Dune 2 Review - Denis Villeneuve's Sci-Fi Epic Is Gigantic, Incredible & A Modern Cinematic Achievement

Dune 2 Review : First of all, let's hail the great Denis Villeneuve for getting one of the greatest casting coups on board for Dune 2 with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Secondly, let's hail the genius filmmaker for his extraordinary vision that he has kept hidden for years. He was so busy with story-driven films, so we all thought that he couldn't make a big-screen spectacle like Cameron or Jackson. Dune 2 proves that he has enough fire to light the big screen with his astonishing direction skills and visionary storytelling. Dune 2 surpasses the grandeur of Dune Part 1, or, for that matter, any Hollywood movie in recent times, except Avatar: The Way Of Water. The said Pandora's Blue Tale lacked a unique story, but Denis got it here for his dusty desert tale. So it's like it's a visual spectacle meeting a tremendously rich script. You can't afford to miss that, can you?Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is accepted in the Fremen tribe and is trying to be one of them. While he is getting better during his training, Stilgar (Javier Bardem) informs Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) that their Reverend Mother is dying, convincing her to become a replacement by drinking the Water of Life, a deadly poison that is fatal to males and the untrained. She drinks it and turns herself into a mother Reverend, but because she is pregnant, it might turn ill on her. She starts speaking to her unborn child, a daughter, who keeps guiding her on what to do next. Meanwhile, Paul embraces the Fremen ways and learns their language, passing tests like riding a sandworm. He begins a romantic relationship with Chani, becomes a Fedaykin fighter, and assists during raids on Harkonnen spice harvesters, earning the mantles "Muad'Dib" and "Usul," by which the Fremen identify him as the "man who leads the path." On the other hand, Baron (Stellan Skarsgård) demotes Rabbani (Bautista) for humiliating the family by running away from the fight and makes psychotic Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) a new leader. Paul Muad'Dib leads the troop to the south and is joined by the former military leader of Atreides, Gurney (Josh Brolin). Will Paul be able to defeat Baron and Feyd-Rautha?Dune 2 is an engrossing script that lasts for 160 minutes without becoming dull. Yes, there are a few moments that feel slow, but nothing too serious. The conversations are engaging, and some comedy scenes also work despite repetitive lines. Dune 2 scores high in visual presentation. It's an alien world with human-like characters, but it's completely out of your imagination. That's the power of the sci-fi epic genre, right? You must create a world that hasn't been seen or imagined by others. Only then can you convince viewers to believe in your vision and fantasy world. Every single feature of Dune 2 is a prime example of a creative sci-fi world. You get to see new kinds of clothes, people, soldiers, weapons, gods, spiritual idols, wars, and what not. The desert, storm, attacks, machines, flying machines, and what not—how on earth did Denis visualise all these alien things? And the bigger question is, how did he bring them alive on screen without any compromise? That's the most stunning part of Dune 2, and that's more than enough reason why you should not miss this larger-than-life spectacle on the big screen.Dune 2 has a solid acting unit. Timothée Chalamet may have just gotten the role of a lifetime, and how bleeding good he is as Paul Muad'Dib Usul! You get to see a wonderful transformation from him, and he is likely to take it to a whole new level in the upcoming Dune movies. Zendaya has given a great performance despite many limits to her character. Rebecca Ferguson will stun you with her deadly role in this one. Let me warn you, she is not the same Rebecca/Jessica you saw in Dune Part 1. So, be prepared for a surprise. Austin Butler fits well as a new antagonist, but I think he should have had more scenes. Josh Brolin and Dave Bautista were good in their roles, while the female side was well managed by Florence Pugh and Léa Seydoux. Christopher Walken and Stellen Skarsgard get some important scenes, and they show what experienced actors can do. Charlotte Rampling hardly shows her face, so I couldn't catch any expressions, but the voice tone was nice. Javier Bardem will go down as one of the best characters from Dune 2 for his involvement as a character and its growth as well. All those comic punches were hit by him only.Dune 2 has eye-pleasing cinematography (Greig Fraser) and a terrific background score by maestro Hans Zimmer. Joe Walker's editing keeps you on the edge of your seat despite the long runtime. I used to say that a long runtime doesn't hurt if it's Avatar 2 and Oppenheimer. Now, I'll add Dune 2 to that sentence. Keeping audiences interested in your story for 160 minutes is a big task nowadays. Dune 2 passes that litmus test too. Now, come to the captain of the ship, the master, the great Denis Villeneuve. I have been a huge fan of Incendies (2010), and I always believed that Villeneuve was better with such pathbreaking stories and thrillers, not grandeurs. Well, he proved me wrong, and I am so happy. Dune 2 comes as a testament that Denis can handle big-ticket entertainers too without hurting his content-loving fanbase. You may be a Marvel or a DC fan for their explosive entertainers, but the real "Marvel of a cinema" is here. Dune 2 has some outstanding war scenes that come with incredible vision and fantastic storytelling by the master filmmaker. In short, it's like Cameron meets Scorsese! I said it there, and I am so proud to say it. Overall, Dune 2 is stunning, incredible, wonderful, and anything close to whatever you call a modern-age sci-fi classic. Do yourself a favour and watch it in IMAX. The experience will shake you.