March 8th - Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024)

Dune - 2.5/5, Dune: Part Two - 3.5/5

I wasn't originally planning on watching Dune, but when my best friend came to me saying people were calling Part Two better than the original Star Wars trilogy, we knew we had to investigate the subjective truth of this claim. (Answer: it's not.) I do not know how much there is to be said for the accuracy of this adaptation, I haven't read Dune and don't plan to. Coming into the franchise with fresh eyes, I felt best equipped to form an opinion about it both narratively and in its construction.

The first hour of Dune is sluggish. Though it sets up necessary context for the rest of the movie and the political drama especially present in Part Two, it is boring to sit through, and doesn't feel worth the payoff. There are a few interesting sequences, Paul sparring with Gurney, his test with the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother. After the Harkonnen attack Arrakis, the film becomes more enjoyable and entertaining through to its conclusion, but it feels so quick-paced in comparison to the first half it's like whiplash. We went from fighting sleep to having a hard time keeping track of what was happening, only for the movie to end abruptly on a cliffhanger. Narratively, it's fine. We were given just enough information to keep us intrigued to see the sequel, if a bit aprehensive. However, no amount of good acting can save an hour of people mostly talking to each other padded out with unecessary sweeping environmental shots in each new location.

Dune: Part Two was a more enjoyable watch by far, and put some of the exposition given in the slower parts of the first film into context, which leaves me with mixed feelings. While I appreciate that these beats were in fact relevant, I don't think it's efficient storytelling to make an audience wait a whole movie for them to make sense. Putting that aside, the pacing is much more even throughout the film, which was nice. I would have liked to see more of Paul's development and integration into Fremen society, rather than timeskipped snapshots, I don't think other aspects should have been cut to accomodate that, nor should the already bonkers runtime be extended just for some minor character work. I do feel the acting really got to shine, especially compared to the first film, but overall, I think it was just a good movie. It wasn't life-changing, and it certainly wasn't better than Empire Strikes Back.

I don't think I'm going to see the third one, but it was interesting to try an adaptation of a beloved series, even if it's not fully my thing.