Villeneuve picks up right where he left off, in terms of plot and in terms of approach. All the same elements are here - visual world building, overwhelming soundscapes, centuries-long histories that get shown rather than told - but this time they are accompanied with heart-pounding action sequences too. It is the pay-off fans of the first movie (me included) have been waiting three years for. Not only that, but the movie manages to offer a fascinating reflection on the role of messianic tales in both disrupting and perpetuating power...it is an action movie about something, which is rare. Not everything is perfect. The action towards the end starts to feel almost Star Wars like (not a compliment): hapless bad guys, shields that are conveniently not on, heroes who never feel threatened. Plus, it's hard to adapt a book series that went on forever and maintain any sense of closure movie to movie; in some ways, Part One had the advantage of everybody knowing things would end unresolved. I never expected anything but build up. Still, Villeneuve seems born to tell this kind of story, and the cast dives into this space opera like it is Shakespeare. The three hours flew by for me, and I would happily line up for Part Three.
Review of Dune: Part Two
