Dune 2: Does it get better?
Dune: Part Two isn’t just a sequel, it’s a cinematic landmark. Denis Villeneuve returns to Arrakis with a film that feels bigger than the screen it's projected on, yet more intimate than most dramas. With sweeping cinematography, haunting sound design, and meticulous world-building, the movie transcends the sci-fi genre entirely. Where Part One was slow and deliberate, Part Two strikes with full force, marrying explosive war sequences with quiet, harrowing emotion. Timothée Chalamet’s transformation into Paul Atreides, both messiah and eventual tyrant, is magnetic and unsettling. Zendaya brings weight and grounding to Chani, no longer just a vision but the voice of resistance. Every performance, from Florence Pugh’s veiled caution to Austin Butler’s eerie, sadistic Feyd-Rautha, pulses with danger and depth. There’s no hand-holding here, Villeneuve expects his audience to pay attention, to absorb the politics, the prophecy, and the price of power.
And yet, despite its box office success and critical acclaim, Dune: Part Two still feels underrated. In a pop culture landscape where flash is often mistaken for depth, this film dares to be both mythic and meditative. It doesn’t just entertain, it confronts. The story is layered with commentary on religious fanaticism, colonialism, and the seduction of destiny, all told with a level of restraint that’s rare in blockbuster filmmaking. Villeneuve resists the temptation to glorify his protagonist, instead showing Paul as both savior and destroyer. That kind of nuance is what makes Dune: Part Two so revolutionary, it doesn’t simplify, it challenges. It’s the kind of film that lingers, revealing more with each watch. While it may not dominate social media chatter like other franchises, Dune’s legacy will outlast them. This isn’t just sci-fi. This is cinema with teeth.
The score of Dune: Part Two, composed by Hans Zimmer, is a sweeping, otherworldly masterpiece that deepens the film’s epic scale and emotional gravity. Blending haunting vocals, tribal drums, and futuristic soundscapes, Zimmer crafts a sonic world that feels both ancient and alien. His use of tension-building motifs and thunderous crescendos perfectly mirrors Paul Atreides’ internal struggle and the brutal power shifts on Arrakis. The music doesn’t just accompany the visuals, it elevates them, making every scene feel mythic and visceral.
Written by: Daniela Amaya
