Dune 2

Timothee Chalamet

My feelings about Denis Villeneuve's Dune 2 are pretty much the same as what I thought about its predecessor. Villeneuve's talents are displayed in his set pieces, the attack of the sand worms is impressive, but personal touches are absent. Whenever Villeneuve attempts to amplify his characters, Chalamet's visions of the future or Rebecca Ferguson dialogues with her unborn child, the visuals seem silly and trite rather than striking and visionary. Villeneuve handles his young lovers, Chalamet and Zendaya, less clunkily than George Lucas did in the Star Wars saga, but the cast is hit or miss. Austin Butler is a rousing villain, but Dave Bautista seems in over his head. Florence Pugh and Lea Seydoux are always valuable contributors, Rebecca Ferguson never. Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem bring much needed grit and humor, but Christopher Walken dodders. All in all, I was never bored by Dune 2, but, also, never entranced or moved. Chalamet's character is much more Machiavellian in Frank Herbert's novels, so it will be interesting to see if he can summon darker shadings for the inevitable part three.