WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND: Dune Part Two at Eden Court
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Director Denis Villeneuve goes to town with the next instalment of lush sci-fi epic Dune which finishes a lengthy run at Eden Court this weekend.
Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavours to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
While most of the smouldering and pouting was reserved for Chalamet himself in the first spectacular outing which properly set up the epic saga, it's ally/love interest Zendaya who picks up the mantle. Her glowering disapproval is as clear as a megaton nuclear mushroom cloud and one assumes she must have a copious supply of anti-wrinkle cream to deal with the potential fallout.
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Throw in appearances from the always dependable Christopher Walken, Stellan Skarsgård, Florence Pugh, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem and you're never short of something to look at or admire during its epic 165-minute running time.
It's more than a special effects movie though those are spectacular and just about worth the price of admission on their own.
There are amusing interludes for the nitpicker where Chalamet in rabble-rousing mode switches between the exotic native tongue and heavily American accented English for no apparent reason (other, presumably, than the fear of the audience's short attention span) but overall the jaw-dropping moments and spectacle leave you feeling you've had plenty of bangs for your buck.
For full Eden Court listing and timings, see here.
