On Arrakis, the exiled Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his Bene Gesserit mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) join the planet’s indigenous Fremen people to help disrupt the Harkonnen’s spice production. Off planet, Princess Corrino (Florence Pugh) posits that Paul may still be alive. At the same time, her father, Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), is dispirited after the fall of House Atreides, but remains subjugated by the Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). Disappointed that his nephew Rabban (Dave Bautista) is not on top of the Fremen threat, the Barron looks to his other nephew, the psychotic Feyd (Austin Butler) to weed out the source disruption.

Greenlit only off the success of its predecessor, this entry is bolder, bigger and richer across the board. The design of the planet’s landscapes and the technology are intriguing and awe-inspiring, albeit with tasteful and minimalistic restraint. Chalamet and Ferguson are given more to do with their arcs as growing leaders in their respective fields: Paul as a burgeoning prophesied Messiah of the Fremen and Lady Jessica as a spiritual leader responsible for the spreading of said prophecy. Butler’s Feyd is a dangerous and dark mirror to Paul, serving as a spare heir should Paul not live up to the prophecy.

With so many new characters and heady contemporary themes to cover such as colonisation, exploitation, religion and capitalism, it’s a shame that this adaptation was not given a trilogy to round out the story at a more measured pace.

Verdict: An amazing experience for the big screen. 4.5 stars.

Luke McWilliams, themovieclub.net. Viewed at Dendy Cinemas.