Dune Part 2 Sucks: The Truth About The Popular Sequel

A 2 hour and 45-minute movie but I only managed to write 4 sentences of notes…

By the end of the film Dune Part 2, I felt no visceral emotion. 

The movie that was so often declared one of the best films of 2024.

A masterpiece.

An epic splendor of a film.

And I felt… nothing. 

So, does this mean that Dune Part 2 sucks?

Not necessarily, but it also doesn’t rock my socks off. 

I must confess that when I watched Dune Part 1 for the first time, I was dangerously underwhelmed. It wasn’t until I watched it the second time (and managed to stay awake that I was able to appreciate the complex world of politics, power, spirituality, romance, and innovation that it was creating. 

The movie is not necessarily an attention grabber. It is a work of art that requires you to sit with it. 

Be patient with it. 

Ponder it. 

And I can appreciate that. But does that make this a particularly enjoyable watch to relax with at the end of the day? 

No. Not really. 

This film requires deliberate focus and thought. Energy that is not always afforded in this fast-paced world.

With that in mind and knowing the extra mental devotion I had to bring to Dune Part 1, I prepared my mind for Dune Part 2. 

Watching it in the late morning when I would be least likely to fall asleep; my notebook in hand and distractions minimized.

Despite my moderate efforts, my mind wandered so often during the film that I stopped chasing it down every 5 minutes. 

“Go ahead, think about chocolate cookies, and my upcoming projects for the week. At least those subjects can hold my attention,” I tell my mind as it wanders into the open streets like a carefree child.

Dune Part 2 Sucks A Little Bit | Let’s Explore Why

What is Dune Part 2 even about?

In Dune Part 2, we follow Paul Atredides as he and his mother find refuge on Freman grounds after his father and his kingdom are fatally attacked by the Harkonnen. Paul seeks revenge by mastering the ways of the desert and capitalizing on his reputation as the Messiah of the Freman people. 

Is that right?

I don’t even know. That’s the sense I made of the movie. I don’t have another 3 hours to spare right now to clarify all the details. 

Why is Dune Part 2 so lackluster?

With phenomenal cinematography, metaphorical artistic choices, and a star-studded cast, Dune Part 2 has set itself up to be well-distinguished in the world of film even if it’s not deemed the most entertaining watch by the general public. 

Because the film places more emphasis on artistic interpretation than it does on commercial entertainment, it moves at its own slow and deliberate pace.

It doesn’t base its content on the attention span of the viewers but rather dares the viewers to slow down and follow its lead. 

A risky move that does not always pay off if the viewer has not been convinced of a reason to buy into the film emotionally. 

Why are the characters so hollow?

Even as a second installment, where characters have already been introduced and established, I still feel a sense of disconnection with all of the characters in the film. 

Paul, Chani, Lady Jessica… most of the focal characters feel a bit hollow and one-dimensional. As if they exist simply to fulfill a role, rather than harbor a fully dynamic, human personality outside of what they do/accomplish. 

Even the romance between Paul and Chani feels so orchestrated. As if they just needed two characters to play the role of love interest in order to fulfill the “love” portion of the human experience. 

Everything felt so hyperserious which can be attributed to the fact that the characters were living in very life-or-death circumstances, but I believe that in these conditions, moments of levity are like diamonds in the rough. 

That’s what humanizes the experience a bit more and I think Dune Part 2 could have used a few more moments of organic humanity so viewers can relate to and connect with the characters a little bit more. 

Why is there so much exposition?

With a movie that’s nearly 3 hours long, I shouldn’t be spending the first 2 hours thinking to myself, “…and what’s the point of all this?”

“What are we trying to achieve?”

At times I felt as though I was just watching a sequence of events, not really sure what the objective of these events was. 

There was a lot of continued world-building despite the fact that this is the second installment of the series and the world has already been established in the first movie.

We’re already familiar with sand dunes and the spaceships and all that. Let’s keep the story moving or I’m going to bake another batch of cookies in my mind.

What’s next for Dune?

The politics of Dune is fascinating and unfortunately, I really never liked government and politics so it’s not my strong suit to analyze the complexities of that. 

However, there were quite a few developments at the end of the film that definitely sparked some curiosity for the next film. Especially how Paul continues to grow in his power and yield it, as well as how his unborn sister will yield her power. 

Chani’s future is left very vague as we see she seems to be preparing for a mission of her own. 

Very vague and unfortunately, I feel a bit indifferent towards it. 

I feel as though I don’t mind waiting 3-5 years to figure out what happens in the next installment of Dune. 

The big word to sum up everything for me is indifference. 

In Conclusion…

Dune Part 2 sucks, but only a little bit. Its cinematography and visual artistry are undeniably a triumph but it does fall flat in the more intangible elements of film like soul, connection, and emotion. 

The film is very immersive in allowing you to take in the beauty of its world-building but its slow pace and shallow characters make it so easy for your attention and intrigue to wander elsewhere.

I rated Dune Part 1 a 5.2/10, I’m afraid Dune Part 2 doesn’t do much better for me.

Rating: 5.5/10

Do you think Dune Part 2 sucks? Let me know in the comments below!

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Peace, love, and lots of popcorn,

IMO