Denis Villeneuve’s Dune part two: A spectacular sci-fi adventure

By Dwight Brown Film Critic for DwightBrownInk.com and NNPA News Wire (***1/2)& How deep is the sand? How high is the sky?& Director/writer Denis Villeneuve knows how to make a throw-down sci-fi epic. He proved that with his captivating production Dune (2021), which won six 2022 Oscars® for cinematography, production design, visual effects, sound, editing and score. As audiences contemplate this sequel, they’ll expect the visuals, sounds and pacing to be near perfect. But what about the storyline (script by Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts), will it be profound?& And how will he treat that heady mix of pageantry and action. Will he reach higher than before? For the first hour, that’s in doubt. Depth and exhilaration are missing. Trying to figure out who is who, who hates who and why the factions are so pissed off is a chore. But there’s a big payoff. Wait for it.& Sometime in the far future, after a climate disaster, water is scarce and sacred. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Wonka), the son of a murdered duke, and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) duck and hide among the sand dunes on the remote planet Arrakis. They’re being shepherded by a...