Dune: Part Two

“At that time, this world had a Fremen name. Dune” Holy freaking shit!! I’d been eagerly counting down the days to seeing this film for a while and it absolutely did not disappoint. Denis cooked so hard.  As much as I adore part 1, this film is so much better because it isn’t burdened with the establishment of the world and the characters yet the new characters and worlds introduced are done brilliantly.  I think the standouts for me are; Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. He’s so delightfully evil yet incredibly charismatic, Christopher Walken as Shaddam IV. Walken’s performance didn’t wow me straight away but as I pondered it, it’s exactly as it should be. The powerless yet powerful Emperor who is simply complicit and the whole Giedi Prime sequence. The Giedi Prime sequence is so brutally beautiful, the fireworks, the Giger esque world design and that stunning black sun make for an incredible set piece that is just unforgettable.  This film at its core is a love story between Paul and Chani and I absolutely bought it. Chalamet and Zendaya sell it so naturally. It doesn’t feel rushed or forced and it makes Paul’s transformation into Muad’Dib all that more heartbreaking. My only nitpick is that they cut Thurfir and Tim Blake Nelson who was supposedly playing Count Hasimir Fenring who is my favourite book character. I’d have loved to had seen him adapted, hopefully in *Messiah. * And speaking of Messiah, I can not wait to see that story adapted. It’s one of my favourite from the Dune universe and to see it adapted by the man who made this is going to make me so happy!