice world you might say. Unfortunately Frank Herbert and Denis Villeneuve always keeps Paul at a distance from us. I don’t really know who he is the way I do a Frodo or a Luke Skywallker. Aside from vague ideas of honor and family I never really feel like I get in his head or understand his journey very well.
If you like the first Dune you will love Dune: Part Two. I can’t imagine anyone feeling differently. If you didn’t than maybe go just for the visual spectacle of it all. I am in the minority and didn’t enjoy the Hans Zimmer music again. It’s loud, blaring and overwhelming without having a memorable theme to draw us into the story. I defy anyone to hum the supposedly great music from Dune. You can’t do it!
Dune: Part Two is a hard movie for me to give a grade to because it’s just not made for me, but I can see that if you like this kind of thing than you will like it and isn’t that the most important factor- that a movie be a success to its intended audience? I don’t even know if I will log this review on rottentomatoes because it feels unfair of me to give it a rotten rating when I think it does what it’s trying to do very well. I just find Dune boring, bland and uninteresting and no iteration I’ve experienced it has convinced me otherwise. Clearly millions around the world disagree with me and that’s ok.
It happens in life. So I hope you will forgive this rather strange review and hopefully it has given you some idea of whether Dune: Part Two might be for you or not.
5 out of 10
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