"Dune: Part Two," is the best solitary piece of art that has ever existed and will ever exist. I curled up in the fetal position and bawled tears of joy at the conclusion of this science fiction masterpiece. To those who haven’t seen "Dune: Part Two," this is how far-fetched the reviews seem for the last two weeks. Having enjoyed "Dune: Part One," I was excited to see the sequel but certainly skeptical of the ridiculous reviews. That changed when I decided to be the judge of the film myself.
At the end of the movie, one thing was certain: "Dune: Part Two" is among the greatest sci-fi movies ever made.
It should come as a surprise to no one that "Dune: Part Two," will not be remembered for its dialogue. "Dune: Part Two," director Denis Villeneuve’s perfect film would have no dialogue in it. Despite this, there are still multiple great lines in "Dune: Part Two". From the innocent boy choosing the desert mouse nickname to the fearless leader of the Fremen overpowering a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother with the voice, Paul Atreides’ "Silence!" signified a completed character arc for the movie’s antihero.
There’s also something about the simplicity of the line, “Nice fighting, Atreides,” from Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen that stuck with me days after I watched the film. Butler’s poised delivery of the line despite his character breathing his final breath cemented the fact that the character represented something larger than your run-of-the-mill villain. As he had shown in his introduction as a character in the black sun gladiator sequence when he fought a sober Atreides fighter, Harkonnen was an honorable fighter as evil as he was.
Sci-fi movies are not known for dialogue, (just ask Mark Hamill but they are certainly known for innovative effects and incredible cinematography. Like the original before it, "Dune: Part Two" checks both of those boxes and then some.
For starters, the CGI is done so well that viewers might actually believe 100-foot-tall sandworms exist in real life. I know I certainly did. Some of the shots in this movie, especially those in the aforementioned black sun scene, are absolutely spectacular. The scene filmed completely in black and white is not just a time trick from Villeneuve but indicative of a planet without color.
For all of the complaints of nothing happening in the first movie, some of which are substantiated, those have no place in "Dune: Part Two." Without spoiling too much, the action-packed ending of "Dune: Part Two" wraps up the first two films perfectly while opening up the door for a third film.
While "Dune: Part Two" checks so many boxes that the other great sci-fi films check, the aspect of the movie that puts it alongside some of the all-time classics is the performances. The star-studded cast in "Dune: Part Two" undoubtedly proved its worth. Austin Butler had 10-15 lines in the movie, by my estimation, but still found a way to steal the show as Harkonnen. Butler’s physicality and facial expressions make the character so much more than a typical antagonist.
Rebecca Ferguson plays a completely different character than the leader and mentor of Atreides she played in the first film but was every bit as interesting as the Fremen mother.
Zendaya’s performance as Chani is probably the best of her film career. Her intensity and anger in the last shot of the movie will leave the audience begging for more.
Chalamet is incredibly convincing as a strong leader of thousands of people. Many questioned Chalamet’s capabilities to step up in such a role, but the 28-year-old actor silenced any doubters and is probably on his way to his first Academy Award.
Any great sci-fi movie needs one thing: commitment. "Star Wars" had talking robots and a giant-talking bear, "Alien" had a talking amputated head and "2001: A Space Odyssey," ended with what is insinuated to be a human zoo. The point here is almost all sci-fi movies can be downright weird at times, but the second people involved start to question the vision is the second they become laughable. The greatness of "Dune: Part Two" is the culmination of so many different people pointed in the same direction completely committed to fulfilling Villeneuve’s take on Frank Herbert’s vision.
Bobby Gorbett is a senior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Bobby know by tweeting him @GorbettBobby.
