"Dune: Part Two" captures and captivates audiences after stellar opening weekend

Image from Dan Grinwis via Unsplash

“Dune: Part Two” was undoubtedly an amazing piece of cinema that I believe will be going down in history as an excellent installment in what has been a revolutionary retelling of a science fiction classic.

After seeing the film yesterday, I can understand the praise its receiving on Rotten Tomatoes, with a critic score of 93% and an audience score of 95%. The film does an amazing job at getting across the nuances of the rich and complicated story of Frank Herbert’s novel by the same name: “Dune”.

The film also does an incredible job with visuals, and when watching the movie you feel as if you are really on the desert planet Arrakis with the Fremen (no, this will not make sense if you are not familiar with the franchise-but that’s okay). And the film does this, all with a budget of $190 million. Yes, that may seem like an astonishing amount of money-but the truth is that it’s pocket change when compared to some recent projects in the film and television scene.

Marvel is the biggest culprit of large budgets and lackluster content, with many others following suit. But “Dune” is impressive despite having a smaller film budget. Yes, a lot of money went into marketing the movie. But when just talking about the budget for producing the film, it’s easy to see that the second installment in the “Dune” story does wonders. Just take a look at the film's box office income here to gather an understanding of the success that this film has brought about.

Overall, this movie was a must-watch for science fiction fans. If you have not done yourself the service of watching the 2021 “Dune”, it’s essential for understanding the characters and story that carries over to “Dune: Part Two”. And don’t feel pressured to read the novels, as there are over 26 different novels spanning the entire storyline of the series.

If you want to get involved in a gritty, dark, political, and complicated (but not too complicated) science fiction series, “Dune” is for you. And the movies serve as an easy enough way to grasp what you need from the story without overloading you with information.

As always, take care and safe travels!

-Ethan Fletcher, signing off