Hailey Benders|Marlin Chronicle
With a running time of just under three hours, “Dune: Part Two” immerses audiences further into the science fiction universe established by the 2021 adaptation of “Dune: Part One.” “Dune: Part Two” took to theaters March 1.
The “Dune” universe was initially created by Frank Herbert in his 1965 novel “Dune.” Herbert’s novel was first adapted into a movie of the same name in 1984. “Dune: Part One” and “Dune: Part Two” are not reboots of the original movie, but simply different adaptations of the 1965 novel.
“Dune: Part Two” was “an excellent sequel to the first movie. It was different from the book and original movie, but it made it its own successful piece,” senior Erika Eichelberger said.
Though the movie is a long one, the storytelling certainly makes up for it, and it might be hard for audiences to be bored. “I’m really surprised how much I liked it…normally you couldn’t pay me to sit through anything over 2 hours. But I was immersed throughout the whole movie, I honestly loved it,” alumna Divinity Richardson said.
The story follows Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, as he navigates the deep deserts of Arrakis, the fictional planet where “Dune” takes place. Following the events of “Dune: Part One,” Paul and his mother must convince the Fremen people that they can be trusted. There are religious aspects that lead some of the Fremen people to believe that Paul is a legendary prophet or messiah from the “other worlds,” called the “Lisan Al Gaib,” but not everyone, including Paul, is convinced.
House Harkonnen, one of the great houses of the “Dune” galaxy, had taken over Arrakis after the fall of Paul’s family, House Atreides. The Fremen, with the help of Paul, must try to protect their land and sacred crop, Spice, from the Harkonnen. With many cinematic fight scenes and exciting ambushes, it seems that the Fremen are beating the Harkonnen, or at least keeping them from gaining any more ground.
Paul must not only fight the outward threat of the Harkonnen, but also decide who his true allies are in a mind-bending game of politics and religion. He must play the game of politics to save the universe from a fate only he can foresee, but Paul might have to sacrifice the love of his life to do it.
Like any good blockbuster movie, the cast was full of well known actors and actresses. With notable actors like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler and many more, it seems as if the film was destined to be a hit before it even hit theaters.
Seeing the actors through the characters can add an extra layer of comedy for some audience members. “I can’t believe Timothée Chalamet’s corny pickup lines worked on Zendaya. He really is the ‘Lisan Al Gaib,’” alumni Criofan Shaw said.
The film does a wonderful job of portraying the fact that anyone can fight for one cause but still be playing a game that best benefits them in the end. Richardson called the film “emotionally complex,” and it certainly is. “Dune” does a wonderful job of portraying the motivations and feelings of all the characters, not just the main character.
The wonderful storytelling of the movie easily conveys the social and political challenges in this fictional world. The movie can easily be a fun science fiction film for younger audiences while also being packed with political game play for older audiences.
By Calee Lukowski
crlukowski@vwu.edu
