Dune 2 First Reactions Are In
Here's what critics are saying about Dune: Part Two!
Dune: Part Two is one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year and for good reason. With Frank Herbert‘s world of scheming, manipulations, combat, prophecies, and drug-induced dreaming comes to life in the desert sands of Villeneuve’s movie. But that film ended on a cliffhanger, with Timothy Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, the promised messiah of Arrakis, taking only his first steps toward his destiny.
The sequel, then, is the story of Paul’s rise to power, as he must rally the Fremen for his war against House Harkonnen after the destruction of his own great house. It’s also the story of his love affair with a more direct role in the events of the story than she did in the books.
There are of course a few Dune Messiah, which the director hopes to make down the line.
“The Dune book ends with the beginning of something that is out of control, and I thought this was a very powerful ending. I feel that both movies complete the adaptation of the book, and I feel very good about that. When people ask me, is there a world where I could do Messiah? Yes…” the director recently told Vanity Fair. But don’t expect that third movie any time soon. According to Variety, Villeneuve confirmed last December during a press conference that the script “is not finished. It will take a little time.”
That said, while we have a bit of a wait ahead of us for the true end of this sci-fi trilogy, we don’t have to wait to hear what critics think about Dune: Part Two. With the world premiere and press screenings taking place this week, we finally have some first reactions to give us an idea of how Villeneuve fared the second time around on Arrakis. Spoilers: things are looking good for a third film as far as critics are concerned. Let’s just hope the movie gets the box office returns to match…
You can read what critics are saying about the film below:
Dune: Part Two opens in theaters on March 1. You can check out the full schedule of movies coming in 2024 here.
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John Saavedra is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Den of Geek. He lives in New York City with his two cats.