by Asher Hirt ’25
May 2024
The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the writer and do not reflect the views of University School of Nashville or the Peabody Press.
Dune Part II officially premiered in the U.S on March 1. The director for the movie, Denis Villeneuve, was prepared to deliver amidst massive hype from fans and movie critics after the massive success of Dune Part I. He did not disappoint.
Dune Part I was an adaptation of the first half of the novel Dune, written by Frank Herbert, who published the first book of the series in 1965. Dune Part II covers the events of the second half of the book. If Dune Part I acts as a setup, then Dune Part II is the payoff.
After experiencing Dune 2 in theaters, it is evident that Denis Villeneuve’s vision has reached its pinnacle. This sequel surpasses its predecessor, enhancing everything about the film. From a dive deeper into the plot and world building of the story to the breathtaking cinematography and visuals that captures the vastness of the desert throughout the film. The incredible sound design by Hans Zimmer that immerses viewers into the world further develops a unique experience for viewers. Hans Zimmer has mastered his work and has a notable portfolio. Interstellar, The Dark Knight, Gladiator, and The Lion King were all special due to Zimmer’s brilliance in sound design. Not to mention the peak performances from some of Hollywood’s finest.
With newcomers like Austin Butler, who delivered one of the best villain roles that would put him up there with the likes of Voldemort and Darth Vader. Florence Pugh has little screen time in the movie but makes the most of it with compelling and emotional scenes that make the audience learn more about her character, princess Irulan who is the daughter of the emperor that rules over the Dune universe. The main character Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, shines the brightest in this movie. His ability to draw the audience into the movie and make it real captivates fans of the series.
The movie does a great job of appealing to different audiences as well. It can strike people who just want to see the action side but also fascinated people who are interested in the story and want a deeply written masterpiece.
For the budget of the movie only being $165 million, compared to movie failures that had much higher budgets like Ant Man and The Wasp: Quantumania at $275 million, this stands as a testament to Villenuve’s mastery of filmmaking.
People who have not seen this movie need to run to the theater as fast as possible. Receiving a score of 8.8/10 on IMDb with more than 280,000 votes from fans and critics, this movie is a must-watch.
Attention: Spoilers Ahead…
The movie as a whole is about Chalamet’s character, Paul Atrides, discovering the culture of the Fremen and harnessing his power as the “Lisan al Gaib.”
“Lisan al Gaib” is a Fremen term for an off-world prophet or messiah. At the beginning of the movie, Paul rejects this idea of being the Lisan al Gaib because he has visions of billions of deaths across the universe and does not want that to happen. Paul is torn between saving the Fremen who he becomes one of by this time in the movie and going to war with the universe.
Despite rejecting this prophecy, Paul continues to learn more about himself and the Fremen culture which leads to awesome scenes like him riding the sandworm dessert. As well as intense battles where he fights along side the Fremen.
As the movie unfolds, though, Paul becomes closer and closer to becoming the Lisan al Gaib as more and more people start to believe in him. He quickly transforms into an anti-hero and it is amazing how his becoming a powerful character can be felt through the screen.
The movie ends off on a massive cliff hanger that sets up the hype and excitement for the next movie. It will most likely be based off the Dune:Messiah book and will cover a large-scale war across the universe.
I give this film score of 8.9/10 which is high enough to get it inside my top 15 films of all time.
