Dune, Part 2

[dws1982]

Caught Dune Part Two recently, like several others here. I wanted to see it in a theatre while I still could. I liked it, but it's also harder to follow than it needs to be, and I say this as someone who had rewatched Part One less than 48 hours earlier. This makes me want to read the books on one hand, but also makes me think that Dune may just kind of not be my thing. For the most part it looks great, although there were some visual effects shots where it was very clearly an actor standing in front of a screen. I feel like Timothee Chalamet has kind of been a Leonardo DiCaprio type, in that his youthfulness has been the front-and-center part of his persona. It's worked for him, because he's mostly stuck to roles that use the boyishness to the advantage of the film--even the first Dune uses this as a plot point. (DiCaprio didn't do this, which led to a period where he was often very oddly and uncomfortably cast, has led to some roles that play into the "boy trapped in a man's body" thing, and is also probably why he went from college kid to middle aged seemingly overnight.) I feel like this movie makes a case for Chalamet as someone who is growing into a convincing movie adult. Thematically, this deals with a boy becoming a man, and I think that arc works because Chalamet is now transitioning to that stage of his career. Austin Butler, on the other hand, makes the case for himself as a character actor in a leading man's body. He has less screen time here than the people on Twitter had me expecting, but he is a lot of fun. I think that Masters of the Air, which was finishing up its run soon after Dune Part Two opened, kind of proves that he is not really suited to leading man stuff. He is good in Masters of the Air, but he is not the main actor who makes the big impression (that would be Anthony Boyle), and that is as straight down-the-middle of a leading role as he's had, even moreso than Elvis. Good movie. Techs can't really be faulted, although I do wonder whether it will win a ton of Oscars since the first one won so many, and voters may feel like they've honored it before. I think it makes some interesting and conscious efforts not to simply be a retread of the first film, however.

[Sabin]

danfrank wrote
I, of course, also prefer films with strong stories and themes I can relate to. There are certain films, though, that are just so cinematically captivating that I can overlook the story weakness and just enjoy the cinematic ride. Dune 2 fits that bill, as have other films like Mad Max: Fury Road (I remember that many on this board were completely baffled by that film’s critical acclaim).

If the story’s the thing for you, I can definitely understand being underwhelmed by Dune 2. I definitely wouldn’t nominate it for screenplay.

Well, I wasn't one of the people who was baffled by Mad Max: Fury Road's acclaim. I loved it theaters and I love it even more now. I think Fury Road has a fine story though, one that's emotional even if you don't entirely know why. I had no idea anything about the world of Fury Road (it's the only Mad Max film I've seen) but I was completely captivated by it. I wasn't by Dune: Part Two but one thing I don't think it's short on is themes. I haven't read the book but I know how full of ideas it is. Everyone involved with Dune is going to great lengths to bring these ideas to the forefront. In the process, I feel like they've made something that feels more like television.

[danfrank]

I, of course, also prefer films with strong stories and themes I can relate to. There are certain films, though, that are just so cinematically captivating that I can overlook the story weakness and just enjoy the cinematic ride. Dune 2 fits that bill, as have other films like Mad Max: Fury Road (I remember that many on this board were completely baffled by that film’s critical acclaim).

If the story’s the thing for you, I can definitely understand being underwhelmed by Dune 2. I definitely wouldn’t nominate it for screenplay.

[Sabin]

Mister Tee wrote
No doubt, had this film come out last Fall as intended, Godzilla Minus One wouldn't have had a prayer of winning the effects Oscar. It's fully likely Dune will take the prize next Spring, and I'll have no issue with that. Other nominations in the glamour categories (film/director), though? I was much more in favor of those for the initial film than this one.

I wrote about it in the Official Review Thread but I think we're more or less in the same place. I felt nothing.

Had it come out last year, I think we'd be looking at certain nominations for Costume Design, Sound, and Visual Effects as well as likely/possible nominations for Score, Cinematography, Film Editing, Production Design, and Makeup. These categories were especially crowded last year so a ceiling of eight but more likely in the 4-6 territory. The only thing that makes me feel otherwise is how would Avatar: The Way of Water fared if it had been released in the spring as well? I doubt it would've hung on to crack the ten. But Avatar: The Way of Water didn't have to elbow past American Fiction, Past Lives, or The Zone of Interest.

That's how I feel about its chances this year. If Dune: Part Two makes the Best Picture ten, it was a crappy year.

[Mister Tee]

I've been meaning to write about this for several weeks, but somehow never got around to it. As someone who was pretty enthusiastic about the initial film, I have to admit to being a bit let down by this (especially with all the "better than the first" hype I'd heard).

It's not that Villeneuve ceases to be a visual master, nor that he is less serious about giving the novel the filmization its fans have long desired. I just didn't find the story nearly as engaging this time around. I said, in talking about Part One, that, at the end, I was ready to take an intermission and go straight to Part Two. Had that happened, I'd have quickly regretted it. Though there's a brief shot of Florence Pugh, to suggest there are additional strands to the story, for what seems an hour or so, the only thing to watch was, essentially, Chalamet goes to boot camp. There were CGI highlights in this segment, notable riding the sand-worm, but, for me, they didn't offset the monotony of the narrative. Things did pick up in the latter portion of the film, as more plot elements were interwoven, and Austin Butler did prove he could do something beyond play Elvis. But even all this didn't lift me anywhere near where I'd been after Part One.

Part of it may be my having very low tolerance for stories about prophecies or anything bordering on religious mumbo-jumbo. I'm not sure it's related, but, the night before I saw Dune II, I'd watched The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima off TCM (they'd shown us that movie in Catholic grade school; I was curious to see what it looked like after so many years). Fatima was made in a far different era, esthetic and political, but both films sort of assumed in the end you'd buy into a faith-centered narrative. I may just be constitutionally incapable of this.

No doubt, had this film come out last Fall as intended, Godzilla Minus One wouldn't have had a prayer of winning the effects Oscar. It's fully likely Dune will take the prize next Spring, and I'll have no issue with that. Other nominations in the glamour categories (film/director), though? I was much more in favor of those for the initial film than this one.

[Okri]

I thought it was pretty extraordinary. It tells a more complete story than the first one (yeah, it ends with a To Be Continued type moment, but it felt more natural) and the visuals are wall-to-wall stunners. Villeneuve has complete command of this material and that cinemagicians he employs do staggering work (I love the sound design and score in particular).

[Reza]

I kept wondering how the riders dismounted from the worm after the ride was over.

Did you ever think you'd write such a sentence?

[Sonic Youth]

I kept wondering how the riders dismounted from the worm after the ride was over.

Did you ever think you'd write such a sentence?

[Reza]

Great visuals but the rest is such a bore with repetitious action sequences that are not even thrilling. I kept wondering how the riders dismounted from the worm after the ride was over.

[danfrank]

I figured this deserves its own thread, as it will likely get gobs of Oscar nominations next year.

First off, this is NOT my kind of story with its wars and messiahs. Nevertheless it is a sumptuous cinematic experience. The visuals are even better than the first film with lots of artfully stunning shots that make you go WOW. Some shots are beautifully set up, with images transforming in unexpected ways within a single take. Villeneuve is clearly a master, getting more creative as his career progresses. I saw it on a gigantic IMAX screen, which is the way to go if you are able. The actors are all…fine with no real standouts except Zendaya’s amazingly cinematic face. Skinny Timothée is such an unlikely action hero, but he more-or-less pulls it off.

This story feels like it’s never going to end with many more battles to come. Battles bore me but are worth sitting through just to see what Villeneuve and his assorted wizards (cinematography, visual effects, and production design are standouts) have to show us.