Dune Part 2 came out in theaters on March 1st. I went with my parents to see it since I enjoy the book series. If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend clicking off this article since there will be spoilers.
Comparison from the first movie
Is Dune Part 2 a recovery from the first movie? The first Dune did have some “slow scenes,” but Dune Part 2 always kept you on the edge of your seat. The first movie was an hour and 35 minutes long, while Dune Part 2 was an hour and 46 minutes long. One notable thing about Dune Part 2 is that it had my full attention. I never felt bored, and the plot moved at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. The first movie felt more like an introduction to the second movie. Many of my friends were not interested in giving Dune Part 2 a watch because of the unhurried pace of the first one.
Background Information
Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, is the main character of Frank Herbert’s book and Denis Villeneuve’s movie adaptation, Dune. His father, Duke Leto, played by Oscar Issac in the first movie, is the leader of the Atreides household. His mother, Lady Jessica, played by Rebecca Ferguson, is a member of the Bene Gessrit. The Bene Gessirit are a social and religious group that can be compared to witches due to their “magical” abilities. From two powerful backgrounds, Paul has a complicated life ahead of him. By order of the emperor, his family is sent from their home planet, Caladan, to a spice planet known as Arrakis, which in this universe is the most dangerous planet due to the harsh conditions of the environment and, more notably, the large sandworms that roam underground in the desert terrain. However, the spice on this planet is precious, and whoever has control over the spice has a high status.
Another household, House Harkonnen, was originally put in charge of the spice but was forced to give up the planet to House Atreides. The emperor wanted Paul and his family to go to Arrakis because he wanted them gone. They threatened his place on the throne, and the emperor knew that House Harkonnen would get rid of them if he gave control over Arrakis to House Atreides. Paul and his family understand this and know that they are being sent to die. Duke Leto had hope that they could have found some way out of their situation, but ultimately, the Harkonnens came and bombed all of Duke Leto’s men and took the life of Duke Leto himself.
That is where the first movie left off, and the second movie picks up on the new life of adapting that Paul and his mother must take on since they survive the Harronken attack. The native people of Arrakis are called Fremen, which Paul and his mother seek out for shelter. Paul is determined to learn the Fremen’s ways and use them to regain his status since he has no choice. This plays into Paul’s hands since some Fremen believe Paul is the “Lisan Al Gaib.” The Lisan Al Gaib is considered to be the savior of the Fremen. Paul uses this and becomes well-known among the Fremen.
My Opinion On The Movie
These two movies’ themes revolve around power, diplomacy, and faith. This movie truly encapsulated that, and you could feel the connection of people through the screen. It was very intense, and it was easy to sympathize with the characters. While reading the book, I had a hard time following along with what exactly was going on, but the movie perfectly explained and organized everything in a way that was easy to understand. The visuals were beautiful because of the desert scenery and the scenes with massive groups of people together. I wouldn’t say that there were any huge changes from the book to the movie that were mentionable. The movie was very consistent in terms of the storyline. The movie didn’t specify over how many years the whole thing took place, so no one can know if they decided to shorten, keep, or elongate the timespan of the events.
Final Words
If you watched the first movie, I would recommend this one. It learned from its mistakes and was a memorable experience.
