The Gigantic, Glorious ‘Dune: Part Two’ Squishes Other Epics Like Ants

Everything about 2021’s Dune was colossal—except its conclusion. Closing on a cliffhanger at the very moment its tale was getting started, Denis Villeneuve’s 155-minute epic couldn’t escape the fact that, for all its breathtaking strengths, it was a prologue in need of a follow-up. That now arrives with Dune: Part Two (March 1, in theaters), a dense and action-heavy sequel that estimably expands this titanic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s landmark 1965 sci-fi novel. Boasting a gargantuan aesthetic design that demands to be experienced on the biggest screen possible, as well as an ambitious and exhilarating story that matches its style, it’s not only the finest thing Villeneuve has helmed—it’s the 2024 film to beat for outsized sci-fi showmanship.

Just don’t expect a definitive ending.

Dune wrapped up with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) heading into the deserts of Arrakis with Chani (Zendaya)—the literal woman of his dreams—and her indigenous Fremen pals. After his father (Oscar Isaac) was assassinated, House Atreides met its downfall at the hands of the treacherous Harkonnen led by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). While bred by his witchy mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) to be the long-prophesied messiah (a status that she thinks will keep him safe), Paul cares little about being the chosen one except insofar as that reputation allows him to remain with the Fremen. He covets this not only because of his budding feelings for Chani, who doubts his divinity, but also because he’s partnering with true-believer Stilgar (Javier Bardem) to attack the Harkonnen spice-harvesting apparatus. The hope is that this will spark a conflict that will earn him a confrontation with Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), who rules alongside his daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), and Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling).

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