‘Dune: Part Two’ First Reactions Praise Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Spectacular’ Sequel: ‘Jaw-Dropping’ and Among the ‘Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Ever’

Zack Sharf
·7 min read

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” has finally been unveiled and film journalists are showering the highly-anticipated sequel with praise for its incredible ensemble cast, breathtaking visual effects and more. The film, which follow’s 2021’s “Dune,” is being called “masterful,” “damn impressive” and full of battle scenes that rival Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”

“‘Dune: Part Two’ is damn impressive,” wrote The Playlist’s Gregory Ellwood. “Villeneuve crafts some truly VISIONARY moments. Austin Butler gives a truly transformative performance (and not talking makeup either). Very moving ending. A wee bit long? Yes. Did I forget I saw it the next day? Yes. Still, gonna be massive.”

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Inverse editor Hoai-Tran Bui called the film “a triumph,” adding: “Even more immense than the first, but much more intimate — Denis Villeneuve manages to streamline the more alienating second half of the book into a riveting, action-packed epic. TWO TOWERS-level mastery of battle sequences. Zendaya is the star.”

“Incredible filmmaking,” wrote Collider’s Steven Weintraub. “Brilliant score. Entire cast was excellent. My only complaint was I wish it was longer. Not joking around. The movie is 2hr and 40 min(?) and I would have been happy to watch another hour.”

Uproxx’s Mike Ryan wrote that he was mixed on the first movie, but he added that “Part Two” is “phenomenal” and “up there with the greatest sci-fi movies I’ve ever seen.”

“Dune: Part Two” resumes the story of Paul Atreides (Chalamet) as he joins forces with the Fremen to save the galaxy from the Harkonnen empire, which is responsible for the death of Paul’s father. Chalamet is joined in “Part Two” by returning franchise cast members Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsg?rd, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem. Newcomers to “Dune” are Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux.

The first “Dune” movie was a box office hit with just over $400 million at the worldwide box office. Considering the movie opened at the same time it was made available to stream on Max, box office prospects for “Part Two” are way higher. Villeneuve has also been touting “Part Two” as a better movie, which is no small feat considering the first movie earned critical acclaim and 10 Oscar nominations, including best picture. It went on to win six prizes (original score, sound, film editing, cinematography, production design and visual effects).

“For me, this film is much better than Part One,” Villeneuve said at a press conference last year. “There’s something more alive in it. There’s a relationship to the characters. I was trying to reach for an intensity and a quality of emotions that I didn’t reach with Part One and that I did reach with Part Two. I’m not saying the film is perfect, but I’m much more happy with Part Two than I was with Part One. I can not wait to share it with the fans and the moviegoers.”

“Dune: Part Two” opens in theaters nationwide March 1 from Warner Bros. Check out more first reactions below.

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