As with the first film, the production was beautiful. I loved the opening scenes with the Harkonnen soldiers. The arena fight between Austin Butler and the last Atreides Robert Yuan (actors names) was fantastic. The battles with the harvesters were phenomenal.
The script, however, left me a little bit disappointed. What about the Guild Navigators? And how were the worms used after they came through the pass in the mountains opened up by the atomics? There was only one sequence of the initial charge (marvelous sequence when the gunships entered) but then nothing. The Sardurkar were not given enough respect in this film. There was only one scene that showed them respect and that was when they rose up from the fallen sand and rock debris and stood their ground preparing for the oncoming onslaught instead of panicking. Other than that I felt the film should have spent more time on tactical combat scenes in what was supposed to be an epic battle at the end of the film, maybe trim time off of the other dragged out sequences in the film. The first movie did a better job with the Sardaukar, you actually feared them. The epic battle at the end of this movie was less than epic. And poor Bautista, they should not have made him act like such a wimp, should have had a more glorious fight even in retreat.
As much as I like Walken, I thought he was poorly cast to be Emperor. The 1984 film had a perfect actor for the personality. This is Villeneuve's fault, he picked him.
The script also fails to emphasize that Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach at the end of the movie. Paul's initial ability to vaguely see the future comes from the centuries of genetic tinkering of the women of the Ben Gesserat, but after he drinks the water of life and not only survives but develops the ability to see an individual's past, as evident by the scenes in the Fremen temple where he looks at individuals and describes their past, and more clearly sees optional future outcomes, and after he actually fulfills all of the prophecies of the Fremen, the story is true, he really is the Messiah of Arrakis, justifying the religion, and he really is the Kwisatz Haderach, a man with abilities that no other man has. But the film appears to gloss over this. Shame. He is not just some populist charismatic man blamed by the likes of Zendaya's character for (perceived) fooling anyone to follow him and falling for the appeal of power and giving up his principles, he is more than that.
My critique of the first film was not enough emotion, well part 2 does a better job, especially after Paul survives the water of life and becomes the anti-hero, all hell breaks loose. And Zendaya's character being a more independent women than the 1984 film was interesting, albeit the combat skills or luck were not realistic unless you buy that the Sardaukar were that inept. Part 1 was a better drama than part 2, but part 2 has some great action sequences, besides the disappointments I mentioned earlier. Not a perfect film for this Dune 1984 admirer.
The script, however, left me a little bit disappointed. What about the Guild Navigators? And how were the worms used after they came through the pass in the mountains opened up by the atomics? There was only one sequence of the initial charge (marvelous sequence when the gunships entered) but then nothing. The Sardurkar were not given enough respect in this film. There was only one scene that showed them respect and that was when they rose up from the fallen sand and rock debris and stood their ground preparing for the oncoming onslaught instead of panicking. Other than that I felt the film should have spent more time on tactical combat scenes in what was supposed to be an epic battle at the end of the film, maybe trim time off of the other dragged out sequences in the film. The first movie did a better job with the Sardaukar, you actually feared them. The epic battle at the end of this movie was less than epic. And poor Bautista, they should not have made him act like such a wimp, should have had a more glorious fight even in retreat.
As much as I like Walken, I thought he was poorly cast to be Emperor. The 1984 film had a perfect actor for the personality. This is Villeneuve's fault, he picked him.
The script also fails to emphasize that Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach at the end of the movie. Paul's initial ability to vaguely see the future comes from the centuries of genetic tinkering of the women of the Ben Gesserat, but after he drinks the water of life and not only survives but develops the ability to see an individual's past, as evident by the scenes in the Fremen temple where he looks at individuals and describes their past, and more clearly sees optional future outcomes, and after he actually fulfills all of the prophecies of the Fremen, the story is true, he really is the Messiah of Arrakis, justifying the religion, and he really is the Kwisatz Haderach, a man with abilities that no other man has. But the film appears to gloss over this. Shame. He is not just some populist charismatic man blamed by the likes of Zendaya's character for (perceived) fooling anyone to follow him and falling for the appeal of power and giving up his principles, he is more than that.
My critique of the first film was not enough emotion, well part 2 does a better job, especially after Paul survives the water of life and becomes the anti-hero, all hell breaks loose. And Zendaya's character being a more independent women than the 1984 film was interesting, albeit the combat skills or luck were not realistic unless you buy that the Sardaukar were that inept. Part 1 was a better drama than part 2, but part 2 has some great action sequences, besides the disappointments I mentioned earlier. Not a perfect film for this Dune 1984 admirer.