Watched in the cinema (31st visit in 2024)

The still relatively young cinema year 2024 promises a wealth of exciting films and could become one of the most outstanding of the new millennium. Not because of a glut of productions, but on the contrary - the effects of last year's strikes are now becoming clearly visible. While the coming weeks and months will by no means be short of important titles, there is now a little more room for development compared to previous years. It is a time when one blockbuster does not follow the next, but when "Dune: Part Two" is already seen as a monumental milestone in the current cinema circus even before its release. This is partly due to its predecessor, but certainly also to the fact that the next big release is not just seven days away.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune films represent a conviction that ambitious artistic visions and entertaining blockbuster cinema are by no means incompatible concepts, but on the contrary can be mutually beneficial. After the first part possibly disillusioned parts of the audience with its open ending, the story now continues. The marketing strategy for "Dune: Part Two" is clearly defined: bigger, better, more stunning than its predecessor, which undoubtedly offered great and captivating event cinema. Nevertheless, the first part revealed that it was sometimes colder than a desert at night when it came to conveying emotions. This detached presentation may be a stylistic element, but when emotions are expressed too mechanically, it is difficult to get carried away. For the author of these lines, this remains the greatest weakness of an otherwise magnificent film.

A weakness that can also be found in the sequel. But the fact that Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya) now interact much more frequently and intensively with each other as a couple means that the sequel can contribute much more to the dystopian world in of interpersonal relationships. Nevertheless, even in the sequel, it is not the small gestures and mimicry subtleties that ignite the fire of the plot; instead, a brilliant inferno is ignited that not only makes the desert floor tremble through the fusion of images and sounds, but also makes the screen itself shake. There are sequences in the movie that evoke sensory reactions, a vibrating experience that jumps out at you. Similar to its predecessor, the same rule applies here: anyone interested in this work should experience it on the largest possible screen - "Dune: Part Two" is not a production for home cinema projectors and home sound systems, but an experience that only unfolds its full effect in the cinema.

Of course, there are numerous ways to fill a canvas. Silence and restraint can also lend an empty surface significant nuances. But such subtleties are secondary here. The film does not squander its visual opulence, but when these moments do occur, they unfold with tremendous force. They penetrate voluminously and inexorably into the center of our perception and lend the desert world a size and vibrancy that is simply overwhelming. Anyone who wasn't convinced by the epic quality of its predecessor will probably not warm to the sequel either - "Dune: Part Two" is undoubtedly a continuation of its predecessor, both in of the plot (which follows on relatively seamlessly from the abrupt end of part one) and in of the depiction of its world and characters. The latter may occasionally fall short of expectations, but given the weighty fate of Paul Atreides, this is forgivable; it's too imposing to leave room for other characters.

Nevertheless, there are moments when other characters stand out. While the reunions with Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista and Stellan Skarsgård carry less weight and new faces such as Christopher Walken as the Emperor and Florence Pugh as his daughter do not perform as well as expected, Austin Butler is convincing as Harkonnen psychopath Feyd Rautha. One of the strengths of David Lynch's not uninteresting but ultimately rather useless 1984 Dune adaptation was the monstrosity of the Harkonnens. In Lynch's film, they were truly hideous, cruel, ugly, despicable and damnable. The Harkonnens in Part Two still lack an assertive intensity of hideousness, but with Butler's performance they at least approach the level of discomfort that briefly sends a shiver down your spine.

Javier Bardem can be seen as the antithesis of this. He is the only source of some humor, but his role is much more essential in illustrating religious zeal and, at times, delusion. There are even occasional flashes of hilarity. At one point, with a lot of good will and a penchant for absurdity, a small reference to the classic The Life of Brian can even be recognized, albeit only in minimal form. Meanwhile, Zendaya makes clever use of her increased presence in front of the camera. She not only embodies Paul's emancipated lover, but also acts as an almost objective voice of reason and a fighter for her homeland. A tightrope act that she manages well, even if she occasionally seems to take on the role of the audience too far.

What was already hinted at in the first part is emphatically emphasized in the second: "Dune: Part Two" is a clear critique of religion. Less elegant, but all the more efficient, Villeneuve and his co-author Jon Spaihts trace the aorta of power. It always becomes clear that behind every intention lies the insatiable hunger for the power of others. Even the Messiah is just a tactically immensely important character. The premise of the White Savior, the good redeemer and liberator, is consistently dismantled here. Real-life experience shows that politics and faith rarely blend well together, and this realization runs like a thread through the film. Paul realizes that if he follows the Force, only horror and pain await him in the universe, and yet he is pushed into this role - by his pregnant mother (Rebecca Ferguson), the Fremen, his thirst for revenge against the Harkonnen and the supposed lack of alternatives.

Part two ends again at a crossroads for him. When part three, presumably entitled "Dune: Messiah", is released one day, it can be assumed that not much will be left of the youthful, energetic and certainly joyful Paul. The Messiah stands for hope and yet only brings destruction and pain.It is remarkable how "Dune: Part Two" formulates the criticism of clerical faith. This is by no means a matter of course for a project with a budget of this size. Of course, other blockbusters have also tried to deconstruct the Messiah myth, but the results were often well-meaning, but also cowardly and meaningless. "Dune: Part Two" takes a different approach. In addition to striving to once again bring the phenomenal desert world to life, a great deal of effort and time is also spent on realizing the greater intention of spreading the message of the story.

However, this also means that not everything feels like a rush. Unfortunately, the movie's narrative falters a little too much, especially in the first half. The narrative rhythm takes a long time to find its right beat. However, this only really matters if you are immune to the fascination for the desert world and its cultures and myths. The latter in particular presents itself as a flourishing strength of the sequel. It is less about intellectual comprehension and more about experiencing and observing - an experience that can only be fully appreciated in the cinema. A place that could be more fascinating and diverse in 2024 than it has been for a long time, but also incredibly lacking in suspense, as "Dune: Part Two" could already be one of the best and biggest blockbusters to be released in the spring.