I’m not going to lie to you – I’ve never read Frank Herbert’s “Dune” series at all.
Now, I’ve seen a variety of its cinematic iterations on the big and small screen, but I didn’t feel motivated to read the source material.
However, that changed when I caught “Dune: Part Two” at the theater over the weekend.
The cinematic visuals and quality of work made me want to buy the entire run of novels and sort of led me on a rabbit hole into a series touted as science fiction’s best-selling of all time.
Though, given the age of the series, I was more than bummed to find out through my hour-long research that the whole thing had no ending due to Herbert’s death before completion.
Plus, I have to tell you that the film flows well and has action scenes paced accordingly to keep from having any lull points, too.
Dune: Part Two is a 2024 epic science fiction film directed and co-produced by Denis Villeneuve, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts.
It’s the sequel to Dune (2021), which is the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel by Herbert.
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem reprise their roles from the first film, with Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Anya Talyor-Joy, and Souheila Yacoub joining the ensemble cast.
The film clocks in at 165 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material, and brief strong language.
Princess Irulan Corrino (Pugh) secretly journals that Paul Atreides (Chalamet) may still live, while her father, Emperor Shaddam IV (Walken) is dispirited after promoting the fall of House Atreides.
En route to Sietch Tabr on Arrakis, Stilgar (Bardem) and his Fremen troops, including Paul and Lady Jessica (Ferguson) overcome a Harkonnen ambush.
Reaching the Sietch, some Fremen suspect Jessica and Paul are spies, though others see signs of the prophecy that a mother and son from the “Outer World” will bring prosperity to Arrakis.
Stilgar informs Jessica that their Reverend Mother is dying and that Jessica must be her replacement and drink the “Water of Life”, fatal for males and the untrained.
Jessica transmutes the poison, and thus survives and inherits the memories of every female ancestor in the lineage.
The Water also prematurely awakens the mind of her unborn daughter, Alia (Joy) thus allowing Jessica to communicate with her.
They agree that Northern Arrakis, especially the weak-minded, must be convinced first of the prophecy.
Chani (Zendaya) and her friend Shishakli (Yacoub) believe the prophecy is false and designed to control the Fremen.
But when Paul makes a speech about not seeking power and wanting only to fight alongside them, Chani develops respect for him.
Paul embraces Fremen ways and learns their language, taking part in rites such as riding a sandworm.
He forms a romantic relationship with Chani, becomes a Fedaykin fighter, and assists in raids on Harkonnen spice harvesters, earning the Fremen names “Usul” and “Muad’Dib”.
However, that’s only half of the story and if you want to catch how Paul unites the Fremen against the Harkonnen forces it’s definitely better to see the epic battles play out on the big screen.
Plus, it might spur your interest in reading the Dune novels, too!
