If you enjoyed the first Dune movie, you must see part two. If you read the first book but haven’t watched either movie, stop reading this post, buy some overpriced buttery popcorn and a fizzy soda, and watch both movies. Then come back to read this spoiler-free post.
I really enjoyed Dune Part Two today, getting to take my wife on a date and sit in a good ol’ theater with the classic snack: salty popped corn and a sweet cold drink.
As per my usual, though, I hardly touched the drink because 1) the movie is long, 2) my bladder is small, and 3) I just hate rising up in the middle of a public film and slinking off to the bathroom, potentially missing good parts.
This time, I made it through the whole 3 hours without leaving my seat. And the movie is great! Giant worms and all.
Dune Part Two sticks pretty close to the original narrative for the most part. It’s been a while since I read the book, and I honestly can’t point to any specific deviations from it, either major or minor. In fact, like the first movie, Dune 2 helped me see and understand the story better.
The quality of the storytelling, the cinematography, acting, special effects: all of it is tops. This is the big time stuff, pure “Summer Blockbuster” material, no doubt. It’s the kind of film that deserves to be experienced on the big screen. My only gripe is that the theater we were in had the Hans Zimmer score cranked up a bit too loud.
That said, the sound effects and soundtrack were impactful and fueled the epic feeling of the movie, the risks and dangers of the desert, fighting, action sequences, and death by dehydration. Oh, and giant worms.
About those worms. You know the Sarlacc pit in Return of the Jedi? Yeah, imagine that thing swimming through the desert to ingest prey. Watching Dune reminds me much of what it inspired: Star Wars.
When I first watched Dune part one, I was immediately drawn into the film’s tone and setting; something about it clicked right away. I felt like it was going to be gripping, not disappointing. I had the sense that the film’s creators took the story and its telling seriously. And Dune Part Two simply continues that good thing.
I plan to buy Dune 2 on disc when available so I can rewatch the first part and then part two again. Do yourself a favor, get some tasty snacks, wear your comfy clothes, and settle in to enjoy this fine cinematic experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment