Just Been To See…Dune 2

 

Poster. Fair use.

I’ve just been to see Dune 2. I was impressed with the first film, which was pretty faithful to the novel, though it ended, not on a cliffhanger but with “Let’s all go to the Fremen sietch!”

Have you read the novel? It took me quite a while to finish it, but I did, and consider it a classic piece of world building. I even got my copy signed by the author when he was in Melbourne after a convention in another state. We all went to Space Age Books (long gone, alas!) for a chat and some signing, crowding around his table and asking questions. I asked him if he was researching while writing or did all the research work first. I happen to be a pantser, myself, so not an unreasonable question. He said firmly that he had not written a word till he did all the other stuff. Which is probably why the world building is so good. Someone else asked who, if he was casting a film, he would choose for the role of Duke Leto Atreides, the hero’s father. He said Sean Connery, so now we know!

In case you aren’t familiar with this story, Dune is the first in a science fiction series. I’ve only read the first book. 

There is a huge Empire ruled by an Emperor and there are a number of planets ruled by Dukes. One of them, Leto Atreides, is ordered to leave his home world of Caladan and take over Arrakis, a desert world which has only one resource, but one vital for spaceflight, the spice, which is produced by the giant sand worms and doesn’t exist anywhere else. In the novel, it’s for the navigators, who don’t even look human any more, but that doesn’t happen in the films. However, for this reason, anyone who controls the spice is fabulously wealthy. It has, until recently, been controlled by the villain, Baron Harkonnen. But the Emperor has no interest in making the Atreides family rich. Not long after the family’s arrival, Leto is killed and his partner Lady Jessica and son Paul are on the run.

The local tribe, the Fremen, have learned to live with the desert. It’s so dry, if someone spits at you, it’s a compliment as they are sharing their body’s water. People who die are drained of their water, which goes into a massive pool. Paul and Jessica take refuge with them, and Paul is considered their messiah. 

The first film only went as far as the walk to the Fremen home, their “sietch”. The second picks up soon after and goes to the end of the novel, though some things are changed. For one thing, Chani, Paul’s Fremen girlfriend, is a lot tougher than in the book. I admit it has been a long time since I read the novel, but the film worked for me, and I accepted the producers’ explanation of the reasons for the changes. I can’t say more  without spoilers. It does end more or less where the novel did, though Chani’s reaction is…different.

It’s visually stunning and I will be very surprised if it doesn’t win some Oscars next year. The costuming is also beautiful. Hans Zimmer’s music fits in with the massive action scenes so well!

Of course, you do have to have seen the first film to be able to follow this one, but why wouldn’t you?

The film is well cast, but for anyone who has seen some Marvel and DC films it’s even more fun.

This film starts with Princess Irulan, the Emperor’s daughter, played by Florence Pugh, whom you may remember as Yelena Belova(in Black Widow and Hawkeye). Chani was played by Zendaya(Spider-Man’s girlfriend). Duke Leto was played by Oscar Isaac, who was so brilliant in Moon Knight. Jason Momoa(Aquaman and Game Of Thrones) and Josh Brolin(villain Thanos) as Duke Leto’s men Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck, he of the baliset instrument - Patrick Stewart played that role in the 1980s film. I first saw Josh Brolin as a teenager in The Goonies, one of my favourite films. The evil Baron Harkonnen was played by Stellan Skarsgard, whom you may have seen as Jane Foster’s mentor, Erik Selvig, in the Avengers movies. His sidekick, “Beast” Rabban, was a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy(Drax), Dave Bautista.

Of course, if you aren’t into superhero movies this may mean nothing to you, but the actors were excellent anyway. Timothee Chalamet hasn’t done a superhero movie, but I saw him as Henry V in The King, a film loosely based on Shakespeare - very loosely, as Falstaff is shown as a strong fighter and supporter of Henry. Also, he did Laurie in Little Women.

I have bought Dune 1 and will get this one too, as soon as available.