Worth It – writes Alexandra Tan
“Dune: Part Two” is even more action-packed and meticulously designed than its predecessor: “Dune: Part One which sets high standards by transporting viewers into the dangerous dystopian world of Arrakis. The movie starts off right from where the first part ends, making it engaging without respite. The carefully crafted sand dunes and starships alongside Hans Zimmer’s intense, ominous soundtrack can only be fully appreciated in theaters. Not only does the set defy expectations, with actors Austin Butler, Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Florence Pugh, the cast list of “Dune: Part Two manages to star even more A-list actors than the first movie. In particular, Rebecca Ferguson astoundingly portrays Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica. Jessica’s personality and role in Paul’s life completely changes throughout this movie, yet Ferguson keeps up with this change to create interesting developments in her character. Not only do celebrities grace the set, sandworms also get plenty of screen time in “Dune: Part Two” like in the iconic scene where Paul, played by Timotheée Chalamet, tames one. Despite its near three hour run time, I got more and more invested in the plot as the movie progressed; consequently, the extremely climactic ending of the film was exhilarating. Fans of Dune, hungry for more of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series, speculate about the possibility of a third film. Before moving on from “Dune: Part Two,” make sure to go back to the movie theater and watch this masterpiece one more time.
Not Worth it – writes Jemma Yuan
The highly anticipated sequel to the sci-fi epic “Dune: Part One” has finally arrived, but, unfortunately, it fails to live up to the expectations set by the novel by Frank Herbert. While the movie has impressive visuals and action sequences, it falls flat regarding character development and flushing out the intricate dynamics of the book. The movie strays from Herbert’s epic particularly in its portrayal of visions experienced by the protagonist Paul Atredies. In the book, Paul’s visions are described in detail, but in the film, they are reduced to a repetitive scene that lacks the depth and complexity of the original. Additionally, the importance of spice and the role of the Spacing Guild in controlling it is completely excluded from the movie, which diminishes the significance of the resource in the story’s plot and lowering stakes for the viewer. This difference from the original left me, a fan of the novel, disappointed and confused about the changes made to the story. In addition to the plot’s lack of depth, the characters were left unexplored. Zendaya, a very talented actress, played the role of Paul’s love interest, Chani. Although her acting skills are remarkable, it felt forced throughout the movie. The scene intended to expose the love between her and Paul lacked chemistry and caused their kiss to seem awkward and inauthentic. Furthermore, the movie limited her to the love interest of Paul, when there seemed to be potential to explore her character more. This lack of exploration was a common occurrence among many other characters as well. A fan of the book, I believe “Dune: Part Two” to be hollow and disappointing, despite the adaptation being a box-office standout.
