Dune: Part Two movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Dune: Part Two

The epic conclusion to this sci-fi drama is now playing in theaters

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 2 hours 46 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: A

IN A NUTSHELL:

I don’t know why but I have just never been able to get into Dune. I was bored with the first movie portrayal of the story back in 1984. I was hoping that the new version that came out in 2021 would excite me. It just doesn’t resonate with me for some reason, so I wasn’t really looking forward to Part Two. Did I love Part Two? Not really, but I absolutely recognize its impressive artistry, star-studded cast, and huge fan base.

Speaking of the huge and loyal fan base, the AMC theater website crashed the day tickets for this went on sale.

The story is about Paul Atreides who unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. The first half of the 1984 movie was covered by the 2021 Dune film. Part Two covers the second half.

The sequel was directed by Denis Villenueve who also co-wrote it with Jon Spaihts and Frank Herbert.

Already, it has been nominated for the “Most Anticipated Film” by the Hollywood Critics Association. This film premiered on the 40^th anniversary of the 1984 Dune opening!

THINGS I LIKED:

The enormous cast of this is packed full of talent, including two Oscar winners (Javier Bardem and Christopher Walkn) and five Oscar nominees (Timothee Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Charlotte Rampling)! Also excellent in the cast are Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Lea Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgard, and so many more.
Working on this movie looked rough. Stellan Skarsgards’ body makeup took 8 hours to apply each day of filming, as well as another 2 hours to remove. To avoid having to go to the bathroom, he didn’t drink anything and took Imodium pills!
Austin Butler looked and acted like Elvis even in the limited series Masters of the Air, but he definitely doesn’t in this movie! He gained 25 pounds to play the psychotic killer Feyd-Rautha. He was offered the role while having coffee with the director and didn’t even need to audition. He did do vocal training so he could sound more like Stellan Skarsgard. The moment Austin Butler’s character kissed Baron Harkonnen was entirely improvised. His lips are so unique.
Sadly, the scenes that included Tim Blake Nelson and Stephen McKinley Henderson were cut from the final film, so they received “special thanks” in the rolling credits at the end of the movie.
Beautiful musical score by Hans Zimmer, as expected.
Incredible cinematography by Greig Fraser.
Kudos to the makeup department and art department for such vision.
Also noticeably exceptional is the sound design.
The largest and probably hardest-working team is the visual effects team. The special effects are unbelievable. The final battle scene is crazy. You’ll want to watch this on the biggest IMAX screen you can find.
Look quickly at the 2 hour 22 mark for the shot of ants crawling on an ear. It’s a respectful nod to David Lynch, the director of the original Dune movie in 1984, who utilized a similar shot.
The movie poster is cool.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Yes, this movie is LONG! Despite its length, the director revealed that he is very disciplined when it comes to editing. He explains that the process is painful and that he will not release an extended version. About the deleted parts, he stated, “When it’s dead, it’s dead, and it’s dead for a reason.”
Sometimes, it’s hard to understand what people say when they whisper. There is a lot of whispering in this movie!
The scenes that show big, cheering crowds look super fake compared to all of the other stunning visual effects.