Control Review: Dune Part Two

American Starfleet Interdiction: An American Starfleet Novel

I, Dalton Lewis, will give you my thoughts on Dune: Part Two. This requires a numbered list of essential elements found in the feature film. It is a blockbuster motion picture based on a book from many years ago — a sci-fi classic which inspired many space marine stories. The primary tension in the story is twofold: first, Paul wants to stop the Harkkonens who killed his family and took over their planet; and second, Paul and his mother try to create a religion in order to convince a native people to help them with the battle against said Harkkonens. Here is said numbered list.

1. The religious idea — of convincing people of a religion and convincing them to go to war for you — is terrifying. I understand that Paul and Jessica want the Fremen to go to war because the Harkkonens are the enemy soldiers and guilty, but this feels like an examination into how to convince a group of people that someone is their lord and savior. My parents weren’t religious, so I never really believed in religion — I am an agnostic Democrat in part because I agree with my parents on religion and politics. They raised me to believe in their ideology. Is it that way with the Fremen? They are raised to fight for Paul Atrides because he is the chosen one from the prophecy?
2. The next aspect that struck me was that everyone seemed intelligent, capable, and hardworking. They felt dedicated to do the best they could in their varied and diverse ways. Paul and Chani and Feyd-Ratha fought very well and used intelligent strategies and tactics in an attempt to win their various battles. The characters didn’t always get along but didn’t just yell at each other in every conversation, either. There was a good balance of world-building, character-building, and action sequences.
3. There was a weird little talking baby. She was played by Anya Taylor-Joy in a cameo. She was, well, weird and creepy. I don’t like it when babies can talk. It isn’t the way of things. I don’t like it when things don’t happen as they should. In the book she is born and raised until nine or so when the story finishes. In the movie they don’t get that far along with the pregnancy. The development of the pregnancy mirrors the development of the story of the movie.
4. A central dramatic conflict exists between Chani and Paul. Chani doesn’t believe in the prophecy. She doesn’t think that prophecy means anything except to enslave people and convince them to do what they are told. This is only in the movie — in the book I’m pretty sure none of this happens. I’m inclined to believe Chani — she is right in that religions can brainwash people. Paul pretends to not believe that he is the chosen one — but is he telling the truth? Chani doesn’t want to give in to the prophecy and is a pure soldier, a realist, a warrior. Paul allows his mother to tell everyone that he is a chosen one, a mystical being. The clear divide between the two is striking.
5. Feyd-Ratha and the villains are villainous. They are not honorable villains who regularly love their own team and support their causes and are antiheroes. They kill countless innocents. They kill their own people. They destroy people’s homes with artillery. Feyd-Ratha tortures people because it’s fun — not even trying to get information from a prisoner. I’m used to MCU villains who are honorable people fighting for a cause or something. I’m not used to bad people who are just bad. It’s refreshing and fun to watch them and hate them and root against them. Good stuff.
6. The fat man is a bloated and evil bad guy. I am, in reality, a fat man. I’m overweight. I don’t rule a planet criminally or oppress any indigenous people. I don’t kill my own servants in a fit of rage. I don’t try to take over empires. I just eat too much. I understand that not every portrayal of a fat person has to be a good and noble person. I get that. I just think that this guy is fat, ugly, and purely evil. It’s questionable — a little. A little questionable.
7. The visuals are excellent for the budget — I hear they spent $190 million on it, and it looks better than a number of $300 million blockbusters. The desert becomes its own character. The explosions look like explosions. (Does anyone actually blow stuff up anymore?) The airships are beautiful, and the spice rigs look like an authentic piece of machinery. The story feels grand in scope.
8. This one is a gimme — riding the sand worm is a metaphor for mastering one’s sexuality. I don’t want to talk about it too much here because it’s an easy one, but I do want to say that Paul manages to master sexuality and romance whereas the Harkkonens feel equal parts rage and humiliation and don’t have mature, intelligent relations with anyone. There is a vast chasm between the characters on each side. Neat stuff.
9. Paul dies and is reborn by Chani’s tears. This is another obvious metaphor that makes Paul look like a Jesus figure. Paul has to die and understand everything that has been done beforehand in order to successfully navigate the future. He can see the future, too — predict what will happen. He has superhuman ability. He is a religious figure for certain.
10. The acting is excellent throughout the story. Rebecca Ferguson is dynamite as the Lady Jessica, one of the best characters from the books. Many other actors put in impressive performances, like Austin Butler’s fantastically villanous Feyd-Ratha, all drama and performance and cleverness and evil and honor all in a mix. They create bright and iconic characters.
11. (Minor Spoiler…)

The fight at the end isn’t an hour long. It’s a lot shorter than MCU movies which have huge action set-pieces that last for forty-five minutes and have a beam of light shining down from the sky for some reason. This battle is quick and vicious. It’s like that in the book, too — quick and then a discussion at the throne room to settle everything. I liked that the story was the key part of the story instead of watching an hour of killing mindless enemies and making jokes.

12. Feyd-Ratha. I’ve talked about him a bit but he deserves his own section. He is fantastic. He won’t cheat at a duel. He has honor. He kills his own people. He has pets — girls — who eat people. Vampirism? It is certainly hinted. Why do so many movies have weak villains?

13. Let’s change directions.

Let’s talk about me, Dalton Lewis, for a rant for a while.

Me!

Me!

Me!

Why aren’t my villains as memorable as Feyd-Ratha? Why don’t people read about my villains and remember them forever? Why do I keep getting bad reviews for my novels? I don’t understand. I do everything that I know how to make my novels more effective. I plan everything out. I work hard. It just doesn’t work. My villains don’t pop. They don’t last. I need to learn how to create someone as despicable, as powerful, as hateable, as Feyd-Ratha. I need to write better. Why didn’t I think of this earlier? I will write better.

Problem solved. I will write better.

14. In conclusion.

Dune: Part Two — I won’t give it a rating. I don’t do ratings. I try not to say if a movie or book is good or bad. Why? Well, it’s simple. I get so many people giving me bad reviews for my novels and I’m sick of people hating stories and ripping them apart. I’m also sick of people giving huge praise to corporate Hollywood. Therefore I won’t give a rating or a recommendation whether or not to see the movie. I will just say that it does say some intelligent statements about life, religion, sexuality, and human behavior.

Thanks, and take care, friends.