jo’s review published on Letterboxd:
DUNE DOUBLE-FEATURE 2/2
“They used to be friends. Now they’re followers.”
My first viewing at home and the sound mixing, even at max volume on our TV, was ass. Either way, I’m still glad to have finally done this Dune double-feature because it makes both films feel more complete than ever. Having them back-to-back makes is logical and feels as if I were reading the book again all in one go so much that Paul’s descent into the religious figure that he so avoided not to become is scary and heartbreaking. Having read most of Messiah (whilst knowing the entire basic plot), it feels nice knowing most of what happens next and how nothing here compares to what happens there (Guild Navigators? Anybody?). I always forget how fucking terrifying and manipulative Rebecca Ferguson is by the time you roll into Part Two. The motherly Jessica you in Part One is fully gone here, and nobody could have played here other than Rebecca Ferguson. After having seen Challengers recently, Zendaya’s acting skills have gotten stronger and stronger, especially here where Chani’s eyes become more prominent visually after Gurney’s return. She barely says a word after Paul takes the Water of Life apart from “this isn’t over yet”, but her character moving forward conveys so many different emotions and stories.
I’ve probably said in my Part One review that I would touch on how this is just the second half of Part One in reverse order, but I’m going to be going over that on my next review instead. For now, I’m going to have to mention that I like the little detail of Chani’s last line in Part One being “this is only the beginning” while her last line here is “this isn’t over yet” because the journey really isn’t over yet. Dune Messiah is not for the weak, and I am so ready. Why else does the camera linger on Chani tying her blue thing? HmMmMm
P.S. Apologies for the rushed review. The Fall Guy is about to start.
P.P.S. Bring back my IMAX screen pls pls pls I need my IMAX sound back. It’s just not the same at
