Another impressive instalment of life on the desert planet. 

A couple of noteworthy strengths to the second film that helped it land even more strongly with me than the first.

The love between Paul and Chani has had more time to mature and deepen, giving love a more prominent place in this story. 

Paul’s conflicted ambivalence about living into his prophetic Messiah calling came out to me more strongly here than in the book. The introduction of a dangerous and potentially corrupting “fundamentalist” religious agenda and its relationship with power made contemporary parallels a little more striking. 

I wish we could see more of this inner conflict in our political leaders toward the use of power on the world stage. There seems little hesitation in the 2 big wars raging currently to exercise power to expand territory and influence. 

Paul’s restraint clearly had its limits. In the end, retributive violence prevailed and more than adequate firepower utilized. I guess it is too much to expect that Dune would offer an alternative to the age old pursuit of military warfare to resolve old feuds. Yet by the end, this military conquest somehow seemed hollow, leaving only the expectation of more war. 

Seeing this in IMAX with a group of friends on the Mainland added much to my joy. A extra half star in my rating for the IMAX experience. Of course there is no IMAX where I live and crossing over from the Island on my first free seniors ferry was an added bonus.