“Dune: Part Two” first reactions praise Zendaya, Austin Butler, and space worms

Wesley Stenzel
·7 min read
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“Dune: Part Two” first reactions praise Zendaya, Austin Butler, and space worms
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Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi sequel is drawing comparisons to "The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers."

The first reactions to Dune: Part Two have arrived, and it sounds like director Denis Villeneuve has cultivated even more desert power than in the 2021 original.

EW's Devan Coggan wrote on social media Thursday that the film is "pretty spectacular," adding that she "will never get tired of how Villeneuve makes crazy spaceships and space worms feel real and tactile." Meanwhile, EW's Christian Holub said that the sequel "worth the wait."

Several media members praised Zendaya's performance as Chani as a standout. Holub noted that "anyone who thought there wasn't enough Zendaya in the first one has a lot to look forward to"  — which should come as a relief to fans of the Euphoria actress who were disappointed by her limited screen time in the first film. Esther Zuckerman called her "the crux of [the] whole movie," while Inverse's Hoai-Tran Bui wrote that "Zendaya is the star."

<p>Warner Bros</p> Zendaya in 'Dune: Part Two'

Warner Bros

Zendaya in 'Dune: Part Two'

Other viewers highlighted Austin Butler's turn as Feyd Rautha, a new antagonist in Part Two. Kyle Buchanan of the New York Times compared the "incredible" character to "an evil Balenciaga NoHo Hank," in reference to Anthony Carrigan's fan-favorite Barry baddie, while Gregory Ellwood of the Playlist called it a "truly transformative performance (and not talking makeup either)." Mike Ryan of Uproxx said that Butler's performance "is literally channeling a demon from hell.”

Dune: Part Two will pick up where Part One left off, with Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides navigating the deserts of Arrakis alongside his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), and the Fremen, including Chani (Zendaya) and Stilgar (Javier Bardem). Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, and Dave Bautista will also reprise their roles from the first movie, while Florence Pugh, Lea Seydoux, and Christopher Walken are among the newcomers.

Warner Bros. Pictures Austin Butler in 'Dune: Part Two'
Warner Bros. Pictures Austin Butler in 'Dune: Part Two'

Some journalists compared Villeneuve's directorial vision to Peter Jackson, George Lucas, and David Lean. Bui said the movie has "[Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]-level mastery of battle sequences," while Brandon Davis wrote, "Some of the visuals in Dune: Part Two had me so astonished, I feel like I understand how everyone felt seeing Star Wars for the first time back in 1977." David Gonzalez called the film "Villeneuve's Empire Strikes Back & Lawrence of Arabia. A sci-fi opera that is not just grand in scale, but in its hypnotizing and emotionally devastating story." Jake Hamilton said, "When Lord of the Rings ended in '03, I was worried we'd never have a movie experience like that ever again. I was wrong. Now we have Dune."

Read on for more social media reactions to Dune: Part Two, which hits theaters March 1.

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