Dune 2

 

A saviour who was prophesied, who seemingly dies, then is resurrected and leads the people to paradise - sounds familiar to me. Dune Messiah is of course the next book in Herbert's series and never was the ending of a film left so open as to invite a follow up. Whether it be Herbert's Dune or Asimov's Foundation, organised religion is put under the spotlight and with some Hollywood magic makes the leap to Science Fiction. Perhaps an imagined future feels easier to deal with than an historical past?

Director Denis Villeneuve's barnstorming sequel which he describes as an "epic war movie", is the all-action counterpoint to the first film's more contemplative feel. The relentless nature of the combat scenes reminded me of Lord of the Rings but this time on a beach. If you like fighting on a grand scale, this will sate your appetite. I appreciate that Villeneuve was creating an epic, but did it really need to be 2:45 long? For me passages dragged and the narrative arc was constructed so slowly it was painful as the outcome was never in jeopardy.

The whole film is visually stunning and I imagine the IMAX rendition would be something special. The soundtrack is excellent as it never intrudes but always supports. The acting is powerful with Timothée Chalamet carrying off Paul Muad'Dib Atreides with aplomb and strong performances from Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Paul's mother Lady Jessica, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck and Austin Butler as the terrifying psychopath Feyd-Rautha.

The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood are a manipulative order whose goal is to breed the Kwisatz Haderach - a male Bene Gesserit with mental powers that bridge space and time and who would be the saviour of the universe. They have been working on this for millennia by controlling bloodlines through seduction and coercive marriages - always working indirectly, never seeking to rule themselves.

The dark and deceptive Bene Gesserit and the brutally violent leaders of the House of Harkonnen are the balance to Paul Atreides and Chani - even if Atreides is driven by revenge. The original book - which my better half says is is much better than the films - was written in 1965 at the height of the Cold War, so it is no surprise that the ultimate deterrent in this film is the threat of unleashing nuclear weapons.

This film left me with conflicting feelings. Whilst it is a visual feast with very good acting and special effects, the relentless fighting, plotting, at times muddy dialogue and slow plot development detracted from the enjoyment for me. I have to say that I was disappointed and didn't enjoy it as much as Dune 1 and can only award it 6/10.