According to its Rotten Tomatoes rating, ‘Dune: Part Two’ not only lived up to the hype but has surpassed its predecessor, ‘Dune,’ in critical acclaim.
On Rotten Tomatoes, ‘Dune: Part Two’ holds a score of 98% from 130 critics, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The consensus praises the film for being visually thrilling and narratively engaging. Meanwhile, Metacritic has assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.
In contrast, the original ‘Dune’ received an 83% positive score from 507 critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 74 out of 100, proving the sequel outperformed the original movie with its focused narrative, shifting from world-building to a more action-oriented and character-driven story.
What We Know About ‘Dune: Part Two’
Along with the cast from the first film, which includes Timothée Chalamet returning as Paul Atreides and Zendaya as Chani, ‘Dune: Part Two‘ welcomes new talents such as Austin Butler playing Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV.
Directed once again by Denis Villeneuve, ‘Dune: Part Two’ had its world premiere in London on February 15, 2024, and is scheduled for a wide release in the United States on March 1, 2024, following a delay from its initial late-2023 release date due to Hollywood labor disputes.
Villeneuve, who signed on as director for the project in 2017, envisioned a two-part adaptation of the novel to do justice to its complexity. Following the success of the first film, the sequel was green-lit in October 2021, with principal photography taking place across Budapest, Italy, Jordan, and Abu Dhabi from July to December 2022.
As ‘Dune: Part Two’ gears up for its release, the film’s early critical success already promises a successful adaptation.
