“Dune: Part Two” will probably be a global hit. Here’s why it’s not worth watching

“Dune: Part Two” will probably be a global hit. Here’s why it’s not worth watching

Just three years of waiting and here it is, Denis Villeneuve’s new three-hour film about the desert, hallucinogenic spice and family quarrels in space. The work was completed on an epic scale and with a budget of almost $190 million. I’ll play devil’s advocate and instead of trying to convince you to watch it, I’ll list with a pinch of salt why it’s not worth watching the second part of “Dune”.

The first basic problem of the second part of “” is that he no longer appears in it. The actor performed very well in the role of Duncan Idahoo, but unfortunately at the stage of the events presented in the sequel [UWAGA, spoiler z pierwszej części] he is already very dead, which effectively prevents the potential of the character and his performer from being used. What’s worse, no one predicted any flashbacks with his participation, Duncan doesn’t even appear in the main character’s spice-induced visions. This is an ordinary scandal and an irreparable pity. I am convinced that Jason alone would attract several million additional viewers to the cinemas.

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Why is it not worth watching the new “Dune”?

Let’s also not forget that you have to be vigilant like a dragonfly to understand the plot of “Dune” who is trying to kill individual heroes and heroines, why and why. Let’s quickly recall: in the first part, the cosmic Atreides family was sent by the villainous emperor of the galaxy to the desert planet of Dune. It is also there that the most valuable spice in the entire universe is mined, which enables interplanetary travel. Whoever controls it has real power over everyone else and a fabulous fortune. Once there, however, Duke Leto Atreides is treacherously attacked by the sadistic Baron Harkonen, who conspires with the emperor. Most of the Atreides entourage dies in one night, but the young heir, Paul Atreides, and his mother, Jessica, manage to escape into the desert.

The so-called spice of the whole thing is made by the fact that Jessica has a set of very impressive powers and abilities, which she also teaches to her offspring. Why? Well, she belongs to the powerful Bene Gesserit order, whose members can speak with a “magical” voice that forces people to do whatever they want, and besides, they have been controlling intergalactic politics from their gray zone for millennia. They also conduct something like a human breeding of high-born notables. As a result of properly conducted marriages, they want to give birth to a certain Kwisatz Haderach – a man with a mind so powerful that he will be able to see the future and the past, as well as connect space and time. On Dune, which is infested with large desert worms, the order also spread rumors that Jessica and Paul are potentially mother and son from the legend of the messiah who will turn the desert planet Arrakis into a paradise.

‘Dune 2’ Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Don’t watch the new “Dune”

The second part starts more or less where the first one ended. Paul and Jessica must convince the rather religious Fremen people, who are the only ones who can survive on a desert planet. With their help, Paul hopes to avenge his father’s death, and Jessica wants to bake her own roast and ensure that her son is recognized as the Messiah of Dune. Everyone is up to something, and viewers are treated to some spectacular scenes of duels and battles in the desert, but almost monochromatically yellow with sand. How many times can you jump out of the sand, shoot from funny planes with insect wings and fight with swords? I’ll give you a hint: there’s a lot in this movie.

Let’s be honest, “Dune: Part Two” is a very long movie. For three hours everyone runs around the desert, fighting more fiercely than when there is no more space in the sandbox for more sand cakes, and when there are explosions, almost no tough guy walks in slow motion in front of them (okay, there is one scene with Josh Brolin, but it was more of a fire than an explosion). Plus, for 1/3 of the movie, people ride around on big bugs like the maggots were desert taxis, and there’s a lot of talk about strange prophecies. Everyone is talking about a messiah from another planet, accompanied by a lot of religious shouting. In fact, the character played by the Oscar-winning Javier Bardem repeats “Lisan al Gaib” or “Mahdi” so often that if someone ate chocolate with a drunk cherry every time, he or she would not be able to stay sober until the end of the session.

Plus, there’s a sickeningly cute romantic subplot. Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet look into each other’s eyes like two lovesick puppies and you can feel a bit like in a teen show. It is true that in Herbert’s book these characters are very teenage, but here, shockingly, both of them are sensible beyond their years. They are almost completely unaffected by violent emotions typical of adolescence, such as rebellion and anger. It’s very unrealistic, Mr. Villeneuve.

Horror of horrors, Hans Zimmer put a lot on hold with a flourish and the music doesn’t keep the audience off their seats for half the show. There are so many battles, duels and uphill warfare that there was almost no room for trance sequences related to Paul’s visions, enriched with homely music with a howling lady in the background. Somehow I missed it in the cinema this time – this time the film music doesn’t haunt me like it did after the first part and I’m disappointed because of it.

I mentioned that the lack of Jason Momoy is a serious problem. As a consolation, the director tries to give us the beautiful, picture-perfect Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, the emperor’s daughter, as well as the terrifying Austin Butler in the new version. The problem with this is that, first of all, Florence’s role is written in such a way that her father in the movie (the very unsinister Christopher Walken) comes off as a terrible idiot. Secondly, Austin Butler, known for his daring portrayal of Elvis, was too immersive in playing the macabrely sadistic and, what’s worse, intelligent sociopath Feyd-Rauth Harkonnen.

Even treatments such as shaving off all hair on his head (including eyebrows) and dyeing his teeth black did not harm this actor’s beauty and charisma. He is almost too hypnotic in this aesthetic, and so convincingly terrible that, like it or not, you start to sympathize with him and even feel sorry that he is not even a little more sinister. Really, who has seen this so that the cinema encourages you to root for the “bad guy”. Duncan Idahoo wouldn’t hurt innocent people, whatever.

Despite a budget of $190 million, the director decided that the sequence taking place on the home planet of the evil Harkonnens would be devoid of any colors, although they appear in other scenes. I understand the atmosphere, that we emphasize the horror and unpredictability of Feyd, that it looks like a picture from German expressionist cinema, but let’s be serious: no one will believe that there are no colors other than black and white on one planet. Such Leah Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring is normally colorful in other scenes, who saw it so confusing to the viewers? Someone should also tell Rebecca Ferguson that when she played Lady Jessica, after the water test, she got too carried away and looked like she was possessed by some demon. But she should be a caring and supportive mother!

Seriously speaking, I didn’t notice when the three hours of the show had passed. I had a great time, it’s a truly beautiful piece of cinema. One with a Hollywood panache, I’m glad that I finally saw what David Lynch didn’t manage to include in his film (he had to do a voice summary of the action). However, I have no illusions that if the convention of the first part of “Dune” did not appeal to someone, the second part will definitely exhaust them, or at least not captivate them. For the rest of you, I suggest you simply eat well before the screening and don’t drink too many fluids, because it’s a shame to leave the room and miss something important from the action (Zendaya and Chalamet don’t look into each other’s eyes that much and sigh). I wish you fun.

Source: Gazeta