Dune: Part Two is the perfect example of a movie that must be seen in the cinema and not at home. The visual spectacle and design is unparalleled among sci-fi and really feels like a completely fleshed out future world (or worlds), with architecture, props and costumes that look like they were sourced from a museum rather than a Hollywood warehouse. Compared to the first film, the stakes have true gravity and the scope is much wider with far-ranging battles and conspiracies. It's hard to pinpoint any highlight as every scene is iconic, incredibly beautiful to behold and accompanied by expertly rousing music, all underscoring the central feeling of foreboding. Where would I begin? The ceremonies with the Water of Life plunge us into an ancient ritual that almost kills the drinker and reveals deep secrets that the audience only finds out in drips. Paul's terrifying vision of death and destruction (much less cheesy than in the first film) show the inner turmoil he faces as someone who is the fulcrum of the planet's destiny and resents his role but can't escape the fate set in motion by higher powers. The short scenes with the foetus are mysterious and tease at an important role to be played by her future version. Chani's frantic misgivings in the Fremen gatherings impress the deleterious effects the prophecies are having on her people and the unprecedented role of the Bene Gessarit. Princess Irulan's musings in a beautiful garden about the historical developments around her uncover just how deeply all the conspiracies extend. The scenes in the Harkonnen's world are stark and show how brutal and power-hungry they are and how formidable they can be. The actors in these scenes are perfectly cast and all impart a sense of heaviness, as if to stress just how much Spice is tied to the fate of the world, the past and the future all together. All of this combines to form an experience that immerses us in a compelling future conflict, relentlessly ratchets up in tension and constantly giving the sense that there's something even more world-shattering just around the corner.
That said, the film has a few flaws that are noticeable but not substantial enough to dent my rating of 8.5/10 (rounded to 9). Some of the characterisation is caricatured - the Harkonnens are too cartoonishly evil to be believable (how many times do we need to see them murder their own staff?), Stilgar is too fanatical to be believable (how many times do we need to see him exclaim, "the prophet! As written!!"?), the Fremen are too invincible to be believable (did anyone ever doubt how the battles would go?) and the romance between Paul and Chani was forced. The pacing was uneven, as some scenes sped by very quickly (for example, most of the emperor's scenes), and some dragged on for no good reason (most of the times they walk or talk through the desert). Paul would have gone blind by looking directly at a nuclear explosion. The ending felt anticlimactic and was too overt in how it was setting up another sequel. Some parts of the book that are crucial to understanding the planet's history were excised, like the long-term human genetic plan and the ecological plan, which were reduced to one-line mentions. Finally, as a vexillologist, I couldn't help but notice how badly designed the flags were. One of the key principles of good flag design is simplicity, as a simple design can be recognised and remembered at a distance and when waving. Each faction has a central symbol, but their flags drown them out in a mess of visual detail, hamstringing their ability to signal at a distance and establish themselves in the audience's mind. This is a shame, as each faction has such a strong visual identity in their settings and costumes, but their symbols are not given the opportunity to shine and become iconic. Denis, if you are reading this, please hire a vexillologist!
That said, the film has a few flaws that are noticeable but not substantial enough to dent my rating of 8.5/10 (rounded to 9). Some of the characterisation is caricatured - the Harkonnens are too cartoonishly evil to be believable (how many times do we need to see them murder their own staff?), Stilgar is too fanatical to be believable (how many times do we need to see him exclaim, "the prophet! As written!!"?), the Fremen are too invincible to be believable (did anyone ever doubt how the battles would go?) and the romance between Paul and Chani was forced. The pacing was uneven, as some scenes sped by very quickly (for example, most of the emperor's scenes), and some dragged on for no good reason (most of the times they walk or talk through the desert). Paul would have gone blind by looking directly at a nuclear explosion. The ending felt anticlimactic and was too overt in how it was setting up another sequel. Some parts of the book that are crucial to understanding the planet's history were excised, like the long-term human genetic plan and the ecological plan, which were reduced to one-line mentions. Finally, as a vexillologist, I couldn't help but notice how badly designed the flags were. One of the key principles of good flag design is simplicity, as a simple design can be recognised and remembered at a distance and when waving. Each faction has a central symbol, but their flags drown them out in a mess of visual detail, hamstringing their ability to signal at a distance and establish themselves in the audience's mind. This is a shame, as each faction has such a strong visual identity in their settings and costumes, but their symbols are not given the opportunity to shine and become iconic. Denis, if you are reading this, please hire a vexillologist!