Dune Part 2 is an epic movie; slickly made, and visually stunning.
But I had to explain quite a bit to the friends around me who had not read the book, especially the water of life scene and the final battle.
The movie had almost a 3 hour run time, but it felt overlong because Villenue focuses too much on spectacle on very little on substance.
It is a beautiful movie, but it feels like it has no soul. The emotional connection between Paul and Chani, so vital to the story, is completely lacking and unbelievable. The two main characters are good looking enough but has absolutely zero chemistry on screen.
I am certain Zendaya is a fine actress in some things, but she has basically 2 facial expressions here, and the one she uses the most is a scowl directed at Paul. I found her to be the worst part of this movie.
The final fight scene is short, choppy, and a mess. It felt anticlimactic and unfulfilling
The Harkonens are basically reduced to bumbling villainy almost cartoonish. The ending was super abrupt, and was so different from the book that it left me wondering what the filmmakers would do if they want to do a sequel.
I want to reiterate that this isn't a bad movie. Villenue is great at creating a world that looks living and breathing, but he can't give life to individual characters.
It is like he can't see the trees for the forest.
