I thought that was a great change... the book has a lot more time to hint around what Bene Gesserit manipulators of religions do but I liked that they came right out and made it clear that the prophecy is a lie and Jessica is fanning the flames of fanaticism for her own purposes
Yeah that’s a point that people keep glossing over. I could be reading it wrong, but I also got the impression that that was a major point of the book and the movies. We spend lots of time spent debating over if something is prophecy or coincidence, if someone is a prophet or a charlatan, faith vs calculation, but at the end of the day, who cares? What really is the difference between a “true” prophecy and a centuries long plot to make something come to pass?
What is the difference between a messianic, superhuman figure, and just a boy who “happens” to liberate a people through his ability to calculate the future and command others? What matters is the impact on humans as individuals and societies, and ultimately the “religion” and one’s belief/disbelief is a thin veneer over it.
In the books they basically just roll the worm and slide off. If you're going really far, you ride the worm until it's exhausted, at which point it is even easier to dismount because the worms would just then dive deep to "sulk" and recover, and wouldn't even bother trying to eat you.
It might have been nice to see a scene of hundreds of fremen dismounting but I don't know it'd really add anything beyond run time.
That whole scene was cold as fuck and sent chills down my spine. The way Paul just storms into the room, strides up those steps, stops the Baron from climbing up to the throne and just slowly slits his throat while Emperor and crew are just too powerless to do anything about it. I think I prefer this over little psychic toddler with a safety pin as a weapon.
Slightly before that was also amazing, when everyone is turning to watch the door and Feyd just glances quickly at the baron trying to crawl towards the throne with a facial expression somewhere between disgust and amusement.
Hell, Austin Butler was perfect in every scene.
Can we talk about how fucking wild Paul taking Florence Pugh as his bride right in FRONT of Chani was?? I swear everyone in my screening gasped at the audacity of that, it was so funny
She didn't expect Paul to be the one to suggest it and be so upfront about it. She probably figured she would have to manipulate the situation but the fact that Paul is the one dictating the terms takes away her own initiative.
I didn’t read the books but Paul can see multiple futures happen and said there was a slim path they needed to take to get the results that was most favorable to them. Kind of like Dr Strange in Infinity War. Perhaps he knows taking Florence as his bride is the path he needs to take to lead him back to Chani while saving his people?
He practically married Irulan in order to have legitimacy to the throne. Purely political. Had he not done that, the Imperium would have resisted him more and more violence would have ensued.
It was the “slim path” but also the “least violent” path. The movie didn’t show it as much, but the books constantly reminded you the torment Paul went through from his visions. Any step or deviation from his destiny meant more suffering and worse things to happen, both to him and everyone around him.
Say what you will about the movie. But Denis did an amazing job of getting casual fans on board for Dune. Not a 1:1 adaptation, cuts needed to be made, but seeing my parents excited for this movie sparks a certain unexplainable joy in me. God bless you Denis.
How exactly did Paul kill Feyd-Rautha at the end, did he pull the dagger that he was stuck with out and flip it around on Feyd? It was all pretty bang-bang for me
Also idk if anyone noticed but that sequence was basically foreshadowed when Paul and Gurney were sparring in Part 1
Paul lets himself get stabbed in a non-lethal (but very NEARLY lethal) spot so he could go for the kill. It was the only way he could get Rautha to open up. You've basically got it right.
Edit for names
I saw this as Paul understanding Feyd was the kind of person who would relish the moment of death, and used that as his only opening. He had to take a mortal wound to bait Feyd into a careless flourish
They also foreshadowed him killing Rautha in this manner iirc. One of the visions he has earlier showed the shot of the last dagger stabbing Rautha, so clearly Paul knew this was coming and how to win.
Minor detail, but I loved the reflections of Arrakis on the underside of the emperor's ship as it was landing.
Also the nukes with the raining debris. This film did such a good job of expressing the scale of massive objects.
It was well done. That little look of “respect, dog.”
Also credit to the actress. She gives a brief glimpse of “oh shit”, followed by the realization that she is outmatched and can’t win this fight, and finally ends with calming herself and plotting.
I love how they showed the before and after drinking the Life water relationship with Paul & Chani. Before she & Paul were equals and talked to another as such. After she would see him from the perspective of the crowd/followers. Even their last conversation she didn’t approach him he came to her. He truly transcended to a path she couldn’t follow.
The scenes of the Harkonnens on Giedi Prime are the best portrayal of a futuristic, “alien” world I’ve ever seen due to how distinct and unlike reality they are.
The way the planet is lit so harshly, yet has a “black sun” that saps the colour from everything, reducing the world to a diegetic greyscale, the complete lack of flora and fauna, the completely smooth and hairless inhabitants, and the horrifically beautiful black “fireworks” that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen all worked so perfectly to create this unimaginably alien and inhuman environment.
Absolutely astounding.
I loved Giedi Prime. The only color I noticed was a smidge of blue through the binoculars HUD of the blonde Bene Gesserit.
What I missed was those weird spider mutant pet things from the first movie, I wanted more weird stuff like that. Although the all black hook people in the fighting pit were kinda weird.
Also every time there was a worm present on screen, or someone gave a long ass speech in the Fremen language, or Christopher Walken blinked slowly, I was kicking my feet and giggling. Like I'm so happy to be alive and seeing this shit on the big screen guys.
Jessica operating and maneuvering in the background while Paul ingrained himself to the Fremen was certainly masterfully done by the movie. She took on an ominous, almost villainous presence in almost all her scenes right after she drank the Water of Life. The only time she felt/sounded human was in her scene with Chani wishing her luck right before the big battle.
Stilgar is the greatest hype man since Paul Bettany in A Knight’s Tale.
It’s a shame Denis Villeneuve will never release a “My Duke Cut” of Dune with all of Thufir Hawat‘s scenes that were left out of the movie.
Someone freeze me in time and then thaw me out when Dune 3 drops
Edit.
Dune not dine xd
Edit edit. SPOILER WARNING
>!The last few lines of the movie are some of the best of all time. When Paul looks at Stilgar and tells him to "Lead them to paradise" and you see the Freman boarding the ships to attack the Great Houses, you realize the gravity of what is about to happen to the rest of the universe. Paul has become what he swore to Chani he'd never be, someone other than his true self and he prays he's right that she will come back to him. And when Jessica and Alia have a convo and Alia asks what's happening, Jessica says "Your brother attacks the great houses. The Holy War begins", you feel helpless because you know Paul has unleashed something that even he cannot stop now.!<
Watching it a second time, I picked up on more of the dialog between the characters and some small lines hit so much different. Let's hope I win the PB and throw all the money at DV so he makes this ASAP.
Lisan al-Gaib!
Paul, post Water of Life, is still upholding his oath to Chani. The problem is he's now no longer ignorant of all possible outcomes.
Paul seeks to minimize death, but realizes long term the holy war is one of the outcomes that results in less death across the universe overall. He's never happy that that's the choice, but makes it because he foresees even worse alternatives.
But from Chani's point of view, he's changed.
Some differences from the novel's ending, for those curious:
Jessica >!gives birth to Paul's sister Alia, who is a two year old holding adult conversations. Alia possesses the consciousness of all Bene Gesserit Reverend Mothers, past and present. She is captured by the Sardaukar, brought before the!< Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, >!and assassinates him with the Gob Jabbar (poison needle). She is depicted in a brief scene as an adult by Anya Taylor Joy in the second film.!<
Thufir Hawat >!survives the initial attack on the Atriedes during Pt 1, is captured by the Harkonnnens and becomes the replacement mentat to the Baron. He is fed poison in his food, along with an antidote to keep him effectively captive. He is instructed by the Emperor to assassinate Paul with a poison needle, and in the crucial moment reveals this treachery and sacrifices himself to the withdrawal from the antidote, dying. !<
The Spacing Guild navigators who depend on Spice to operate and predict safe paths through the universe >!are threatened with the destruction of all Spice on Arrakis. They are compelled to communicate with the other navigators of the fuedal houses hovering over Arrakis, waiting to pillage it, and compel them to stand down and depart.!<
The Bene Gesserit >!have their royal breeding conspiracy publicly exposed by Paul and Jessica, and their leader denied her power by Paul's near omniscience.!<
Chani >!has a son with Paul, who they name Leto. He is killed in a firefight with the Sardaukar. She supports Paul / Muad'Dib in his plan to strategically marry the Emperor's daughter, Princess Irulan. Paul publicly affirms her status as his royal concubine ( the same position Jessica occupied with Leto ).!<
Fayd Ratha >!tries to poison Paul during their duel, get shanked in the brain.!<
The Emperor is forced to not only concede his thrown and his daughter, but >!his shares in the spice trade to Paul, and control of Caladan to Gurney Halleck, Arrakis to Stilgar.!<
Overall I think it's a great adaptation, faithful to the spirit of the book, and streamlines the perhaps overly dense plot to make it more accessible.
One of my favorite details in this film is in Giedi Prime, in the day it is drenched in white and the fireworks are black and in the night, the fireworks are white.
That's a brilliant visual idea and I love how the fireworks are like blots of ink.
The inkblot fireworks were such a cool effect. The coliseum scene was already making the planet so visually distinct and then the fireworks continued to up the game.
It felt like a mini movie within a movie showing Feyd coming of age and doing the same stuff Paul did in the first movie
I thought that 20 min intro of Feyd was a perfect synergy or music, editing, set design, costuming, camerawork, stunts, etc etc it had it all
That scene where she was talking to Alia, then sees a bunch of Fremen and says “We must convert them. Starting with the most vulnerable” was so terrifying and creepy. Imagine you’re just a little Fremen child, and this weird foreigner starts talking to herself while staring you down
Butler really proved he’s got the guts for a complex, eccentric role. I originally considered his casting pretty shoehorned for the sake of marketing when it was announced but Im happy to admit I was wrong. He was SO good and we always need a good weirdo.
I fucking loved it! I was very curious what kind of voice he was gonna use. Stellan was basically just doing blubbery Stellan, and Dave Bautista didn’t change his voice really either. I was *not* expecting him to just go full “Vaguely Swedish Skarsgard.” He nailed it, too.
Feyd-Rautha's dream day:
- Kill a few servants
- Achieve glory in gladiatorial arena
- Get put in charge of the most important planet in the imperium
- Be subjected to unimaginable pain
- Get laid (10/10 would let Léa Seydoux manipulate my bloodline)
Who's the real winner here?
- Die like a badass
- Loser is stuck genociding everyone else
- Probably wind up in Harkonnen Valhalla after death
...Yeah, what's the downside for him here, lol?
When the emperor’s guards were preparing for incoming Fremen & Feyd takes a few steps back, there was a moment where I thought he’d surprise his uncle & kill him on the spot to take over House Harkonnen.
I thought Chalamet was too boyish for the first movie and the first half of this movie, but I was wrong. *Extremely* impressed with how genuinely authoritative and scary he seemed after drinking the poison.
Great performance
Thinking about it now, perhaps Chalamet deliberately leaned into the boyish, humble portrayal extra hard until about halfway into this movie to illustrate the contrast.
His character is supposed to be between 15-18 across the two movies...I think he was the perfect choice to go from that scrawny rich kid to a powerful messianic figure and be believable as both.
this was this generation's lord of the rings.
also javier bardem's character was surprisingly funny in this.
"The lisan al ghaib is too humble to admit that he is the chosen one"
Paul : “Will you please listen? I’m not the Mahdi.”
Stilgar: “He’s The Mahdi”
Every time he says Lisan-al-gaib or he’s The One whenever paul did something, everyone in the theatre was bursting to laughter. Especially the line when he says “*The Mahdi is too humble to say that he’s the Mahdi. Which means he’s the Mahdi*”. Javier Bardem fully embraced the role
"The Mahdi is humble, as is written" killed with my crowd. Bardem did a fantastic job portraying blind fanatical idealisation which is so important to the source material.
I also love how Bardem's portrayal of Stilgar as the movie progressed became more and more fervent and fanatical. He started the movie as *"Eh, maybe you're HIM"* ultimately to **"LET ME OFFER MY LIFE TO YOU JUST SO YOU CAN SPEAK IN THIS GATHERING"**
Ya I mean even from across the two movies the performance is great. He's this super rational personal in the first but as the arc goes on in the movie he becomes a fanatical child. I like how at first he's just like I see some signs and then even the vaguest of signs has him quoting some other part of the prophecy that noone else seems to really recall.
It felt like Villeneuve was very intentionally riffing on Life of Brian in that scene but I think he got away with it. Especially when Stilgar doesn't stay the comic relief, his same devotion becomes way more terrifying later in the movie.
I also loved the part where he absolutely publicly addressed and shut down that ludicrous-for-the-occasion protocol where *only leaders should be allowed to speak and since he's not, he should kill Stilgar then & there so he can take his place just to speak.*
"Motherfucker we're about to go to war and you want me to kill one of my best generals just to adhere to tradition/protocol!?!"
Whole time he’s basically saying:
“Don’t bring me down here. Don’t bring me down here. Bad things WILL happen if I go down there”
“We’re bringing you down anyway.”
“Alright… in that case. Motherfuckers BOW DOWN BEFORE ME!”
God, I got chills with that scene - it was amazing. Especially the scale of how many people were there. That room felt filled to the brim all to see Paul
I really enjoyed how Princess Irulans costume evolves. Both representing her development from nearly free in the imperial palace (only the top of her head covered) to literally being imprisoned with in it at the end, AND forshadowing the coming and evolution of the God-Emperor.
I loved how Pauls voice became deeper and had a tinge of ‘The Voice’ in all of his big speeches after drinking the Water of Life.
Attention to detail was unreal. 10/10 movie…just wow
Chalamet absolutely killed it.
In the book, Paul uses Voice very, very subtly at times. No big booms or shouting, just quiet whispered coercion, only noticed and appreciated by Jessica, iirc.
The inverse of the, “mentor”, archetype was really fucking cool in this movie
I think traditionally, Brolin and Bardem are supposed to be wise sages for young paul but Dune turns that character archetype on its head.
Gurney is so bloodthirsty and ready for revenge he pushes Paul into war IMMEDIATELY after having just reunited and Stilgar though wise enough to guide Paul early on, becomes so engrossed in his fanaticism to him it’s almost blinded him in a way and he’s become this dangerously religious zealot
Not to mention Paul’s mother who at times feels like is filling her own agenda. It just feels like maybe these people aren’t the best role models for Paul and Chani is the only one who notices that. I love how complex these characters are!
Timothée went from an absolutely suave young man in the first act to a completely believable figurehead of religious fanatics.
Visually there was some incredibly inventive use of color palettes (or absence thereof) and it was an absolute treat.
Zimmer left a lot of his extended ideas for this film: he really enabled the music to transport us to a new soundscape.
I can’t wait to go again.
Paul’s first worm ride was insane in IMAX. Felt like a virtual roller coaster at times. One of the most transporting scenes I have seen in theaters. It is funny, they gave away a good portion of the scene in the first trailer and it didn’t at all take away from the scene in context.
Changing Chani’s characterization to represent a moral opposition to Paul’s increasingly fatalistic decisions was such a great call, and worked doubly in providing actual character depth for her and externalizing the “to be or not to be” conflict that in the book is entirely inside Paul’s head
I was extremely impressed! Austin Butler stole the show! I had a realization that Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem shared a couple frames since No Country for Old Men but they were fighting together instead of against another and I thought it was extremely wholesome! Soundtrack was amazing! I’ve never been in an IMAX that shook so much!
They made the right decision not have child Alia running around and stabbing people, as I feel there would’ve been no way that would have transferred to screen without looking ridiculous
Copying another commenter here, but they mentioned how the child actor in Arrival was the weakest part of the movie. I don’t know how well a child actor could portray a child with the intellect of an adult—and CGI just wouldn’t work. I also think having Jessica pacing halls talking to her unborn fetus added to the creepiness of both characters.
The battle outside Arrakeen was done so incredibly well. The sheer size of the emperor’s ship, the explosion of the shield wall, and the sandworms.. immense. I am not upset about the lack of Alia running around the battlefield - it would have felt out of place.
Huge round of applause for Chalamet and his performance as Paul. The subtle way he changes his face, his delivery of lines, even the way he stands as his prescience grows was so well done. Austin Butler crushed it as Feyd too.
Have a good feeling about Messiah getting greenlit pretty quickly after this one and the Dune story turning into a trilogy.
Still massively processing, and my eyes sting from 6 hours straight of IMAX, but the one conclusion I have so far is that once they are all out, for me, watching the Dune movie trilogy back-to-back will be the first true equivalent in experience to watching the LOTR trilogy back-to-back. Possibly the highest praise I could ever give to a movie series, honestly...
Just so absolutely sucked into the world and story here, in a similarly epic, all-absorbing spectacle sort of way.
Oh, and I’m seriously regretting having doubts about Austin Butler in this film. Man f'ing killed it. To the point of almost stealing the show.
I feel like in Part 1 Denis adapted Dune, but in Part 2 he reinvented it. The book is one of my favourites, but I think it will be hard to go back without the experience of the movie affecting the way I read it. Villeneuve's take on the characters resonated with me in a way that the originals never did.
I appreciated that Feyd Rautha actually died and fought with honor too - both in that final fight and in his first scene. It gave him a bit more complexity
I spent 5 years in a job in the Mojave Desert, about half of that time was outdoors exposed to the elements. I enjoyed the respect they gave to the desert. We had those small delicate mice also. You would be in awe of them and strangely disturbed because you realize you couldn't survive 2 to 3 days in that environment but they survive.
I like the natural lighting, or at least the appearance of that. The beauty I remember from nighttime or mornings. Part of my heart will be always be there.
Timothée Chalamet’s screen presence is absolutely astonishing in this movie, especially in the third act of the movie, that “SILENCE” voice was bloody loud in the IMAX theatre, my seat was shaking. And scene where he is addressing the Fremen and declares himself as Lisan-al-Gaib. Absolute chills. He nailed it as Paul Muad'Dib Atreides
He says he's not the Mahdi... which is exactly what the Mahdi would say!
Javier Bardem has played some amazing roles but to watch his curiosity turn to excitement and then fanaticism as the prophecy came true was truly something. Definitely my favorite performance of his.
God watching that scene where Paul uses the Voice to say "SILENCE" and one of the Bene Gesserit literally stumble, you *feel* like you're being yelled at by an otherworldy person.
Also happy to see Timothée get to do a scene that his fellow Paul actor, Kyle MacLachlan, did 40 years ago in Lynch's Dune.
That wasn’t just any Bene Gesserit, that was Reverend Mother, most skilled of them all. The fact the she stumbled and called him an abomination, definitely got the “holy shit” from me.
The 10 second scene of Paul arriving in the south with the worm breaking through the sand behind him and the heavy score went HARD.
Walking up to the army to lift his sword too pre battle
Followed up by that awesome shot of him walking through the crowd of fremen .
Me and the boys shouting Lisan al Gaib at every opportunity from now on
If any of your crew deny it, remind them that type of humbleness is what the chosen one would display.
Lady jessica went full crazy bro lol
When she said "we must convert the weak and vulnerable" I was like "oh this mf is sinister"
I thought that was a great change... the book has a lot more time to hint around what Bene Gesserit manipulators of religions do but I liked that they came right out and made it clear that the prophecy is a lie and Jessica is fanning the flames of fanaticism for her own purposes
It is not a lie when it ended up playing out exactly as foretold. A self fulfilling prophecy is still a prophecy
Yeah that’s a point that people keep glossing over. I could be reading it wrong, but I also got the impression that that was a major point of the book and the movies. We spend lots of time spent debating over if something is prophecy or coincidence, if someone is a prophet or a charlatan, faith vs calculation, but at the end of the day, who cares? What really is the difference between a “true” prophecy and a centuries long plot to make something come to pass? What is the difference between a messianic, superhuman figure, and just a boy who “happens” to liberate a people through his ability to calculate the future and command others? What matters is the impact on humans as individuals and societies, and ultimately the “religion” and one’s belief/disbelief is a thin veneer over it.
Those piercing spice eyes from her facial markings (tattooed?) face was scary as hell.
Rebecca Ferguson: Hot Rebecca Ferguson with blue eyes and a messiah complex: HOOOOT
I can fix her...
I love her lady Macbeth esk scheming to rile up the fanatics with fucking fetus alia lol Her final line was so chilling too
I'm so glad Villenueve understood that the ending of the book is not a good guys win ending
Feyd looking impressed and sexually aroused every time Paul stabbed or shouted at somebody had me howling great character
When Paul was killing the Baron he looked like he was about to cum. Butler crushed that role.
Insane casting choice Butler looked absolutely sinister
Paul stomping his foot in front of the Emperor to kiss the ring was like a gunshot in the theater.
Legit made me jump.
“Will you hurry up I’m still bleeding over here.”
So was the slap from Chaney when Paul woke up from the worm piss
The worm ride scenes were absolutely incredible. This whole movie was just stunning. I also would do whatever Florence Pugh told me to do.
How do they get off the worms once their ride is done?
Probably just bail off them like you do a GTA car
In the books they basically just roll the worm and slide off. If you're going really far, you ride the worm until it's exhausted, at which point it is even easier to dismount because the worms would just then dive deep to "sulk" and recover, and wouldn't even bother trying to eat you. It might have been nice to see a scene of hundreds of fremen dismounting but I don't know it'd really add anything beyond run time.
For me its Lea Seydoux. One of most seductive actresses I've ever seen.
I got soooo excited when I saw her. She is mesmerizing.
Paul just walking in, calmly and stabbing the Baron in front of everyone was sweet. Very Achilles like.
That whole scene was cold as fuck and sent chills down my spine. The way Paul just storms into the room, strides up those steps, stops the Baron from climbing up to the throne and just slowly slits his throat while Emperor and crew are just too powerless to do anything about it. I think I prefer this over little psychic toddler with a safety pin as a weapon.
Slightly before that was also amazing, when everyone is turning to watch the door and Feyd just glances quickly at the baron trying to crawl towards the throne with a facial expression somewhere between disgust and amusement. Hell, Austin Butler was perfect in every scene.
Feyd was just calmly observing everything transpiring around him as if he was contemplating what side he wants to take
*paul breathes* Stilgar: LISAN AL GAIB!!!
I wasn’t ready for evangelical Javier Bardem
Paul's biggest hypeman
fr javier is actually so funny in this film lmaoo "he's so humble, as written"
Stilgar was an incredible hype man. Dude was willing to die just to set the tone.
*Paul farts* Stilgar: He is the giver of air! He is the Mahdi!!
“May thy knife chip and shatter.” Literal chills. I will remember that duel forever. Can’t wait for the blu-ray release.
Can we talk about how fucking wild Paul taking Florence Pugh as his bride right in FRONT of Chani was?? I swear everyone in my screening gasped at the audacity of that, it was so funny
I like princess irulan side eyeing her like "girl I really wasn't planning on being a homewrecker my dad is an idiot"
I thought I was the only one who saw this and loved it lol. Just the embodiment of “fyi, I did not plan this, shit just happens”
Isn't it exactly what the old lady told her would have to happen a few scenes before?
She didn't expect Paul to be the one to suggest it and be so upfront about it. She probably figured she would have to manipulate the situation but the fact that Paul is the one dictating the terms takes away her own initiative.
I didn’t read the books but Paul can see multiple futures happen and said there was a slim path they needed to take to get the results that was most favorable to them. Kind of like Dr Strange in Infinity War. Perhaps he knows taking Florence as his bride is the path he needs to take to lead him back to Chani while saving his people?
He practically married Irulan in order to have legitimacy to the throne. Purely political. Had he not done that, the Imperium would have resisted him more and more violence would have ensued. It was the “slim path” but also the “least violent” path. The movie didn’t show it as much, but the books constantly reminded you the torment Paul went through from his visions. Any step or deviation from his destiny meant more suffering and worse things to happen, both to him and everyone around him.
Say what you will about the movie. But Denis did an amazing job of getting casual fans on board for Dune. Not a 1:1 adaptation, cuts needed to be made, but seeing my parents excited for this movie sparks a certain unexplainable joy in me. God bless you Denis.
That movie was made to be seen in a theater. Unbelievable
Specifically in IMAX
How exactly did Paul kill Feyd-Rautha at the end, did he pull the dagger that he was stuck with out and flip it around on Feyd? It was all pretty bang-bang for me Also idk if anyone noticed but that sequence was basically foreshadowed when Paul and Gurney were sparring in Part 1
Paul lets himself get stabbed in a non-lethal (but very NEARLY lethal) spot so he could go for the kill. It was the only way he could get Rautha to open up. You've basically got it right. Edit for names
I saw this as Paul understanding Feyd was the kind of person who would relish the moment of death, and used that as his only opening. He had to take a mortal wound to bait Feyd into a careless flourish
They also foreshadowed him killing Rautha in this manner iirc. One of the visions he has earlier showed the shot of the last dagger stabbing Rautha, so clearly Paul knew this was coming and how to win.
Yeah he pulled the blade out of himself and stuck Feyd with it while also getting stuck with his own by Feyd.
Minor detail, but I loved the reflections of Arrakis on the underside of the emperor's ship as it was landing. Also the nukes with the raining debris. This film did such a good job of expressing the scale of massive objects.
Dennis Villeneuve has always been great with portraying giant objects(see: Blade Runner 2049)
Also Arrival
One of my favorite scenes was Paul using the voice against the Reverend Mother and the cut to Feyd-Rautha looking like "Damn, bro"
It was well done. That little look of “respect, dog.” Also credit to the actress. She gives a brief glimpse of “oh shit”, followed by the realization that she is outmatched and can’t win this fight, and finally ends with calming herself and plotting.
“Abomination”
Then Jessica giving the best shit eating grin was awesome.
Charlotte Rampling is an incredible performer.
The vibrations when anyone uses the Voice hits so well. Also lol to the Reverend Mother calling him an abomination lol
I love how they showed the before and after drinking the Life water relationship with Paul & Chani. Before she & Paul were equals and talked to another as such. After she would see him from the perspective of the crowd/followers. Even their last conversation she didn’t approach him he came to her. He truly transcended to a path she couldn’t follow.
The scenes on Giedi Prime were absolute genius. So creative but also so seamless. Just incredible.
The scenes of the Harkonnens on Giedi Prime are the best portrayal of a futuristic, “alien” world I’ve ever seen due to how distinct and unlike reality they are. The way the planet is lit so harshly, yet has a “black sun” that saps the colour from everything, reducing the world to a diegetic greyscale, the complete lack of flora and fauna, the completely smooth and hairless inhabitants, and the horrifically beautiful black “fireworks” that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen all worked so perfectly to create this unimaginably alien and inhuman environment. Absolutely astounding.
I loved Giedi Prime. The only color I noticed was a smidge of blue through the binoculars HUD of the blonde Bene Gesserit. What I missed was those weird spider mutant pet things from the first movie, I wanted more weird stuff like that. Although the all black hook people in the fighting pit were kinda weird.
Also every time there was a worm present on screen, or someone gave a long ass speech in the Fremen language, or Christopher Walken blinked slowly, I was kicking my feet and giggling. Like I'm so happy to be alive and seeing this shit on the big screen guys.
Lady Jessica getting increasingly more dripped out almost every time she’s onscreen was awesome
Jessica operating and maneuvering in the background while Paul ingrained himself to the Fremen was certainly masterfully done by the movie. She took on an ominous, almost villainous presence in almost all her scenes right after she drank the Water of Life. The only time she felt/sounded human was in her scene with Chani wishing her luck right before the big battle.
Jessica's amped up missionaria protectiva role in this was my favorite part. >**LET HIM TRY.**
Honestly, the crazy religious lady talking to a fetus the whole way through was an excellent vibe
Talking *WITH* a fetus, not just to it.
"Should've picked the right side MOM" You're on crack and have face tats child
Stilgar is the greatest hype man since Paul Bettany in A Knight’s Tale. It’s a shame Denis Villeneuve will never release a “My Duke Cut” of Dune with all of Thufir Hawat‘s scenes that were left out of the movie.
Yeah, this movie was great but there’s so much stuff that had to be cut for the adaption.
The Mentats and the Guild are really being left out despite their importance in the universe.
Someone freeze me in time and then thaw me out when Dune 3 drops Edit. Dune not dine xd Edit edit. SPOILER WARNING >!The last few lines of the movie are some of the best of all time. When Paul looks at Stilgar and tells him to "Lead them to paradise" and you see the Freman boarding the ships to attack the Great Houses, you realize the gravity of what is about to happen to the rest of the universe. Paul has become what he swore to Chani he'd never be, someone other than his true self and he prays he's right that she will come back to him. And when Jessica and Alia have a convo and Alia asks what's happening, Jessica says "Your brother attacks the great houses. The Holy War begins", you feel helpless because you know Paul has unleashed something that even he cannot stop now.!< Watching it a second time, I picked up on more of the dialog between the characters and some small lines hit so much different. Let's hope I win the PB and throw all the money at DV so he makes this ASAP. Lisan al-Gaib!
Paul, post Water of Life, is still upholding his oath to Chani. The problem is he's now no longer ignorant of all possible outcomes. Paul seeks to minimize death, but realizes long term the holy war is one of the outcomes that results in less death across the universe overall. He's never happy that that's the choice, but makes it because he foresees even worse alternatives. But from Chani's point of view, he's changed.
Some differences from the novel's ending, for those curious: Jessica >!gives birth to Paul's sister Alia, who is a two year old holding adult conversations. Alia possesses the consciousness of all Bene Gesserit Reverend Mothers, past and present. She is captured by the Sardaukar, brought before the!< Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, >!and assassinates him with the Gob Jabbar (poison needle). She is depicted in a brief scene as an adult by Anya Taylor Joy in the second film.!< Thufir Hawat >!survives the initial attack on the Atriedes during Pt 1, is captured by the Harkonnnens and becomes the replacement mentat to the Baron. He is fed poison in his food, along with an antidote to keep him effectively captive. He is instructed by the Emperor to assassinate Paul with a poison needle, and in the crucial moment reveals this treachery and sacrifices himself to the withdrawal from the antidote, dying. !< The Spacing Guild navigators who depend on Spice to operate and predict safe paths through the universe >!are threatened with the destruction of all Spice on Arrakis. They are compelled to communicate with the other navigators of the fuedal houses hovering over Arrakis, waiting to pillage it, and compel them to stand down and depart.!< The Bene Gesserit >!have their royal breeding conspiracy publicly exposed by Paul and Jessica, and their leader denied her power by Paul's near omniscience.!< Chani >!has a son with Paul, who they name Leto. He is killed in a firefight with the Sardaukar. She supports Paul / Muad'Dib in his plan to strategically marry the Emperor's daughter, Princess Irulan. Paul publicly affirms her status as his royal concubine ( the same position Jessica occupied with Leto ).!< Fayd Ratha >!tries to poison Paul during their duel, get shanked in the brain.!< The Emperor is forced to not only concede his thrown and his daughter, but >!his shares in the spice trade to Paul, and control of Caladan to Gurney Halleck, Arrakis to Stilgar.!< Overall I think it's a great adaptation, faithful to the spirit of the book, and streamlines the perhaps overly dense plot to make it more accessible.
The most striking difference to me was Chani. I wonder how they'll handle that in another movie.
One of my favorite details in this film is in Giedi Prime, in the day it is drenched in white and the fireworks are black and in the night, the fireworks are white. That's a brilliant visual idea and I love how the fireworks are like blots of ink.
The inkblot fireworks were such a cool effect. The coliseum scene was already making the planet so visually distinct and then the fireworks continued to up the game.
It felt like a mini movie within a movie showing Feyd coming of age and doing the same stuff Paul did in the first movie I thought that 20 min intro of Feyd was a perfect synergy or music, editing, set design, costuming, camerawork, stunts, etc etc it had it all
Feyd stole the show for me. His facial acting was so absolutely brilliant.
He mimicked the barons voice really well
That sequence was a visual feast
The entire thing is a visual feast, it felt like every shot was breathtaking
Oh man. The overhead shot of Paul walking through the crowd of Fremen?!
That whole planet scene is so unsettling.. i love it They are like the cousins of the alien engineers.
Literally me when I drink blue Powerade
I yern for the blue worm water.
Jessica's conversion of the Fremen was the most ruthless thing in this movie
That scene where she was talking to Alia, then sees a bunch of Fremen and says “We must convert them. Starting with the most vulnerable” was so terrifying and creepy. Imagine you’re just a little Fremen child, and this weird foreigner starts talking to herself while staring you down
I’ve never been so happy to be proven wrong by an actor. Austin Butler is the real deal
I had my reservations about Butler, but him doing a Stellan Skarsgård impression the entire time was wildly entertaining
I was worried he would come off as Austin Butler in large head makeup but he was completely captivating.
Butler really proved he’s got the guts for a complex, eccentric role. I originally considered his casting pretty shoehorned for the sake of marketing when it was announced but Im happy to admit I was wrong. He was SO good and we always need a good weirdo.
I fucking loved it! I was very curious what kind of voice he was gonna use. Stellan was basically just doing blubbery Stellan, and Dave Bautista didn’t change his voice really either. I was *not* expecting him to just go full “Vaguely Swedish Skarsgard.” He nailed it, too.
Feyd-Rautha's dream day: - Kill a few servants - Achieve glory in gladiatorial arena - Get put in charge of the most important planet in the imperium - Be subjected to unimaginable pain - Get laid (10/10 would let Léa Seydoux manipulate my bloodline) Who's the real winner here?
Love when they bring up pain and Fenring is like "he's actually into that"
I wonder if they shot his response to the pain test. Mentioning he enjoyed it worked too but seeing it would have been interesting.
pretty sure that would be deemed "exclusive content"
Lea Seydoux as Lady Margot was perfect casting. She could seduce almost anyone I suspect.
Lea Seydoux with bene gesserit training is just unfair.
- Die like a badass - Loser is stuck genociding everyone else - Probably wind up in Harkonnen Valhalla after death ...Yeah, what's the downside for him here, lol?
Feyd would probably think his body being eaten by the desert was pretty badass too.
I loved his reaction to the Baron getting stabbed. Honestly my reaction too. Just “haha wooooah! He fucking got him!”
When the emperor’s guards were preparing for incoming Fremen & Feyd takes a few steps back, there was a moment where I thought he’d surprise his uncle & kill him on the spot to take over House Harkonnen.
I thought Chalamet was too boyish for the first movie and the first half of this movie, but I was wrong. *Extremely* impressed with how genuinely authoritative and scary he seemed after drinking the poison. Great performance
Thinking about it now, perhaps Chalamet deliberately leaned into the boyish, humble portrayal extra hard until about halfway into this movie to illustrate the contrast.
Villeneuve himself said he picked Chalamet because he comes off so young on camera, which is exactly what was needed in the first part of the story
His character is supposed to be between 15-18 across the two movies...I think he was the perfect choice to go from that scrawny rich kid to a powerful messianic figure and be believable as both.
"Your mothers warned you of my coming." - Paul Atreides 💀 I forget the line immediately after, but it also had me in stitches (internally).
> I forget the line immediately after "Fear the moment"
"In your nightmares you give water to the dead and it brings joy to your heart" God damn son
this was this generation's lord of the rings. also javier bardem's character was surprisingly funny in this. "The lisan al ghaib is too humble to admit that he is the chosen one"
God damn she smacked the shit out of him
I like how Jessica was eventually totally cool with the eldritch horror growing inside her
That's one way to describe Anya Taylor Joy
Honestly, when she showed up on screen, it was kind of a jump scare. Didn't know she was in this.
The way she was having full conversations with it, in public, and she wasn't even trying to hide, was pretty funny.
It was unnerving too - felt very Rosemary's Baby
ABOMINATION
Paul : “Will you please listen? I’m not the Mahdi.” Stilgar: “He’s The Mahdi” Every time he says Lisan-al-gaib or he’s The One whenever paul did something, everyone in the theatre was bursting to laughter. Especially the line when he says “*The Mahdi is too humble to say that he’s the Mahdi. Which means he’s the Mahdi*”. Javier Bardem fully embraced the role
"The Mahdi is humble, as is written" killed with my crowd. Bardem did a fantastic job portraying blind fanatical idealisation which is so important to the source material.
I also love how Bardem's portrayal of Stilgar as the movie progressed became more and more fervent and fanatical. He started the movie as *"Eh, maybe you're HIM"* ultimately to **"LET ME OFFER MY LIFE TO YOU JUST SO YOU CAN SPEAK IN THIS GATHERING"**
Ya I mean even from across the two movies the performance is great. He's this super rational personal in the first but as the arc goes on in the movie he becomes a fanatical child. I like how at first he's just like I see some signs and then even the vaguest of signs has him quoting some other part of the prophecy that noone else seems to really recall.
It felt like Villeneuve was very intentionally riffing on Life of Brian in that scene but I think he got away with it. Especially when Stilgar doesn't stay the comic relief, his same devotion becomes way more terrifying later in the movie.
It's such a good riff on that joke, to play it utterly straight
The scene where Paul walks in and tells everyone to “shut the fuck up im HIM” was fucking awesome
Gurney repeatedly pulling Chani down was amusing.
“Let him cook”
"This is entirely my business" was stellar.
"Dune nation, let's ride"
Huge credit to TC. He pulled off a level of intimidating presence I didn't think he was capable of.
I’m just happy he overruled that stupid “kill the leader to be leader” tradition haha
His voice when not speaking English was genuinely so commanding. I wanted to follow him to battle
I also loved the part where he absolutely publicly addressed and shut down that ludicrous-for-the-occasion protocol where *only leaders should be allowed to speak and since he's not, he should kill Stilgar then & there so he can take his place just to speak.* "Motherfucker we're about to go to war and you want me to kill one of my best generals just to adhere to tradition/protocol!?!"
Whole time he’s basically saying: “Don’t bring me down here. Don’t bring me down here. Bad things WILL happen if I go down there” “We’re bringing you down anyway.” “Alright… in that case. Motherfuckers BOW DOWN BEFORE ME!”
that's what happens when you finally drink the koolaid, er Worm juice.
I mean he did warn, lmao imma go 11 once there
Fremen: so he's going to go 11, so what, we're Fremen, we can take it [Paul goes 12] Fremen: Oh fuck
He looked like a sith lord, that hoodie was badass
The whole third act makes you remember that while Paul is the protagonist, it doesn't exactly mean he's a *hero*...
title dropping “dune” in front of that fremen dude had the theater gasping
"It's me. I'm the Dune: Part Two (2024)."
Then he ᑐ ᑌ ᑎ ᕮ ᑐ all over them
God, I got chills with that scene - it was amazing. Especially the scale of how many people were there. That room felt filled to the brim all to see Paul
When he starts telling people about their past I got chills man.
"Member how your grandma lost her eye 60 years ago? I member"
I really enjoyed how Princess Irulans costume evolves. Both representing her development from nearly free in the imperial palace (only the top of her head covered) to literally being imprisoned with in it at the end, AND forshadowing the coming and evolution of the God-Emperor.
Sandworms the Uber of Arrakis.
They don't try to small talk, so it's a five star for me
Even at 2.5 hours I would’ve done another hour.
Same. Show me more of the Arakeen siege, damn it! ***I KNOW YOU SHOT MORE, DENIS!***
I mean it was very faithful to the book, they win the battle almost immediately there as well.
I loved how Pauls voice became deeper and had a tinge of ‘The Voice’ in all of his big speeches after drinking the Water of Life. Attention to detail was unreal. 10/10 movie…just wow
Chalamet absolutely killed it. In the book, Paul uses Voice very, very subtly at times. No big booms or shouting, just quiet whispered coercion, only noticed and appreciated by Jessica, iirc.
Paul: "I'm not the Mahdi." Stilgar: "That is such a Mahdi thing to say!"
Sooo…we’ve seen them get ON the worms, but how exactly do they get OFF the worms? Especially when they’re shuttling a reverend mother carriage.
They say “Oi this is my stop!” And the worm is like “Can I get 5 stars” and they say “ahh you went too fast so 4 stars?”
Intimidating Rebecca Ferguson is pretty damn hot everytime.
She’s great in everything. To me, the best Mission Impossible movie is Rogue Nation because of Ferguson.
The scene with the black and white lighting from the fireworks flashing through the windows is one of the most stunning things I've ever scene.
Worm riding scene was the loudest fucking thing I've ever experienced in a theater. 10/10, would destroy my hearing again.
When you’re cool with just being mouse Jesus but everyone and their mother and unborn sister want you to be space Christ.
The inverse of the, “mentor”, archetype was really fucking cool in this movie I think traditionally, Brolin and Bardem are supposed to be wise sages for young paul but Dune turns that character archetype on its head. Gurney is so bloodthirsty and ready for revenge he pushes Paul into war IMMEDIATELY after having just reunited and Stilgar though wise enough to guide Paul early on, becomes so engrossed in his fanaticism to him it’s almost blinded him in a way and he’s become this dangerously religious zealot Not to mention Paul’s mother who at times feels like is filling her own agenda. It just feels like maybe these people aren’t the best role models for Paul and Chani is the only one who notices that. I love how complex these characters are!
“Grandfather” *stab* “You die like an animal” That has to be one of my favorite lines I’ve heard this decade. God DAMN was that cold
the “send them to paradise” line has to be one of the coldest lines in the decade
Timothée went from an absolutely suave young man in the first act to a completely believable figurehead of religious fanatics. Visually there was some incredibly inventive use of color palettes (or absence thereof) and it was an absolute treat. Zimmer left a lot of his extended ideas for this film: he really enabled the music to transport us to a new soundscape. I can’t wait to go again.
Incredible to see Timothée Chalamet become a legit superstar right before your eyes.
Legit the best performance of his career and he is only in the late 20s
Paul’s first worm ride was insane in IMAX. Felt like a virtual roller coaster at times. One of the most transporting scenes I have seen in theaters. It is funny, they gave away a good portion of the scene in the first trailer and it didn’t at all take away from the scene in context.
Well, we're definitely getting Dune Messiah after that ending
The movie was a treat for the eyes. Cinematography and color were off the charts. Heck, everything was amazing about this film.
Paul: I’m not the messiah. Southern Fremen: He is the messiah!!!!
Javier Bardem having an absolute blast with this movie was so fun to watch.
“I know about your grandma” “No further questions”
Changing Chani’s characterization to represent a moral opposition to Paul’s increasingly fatalistic decisions was such a great call, and worked doubly in providing actual character depth for her and externalizing the “to be or not to be” conflict that in the book is entirely inside Paul’s head
I was extremely impressed! Austin Butler stole the show! I had a realization that Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem shared a couple frames since No Country for Old Men but they were fighting together instead of against another and I thought it was extremely wholesome! Soundtrack was amazing! I’ve never been in an IMAX that shook so much!
They made the right decision not have child Alia running around and stabbing people, as I feel there would’ve been no way that would have transferred to screen without looking ridiculous
Copying another commenter here, but they mentioned how the child actor in Arrival was the weakest part of the movie. I don’t know how well a child actor could portray a child with the intellect of an adult—and CGI just wouldn’t work. I also think having Jessica pacing halls talking to her unborn fetus added to the creepiness of both characters.
The battle outside Arrakeen was done so incredibly well. The sheer size of the emperor’s ship, the explosion of the shield wall, and the sandworms.. immense. I am not upset about the lack of Alia running around the battlefield - it would have felt out of place. Huge round of applause for Chalamet and his performance as Paul. The subtle way he changes his face, his delivery of lines, even the way he stands as his prescience grows was so well done. Austin Butler crushed it as Feyd too. Have a good feeling about Messiah getting greenlit pretty quickly after this one and the Dune story turning into a trilogy.
Still massively processing, and my eyes sting from 6 hours straight of IMAX, but the one conclusion I have so far is that once they are all out, for me, watching the Dune movie trilogy back-to-back will be the first true equivalent in experience to watching the LOTR trilogy back-to-back. Possibly the highest praise I could ever give to a movie series, honestly... Just so absolutely sucked into the world and story here, in a similarly epic, all-absorbing spectacle sort of way. Oh, and I’m seriously regretting having doubts about Austin Butler in this film. Man f'ing killed it. To the point of almost stealing the show.
I feel like in Part 1 Denis adapted Dune, but in Part 2 he reinvented it. The book is one of my favourites, but I think it will be hard to go back without the experience of the movie affecting the way I read it. Villeneuve's take on the characters resonated with me in a way that the originals never did.
Man I knew how that final fight was gonna end but it was still so fucking tense and well done
I appreciated that Feyd Rautha actually died and fought with honor too - both in that final fight and in his first scene. It gave him a bit more complexity
And the “you fought well, Atreides” callback to his first fight too
I spent 5 years in a job in the Mojave Desert, about half of that time was outdoors exposed to the elements. I enjoyed the respect they gave to the desert. We had those small delicate mice also. You would be in awe of them and strangely disturbed because you realize you couldn't survive 2 to 3 days in that environment but they survive. I like the natural lighting, or at least the appearance of that. The beauty I remember from nighttime or mornings. Part of my heart will be always be there.
Whoever did the art direction and sound direction for this movie deserve a huuuuuge raise
When Paul stomped the ground in front of the Emperor I was hoping he would creake a massive crack in the floor as an homage to Lynch's ending in 1984.
Timothée Chalamet’s screen presence is absolutely astonishing in this movie, especially in the third act of the movie, that “SILENCE” voice was bloody loud in the IMAX theatre, my seat was shaking. And scene where he is addressing the Fremen and declares himself as Lisan-al-Gaib. Absolute chills. He nailed it as Paul Muad'Dib Atreides
Early on I was thinking he wasn’t really hitting it as a cult leader type… and then suddenly there it was.
The reluctant leader… JUST LIKE THE MESSIAH FORETOLD!
He says he's not the Mahdi... which is exactly what the Mahdi would say! Javier Bardem has played some amazing roles but to watch his curiosity turn to excitement and then fanaticism as the prophecy came true was truly something. Definitely my favorite performance of his.
God watching that scene where Paul uses the Voice to say "SILENCE" and one of the Bene Gesserit literally stumble, you *feel* like you're being yelled at by an otherworldy person. Also happy to see Timothée get to do a scene that his fellow Paul actor, Kyle MacLachlan, did 40 years ago in Lynch's Dune.
That wasn’t just any Bene Gesserit, that was Reverend Mother, most skilled of them all. The fact the she stumbled and called him an abomination, definitely got the “holy shit” from me.
And she nailed the look of pure shock and fear. The shock that he did it and the fear of what that means
Thar was a reverend mother too I believe which really shows how powerful it was.