Just when you thought Denis Villeneuve could not better 'Dune, Part One,' he comes along and delivers a gobsmacking Part Two.
Epic in tone and sweep, the film triggers memories of 'Lawrence of Arabia,' 'Star Wars,' 'Persona' and 'The Last Temptation of Christ'.
Huge in a scale and narrative ambition, it somehow avoids veering into the outlandish.
In Villeneuve's previous installment, Timothee Chalamet's noble Paul Atreides and his pregnant mother, Rebecca Ferguson's Lady Jessica wound up on Arrakis, a desert planet infamous for its giant sandworms but also coveted because of its production of the valuable commodity, spice.
In the company of local tribal warriors known as the Fremen, Paul and Lady Jessica are trying to process the wiping out of their noble family, the House of Atreides by the fascistic House of Harkonnen.
Those enemies are unaware that Paul and Lady Jessica are alive.
Meanwhile Florence Pugh's Princess Irulan, daughter of the Emperor of all the noble houses, Christopher Walken's Shaddam IV has worked out that her father acquiesced to the House of Harkonnen's slaughter of the House of Atreides and entertains the possibility that Paul may still be alive.
As part of their shabby deal with Shaddam IV, the Harkonnen have been tasked with mining Arrakis for spice, with Dave Bautista's Beast Rabban overseeing operations.
However they are incurring heavy losses as the Fremen led by Javier Bardem's Stilgar and Zendaya's Chani launch successful guerilla attacks with the assistance of Paul.
The Fremen are divided, though, about harbouring Paul and Lady Jessica, with some deeply suspicious of their motives.
Nevertheless Stilgar and some of the Fremen are convinced by their bona fides and believe Paul may actually be the fulfilment of an ancient prophecy that a Messiah will come from outside the tribe and lead them to glory.
Chani and others are more sceptical of this ancient belief and even Paul does his best to initially downplay the myth building up around him.
However Lady Jessica openly encourages the theory after becoming the Fremen's Mother Superior.
As his troops sustain heavy losses on Arrakis, Stellan Skarsgard's Baron Vladimir Harkonnen gets increasingly impatient with Beast Rabban, accusing him of gross incompetence and shaming the family.
His interest switches instead to Austin Butler's sociopathic Feyd-Rautha as a potential heir, another bloodthirsty nephew who he asks to take control of operations to rid Arrakis of the Fremen.
As Paul wins over the Fremen with his commitment to their cause, he is given a new name, Usal Muad'Dib.
Under this guise, Paul's warrior exploits against the Harkonnen soon gain notoriety across the Empire, with Feyd-Rautha eager for a showdown with Usal Muad'Dib.
With Stilgar and other Fremen increasingly convinced that Paul is the prophet Lisan al Gaib, he is tested and faces one potentially lethal test consuming "the water of life" - a poison extracted from Arrakis sandworms.
Lady Jessica passed this test to become the Fremen's Mother Superior but no man has survived after consuming the liquid.
The prophecy, however, claims Lisan al Gaib will survive.
Fuelled by a desire to avenge his father's death and the eradication of the House of Atreides, Paul increasingly finds himself being torn between maintaining the honour of his family and his feelings for Chani who he has become romantically involved with.
As Paul uses his sway over Stilgar and others who believe in the prophecy to restore the position of his noble family, Chani begins to doubt his sincerity.
However the stage is set for an epic showdown between the Fremen and the Harkonnen.
With its majestic imagery, sombre tone and ridiculous names 'Dune' seems tailor made for parody.
Yet somehow Villeneuve and his fellow screenwriter Jon Spaihts manage to avoid that.
Amid all the pomp and ceremony, the stunning visuals captured by cinematographer Greig Fraser and the bombastic score by Hans Zimmer lies a superbly constructed meditation on the dynamics of power, class and religion.
Villeneuve and Spaihts borrow heavily from Islamic, Judeo-Christian, North African and Middle Eastern art and philosophy as the debate rages among the Fremen around Paul.
Some of the images Villeneuve and Fraser capture would not be out of place in Franco Zeffirelli's 'Jesus of Nazareth' or Martin Scorsese's 'The Last Temptation of Christ'.
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Yet amid all the epic Biblical images are moments of real intimacy that could have been conjured up by Ingmar Bergman in 'Persona'.
'Dune Part Two' also impresses in the way it tackles class.
Underlying Paul's romance with Chani is a nagging suspicion that their very different upbringings and class differences might ultimately undermine their relationship.
Ultimately that bond is put to the test as Paul seeks to become a leader of men and a son befitting of his slain father.
As Villeneuve muses on the beliefs that inspire religious fervour, he intriguingly plays with the notion Paul is not the Messiah, he's just a naughty boy.
There is a hint that the whiff of power may be corrupting him and that may be further explored in Part Three which Villeneuve has already committed himself to.
As for the performers, Chalamet again justifies his casting as Paul Atreides, playing with the notion that his character may not be a straightforward sci-fi hero.
But there is a wealth of other eye catching turns to savour in the film too.
Zendaya seizes the opportunity to shine with a more substantial role that requires her to do more than just scowl.
Ferguson impresses once more as Lady Jessica, while Charlotte Rampling returns as the sinister Reverend Mother Mohiam.
Like Zendaya, Bardem gets a lot more to do in this film and steals many scenes with an Anthony Quinn style performance.
Skarsgard and Bautista revel in their villainous roles but it is Butler who stands out as Feyd-Rautha, rescuing the character from Sting's woeful interpretation in David Lynch's feeble 1984 version of 'Dune'.
Josh Brolin makes a welcome return as House of Atreides military commander Gurney Halleck, while Swiss actress Souheila Yacoub catches the eye as Chani's friend Shishakli.
As for the other new additions to the cast, Christopher Walken is remarkably restrained as the Emperor.
Lea Seydoux is riveting as Lady Margot Fenning - so much so that you hope to see more of her character in the third part.
Anya Taylor Joy turns up in an uncredited cameo as a vision of Paul's as yet unborn sister, Alia.
However it is Florence Pugh who, along with Butler, most impresses among the new additions - depicting a savvy Princess who appears to be not mesmerised by the trappings of power.
Connoisseurs of Irish rock music will be amused by the appearance of the lead singer of The Stunning, Steve Wall towards the climax of the film.
With the help of production designer Patrice Vermette, supervising art director Tom Brown, costume designer Jacqueline West and head of hair and make up design Donald Mowat, Villeneuve dreams up jaw dropping images that linger long after you have seen the film.
The visual effects team led by coordinator Allie Glisch also deserve considerable credit for the film's superb battle sequences.
It's a measure of what Villeneuve has achieved bringing Frank Herbert's novels to the big screen with both films that he leaves you craving a third part.
Comfortably on its way to be one of the box office hits of 2024, it confirms the Canadian as one of the best blockbuster filmmakers working today.
In fact, he is deserving of his place alongside Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan and Peter Jackson as one of the best directors to make epic blockbusters.
Long may he reign.
('Dune, Part Two' was released in UK and Irish cinemas on March 1, 2024)
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