By now, most of us are familiar with the spicy sand that covers the desert planet Arrakis, its gargantuan worm inhabitants and the Fremen that live alongside them, but for a long time the 1965 Sci-fi novel was deemed “unadaptable” by Hollywood. Filmmakers like David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowsky have attempted to bring the psychedelic space fantasy to the big screen.

At the same time, a couple of mini-series have managed to tell portions of the expansive story on a smaller budget, with ultimately mixed results. Dune had proved to be too huge in scale to do justice, not until technology had evolved and more inspired filmmakers had emerged, did Dune finally find its place in cinema.

With Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation, audiences were introduced to a new imagining of the Dune universe but only one that told half a story. Even then, the sequel wasn’t even ‘green lit’ by the studio, so Villeneuve and his crew had made a part one without even knowing if they would tell the rest of the story. Clearly, part one affected audiences, doing good numbers in a post-pandemic box office and a sequel was soon given the go-ahead. But could Dune: Part Two live up to the lofty ideas presented in the first half and the thematic layers of the book?

With the arrival of Denis Villeneuve’s sprawling sequel, it’s safe to say that Dune is reaching its cinematic potential. It’s glaringly apparent that Denis Villeneuve has a deep affection for the source material, he’s even been quoted as having mapped out storyboards for certain sequences when he was just 13 years old. With visionary sci-fi like Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival and weighty dramas like Sicario and Prisoners under his belt, Villeneuve had a more than capable filmmaking CV to back up his vision for Dune.

From there, he gathered the best in the industry in all departments to achieve his vision. From talented cinematographer Greig Fraser, a cast stacked with more A-list names than a late night talk show, incredible VFX artists, distinctive costume designers, legendary composer Hans Zimmer and so many more to bring this world to life.

Granted, Villeneuve had an almighty budget to work with and obviously had technical advantages over previous adaptations. But Dune’s real ‘meat’ ultimately lies in its characters, world-building and themes. A large budget and good special effects can only take you so far, it takes a true visionary to find the meaning in the source material.

Dune at its roots is a chosen-one-prophecy narrative about an outsider who loses everything, only to win the trust of the native people and bring down a common enemy. It’s a tale as old as cinema, but Dune isn’t so straightforward. Throw in some galactic politics, talking foetuses, psychoactive sand, and a chosen one-one narrative that acts as a warning rather than a celebration.

Dune’s protagonist Paul Atreides is prophesised to be the Messiah of the native Fremen, who will lead them to victory against their oppressors. But what is hinted throughout Dune: Part Two is that Paul may be the ‘Lissan al Gaib’, but that doesn’t mean he will lead them to paradise.

Dune is ultimately a destiny vs fate warning about blind devotion to those in power. While it mainly acts as a straightforward saviour story, Frank Herbert’s original intention was to show the corruption of Paul in search of his destiny, and Villeneuve’s films expertly communicate this and more through impressive acting, visuals, musical score etc. It’s a story that has inspired countless other sci-fi narratives (see Star Wars, Avatar, The Matrix, etc.).

However, the true beauty of seeing Dune finally be done justice on the big screen is the incredible vision behind it. It’s event cinema for those who want more from their blockbusters – thoughtful, grand and entertaining sci-fi. It isn’t a mindless CGI action-fest, it isn’t the 5th, 6th or 7th installment in a tired franchise and it isn’t a poorly executed cash grab. The passion put into these films is palpable and it’s paying off in a big way, so if you haven’t given these films a go yet , let the spice flow and get ‘Dune-pilled’!