Review – Dune Part Two might be the film of the year, yet it’s missing something.

First things first, Dune: Part Two is a visually stunning, epic movie, made by cinematic royalty. Denis Villeneuve’s command of modern filmic language has few peers. He’s famous for marrying gorgeous block colours (the greens of Arrival, the burnt orange of Bladerunner 2049, the pale yellow of Enemy) with interesting, jarring sci-fi, to bring fictional ideas into believable reality. He rarely chooses visuals at the expense of character, and can draw beguiling performances from the world’s best actors. Villeneuve’s work regularly demonstrates the complexity of humanity and ideology.

A baseline calibre this high does not guarantee that Dune Part 2 is perfect. It isn’t. But capitalism is in danger of leaving cinema devoid of big swings, so when one comes along, everybody notices. Dune Part One delivered, with its giant budget and phenomenal story. It was able to play to an audience primed for sci-fi to go mainstream. One writer on this very site (clue: me) said Dune Part One “...might just be the epic sci-fi saga we’ve been waiting for.” Villeneuve’s team built entire worlds from scratch: Caladan, Arrakis, Geidi Prime. He also translated Frank Herbert’s hard sci-fi novel into something digestible. The Bene Gesserit order had been manipulating a bloodline over generations, while using a mysterious VOICE to help secure their breeding program. Paul Atreides could just be THE ONE to unite the universe, and…SPICE was so important it was worth going to war over.

About that last part…in both Part 1 and Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve fails to emphasise one essential facet of the Dune story: what is so amazing about Spice, anyway? As Dune Part 2 is so accomplished, does it matter? Perhaps not, but without this story anchor, Part 2 seems to uncomfortably mirror real life: all humans desire war and power and greed. It left me cold, as the film demands that we should accept this status quo. After all, it’s just a story, right..?

Dune Part 2 is gargantuan in length and narrative. With their family decimated, Paul (Timothee Chalamet) and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) now live with the displaced indigenous people of Arrakis – the Fremen. Having bested a Fremen warrior in Part 1, Northern leader, Stilgar (Javier Bardem) believes that Paul is fulfilling an ancient prophecy: as the man who will lead the Fremen back to controlling Arrakis. Warrior Chani (Zendaya) remains skeptical, and the Fremen have more pressing concerns: destroying the machines that the Harkonnen overlords, led by an increasingly ineffectual General Beast (David Bautista) use to harvest Spice. Meanwhile, Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius (Charlotte Rampling) is still pulling all the political strings, by preparing the Emperor’s (Christopher Walken) daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) to play her part, as well as pushing Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgaard) to install his psychotic grandson, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) as the new man in charge on Arrakis. With every move he makes, Paul is fulfilling the prophecy, while Jessica and Stilgar spread word that he is the new Messiah…and that war with the Harkonnens is the only way forward. This leaves little time for Paul and Chani to consummate their burgeoning love affair, as Paul himself starts to revel in his position of power.

Dune Part 2 is digital filmmaking at the cutting edge. Villeneuve manifests miles of undulating sand dunes filled with gigantic glistening sandworms and plays this against monochrome tyranny, Harkonnen style. The production and costume design is sumptuous, the air radiating with religious fervour, the tension mounting throughout. And every scene is a work of art, every speech dramatic, every knife slash intentional. This film is too big to fail. And in the process, Dune has become a black hole engulfing any message it could deliver in a dust cloud of gleeful warfare. The cast is so large that multiple talented actors have barely anything to do, particularly the wonderful Pugh. The majority of time is spent on the (albeit compelling) triumvirate of Stilgar, Paul and Jessica. Zendaya gets plenty of screen time, but Chani’s role is designed to revolve around Paul’s story when she could easily be the one who the Fremen orbit. And Chalamet continues to be fantastic, yet he’s given little time for philosophy, nuance or frankly, making Paul likeable. When the bar to greatness is simply not being a fascist, what does this say about leadership? What does this say about cinema?

Forgive this critique, and enjoy Dune Part 2 for its spectacle. Villeneuve delivers. Yet two things feel certain: 1) There will be a Dune Part 3, and 2) Few will ever understand or care about Spice.

Dune: Part Two is in cinemas from 1st March 2024.