An epic in size only. Formally, trying to get pleasure from a Denis Villeneuve film is still like trying to get blood from a stone. Is this beauty? I fear sounding like a broken record, but luckily I don’t have to since Dune: Part Two would still piss me off even if I were a fan of the director’s fussy, mannered aesthetic. An epic in size only. The word “scope” should not be used. The film has about ten characters. Villeneuve relishes in his gargantuan frames, but when he goes in for close-ups you’ll find nothing behind the eyes. He doesn’t understand that an epic needs to work on both levels.

The appeal of a messiah is that they are human. Chalamet’s Paul Atreides never sells anything approaching despair or even desperation. Any dilemma he faces does not weigh on soul or shoulders. The narrative’s events treat him as infallible which he rejects until he seemingly, suddenly, unceremoniously accepts. Does Paul believe himself the messiah? It’s clear until it’s not. He’s presented as a character who does not struggle with self-belief and may not even have use for it. If presented with the argument that Paul’s ascendancy is meant to be ambiguous, I have to then ask: what is meant to compel us? Are we meant to believe Paul is the messiah? Are we meant to believe he’s human? I struggle to find any beauty in him or his triumphs.

The Fremen are also denied humanity. Sure, they’re oppressed, but oppressed people still have lives. The Fremen aren’t fighting for life. The film doesn’t even make it seem like they are fighting for survival. They’re unconvincing as human when it comes to both joy and suffering. There is much talk about faith, but real faith isn't joyless. According to Denis Villeneuve, faith means nothing more than when a guy kneels on the ground. Paul’s visions of a future paradise on Arrakis have no people in them. When it comes to portraying what's actually at stake for the Fremen, Villeneuve resorts to lip service. An epic in size only.

Austin Butler’s Feyd Rautha is less a foil for Paul than he is a similar void. His character is encapsulated entirely by the line “He’s psychotic!” He doesn’t seem to have any real wants or fears, so his clash with Paul is bereft of story. As for the other players, my excitement at seeing Lea Seydoux was cancelled out by the depression of seeing how this film utilized Bautista. Especially after seeing what he is capable of in Knock At The Cabin. Every “Best sequel since” comment fails to convince me since like its predecessor, Dune: Part Two fails to satisfy as a standalone journey. “Best sequel” is laughable when it fails to even meet that baseline standard for franchise filmmaking.

Because Dune: Part Two is an entertainment, none of my previous criticisms would kill the movie if the scenes worked, but they mostly don’t. The movie could be salvaged if the action was great, but it isn’t. Anything this movie can give to the audience, it refuses to, and everything it tries to give to the audience it’s unable to. I suggest it be considered a failure from top to bottom. On the bright side, the theaters seats shook throughout and $22 isn’t an absurd price to pay for a massage.