Dune: Part 2 (2024) is directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, and Lea Seydoux. The film is an adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 science-fiction novel, Dune. The film picks up immediately after the events of Dune: Part 1 (2021) and follows Paul Atreides (Chalamet) in his quest to avenge the murder of his father and free the citizens of Arrakis from imperial rule. With the emergence of new enemies and the revelation that the emperor (Walken) was the architect of his father’s assassination, Paul struggles with the weight of a prophecy he doesn’t fully understand. He is forced to follow the prophecy and unite the people of Arrakis, lighting the fuse of an eventual holy war destined to consume the galaxy. 

Once again, the full ensemble does some fantastic work. I’ll skip commenting on most of the returning cast considering that their performances are consistent with Dune: Part 1. Refer to that review if you want to know what I think of their performances. Zendaya is featured only briefly in the first film but in Part 2 becomes a much more substantial character. And this is welcome. Featuring a love interest for Paul helps to improve and develop his character. That being said, Chani (Zendaya) never simply feels like a tool to advance Paul’s arc. The emotional beats their relationship adds in the third act make the climactic stakes feel meaningful. It works because we care.

Florence Pugh and Christopher Walken are welcome additions. Pugh plays a quite typical princess character but is able to elevate the role through sheer acting talent. As for Walken, whichever mad scientist came up with the idea to cast him should get a raise. Leading up to seeing the film, I was convinced that there was no way Christopher Walken could play the role and not make me laugh. Although there is a certain novelty to hearing him say “Muad’Dib” in his trademark Christopher Walken idiolect, most of the performance is quite fitting. It’s daring casting, but it pays off.

The last new performance worth mentioning is Austin Butler as the ruthless and power-hungry Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Butler is time after time proving himself to be one of the most exciting young actors in Hollywood. From Elvis (2022) to Masters of Air (2024) to Dune: Part 2 and eventually The Bikeriders (2024) later this year, Butler is proving himself to be a chameleon of an actor. His character here is so odd that by the end of the film, I still didn’t fully understand what I was seeing. However, I don’t mean that negatively. There’s just such a compelling and seductive nature to his psychopathy that it reminded me a bit of Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000). It’s unorthodox because, opposite to most characters in cinema, he’s compelling because of what we don’t understand about him and his motivations.

Like Part 1, Denis Villeneuve directs Part 2 with a masterful hand. The film features an early scene where the main character is put directly in harm’s way. Since this is the main protagonist of the story, we know that he’s not really in any danger. Even though I was aware of this fact, I still found myself clutching my armrests and holding my breath. Although there aren’t always physical stakes, there are always emotional stakes. Denis understands that there needs to be clear stakes in even a film’s smallest moments. 

One element that surprised me was the film’s runtime. It runs nearly 3 hours long but somehow feels completely justified. I’m a big critic of Hollywood’s recent tendency to pad out runtimes for no other reason than for the sake of excess. This film is the exception. Set pieces are varied and not a single scene overstays its welcome. For me, it felt no longer than two hours at the most.

The action takes a big step up here, but that’s not to say the film takes notes from Marvel or Michael Bay. The action occurs for the sake of story and character. Action sequences don’t feel as if they’re here simply to satisfy a checkbox for your typical sci-fi blockbuster. 

Where the film slightly stumbles is that it somehow feels even more confusing than its predecessor. Certain story beats aren’t well-explained and require either a deep familiarity with the book or a willingness to just say “whatever” and move on. Although this is already one of the best sequels I’ve ever seen, I don’t feel like it fully breaks away from the curse of being one half of a larger story. Granted, this is the climactic half and feels more inherently exciting, but also lacks some of the cooler world-building that occurs in the first film. Both Dune: Part 1 & 2 are stronger films together than they are on their own so I see this becoming a popular double feature in the coming years. It’s meant to be one story and although this is as good as an adaption can probably get, I just wish each film had stronger legs of their own.

Overall, this is one of the best sequels of all time and will easily be one of the best sci-fi films of the year. The special effects are stunning, the performances are inspired, and the themes are nuanced and unique. This is a simple recommendation in terms of the idea that if you like Dune: Part 1, it’s almost a guarantee you will enjoy Dune: Part 2. Once again, this is a sci-fi epic for adults that respects a person’s intelligence. Even if you don’t understand everything, the world is so compelling that a person desires to research the world/lore as opposed to feeling obligated/required to do it. The film’s not perfect and it certainly isn’t the “cinematic achievement” some have been claiming it to be, but it sure is on par with its predecessor, giving us one of the best sci-fi double features of the modern era. A-