Denis Villeneuve completes what Dune (2021) started and somehow surpasses it. Part Two is the rare blockbuster sequel that’s bigger AND better — louder, weirder, more morally complex.
Timothée Chalamet finally gets to play Paul as ascending rather than reactive. The Fremen culture is rendered with anthropological seriousness, not exoticism. Zendaya’s Chani is the moral compass of the film, and her scenes with Chalamet carry real weight.
Villain casting: Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha is delirious and excellent. Florence Pugh and Christopher Walken play House Corrino with appropriate decadence. Hans Zimmer’s score is, as always, an event in itself.
The film knows what Dune the novel knew: this is a story about religious manipulation and the danger of charismatic leaders. The third-act sandworm cavalry charge is one of the great action sequences of recent years.
