Warning: The next article about Dune: Half Two accommodates spoilers.

Instantly strolling out of the theater and calling the sci-fi film you simply watched the subsequent Star Wars is straightforward. It’s even simpler when the movie has a robust capability that may be in comparison with the Drive. Nonetheless, Dune: Half Two, regardless of being primarily based on a e book that predates George Lucas’ authentic movie by greater than a decade, does decide up the baton from the Star Wars prequels.

When Lucas got down to inform the story earlier than the story, expectations have been excessive. The Jedi have been on the peak of their powers; Anakin Skywalker was getting ready to begin his journey, and the Sith have been simply starting to enact their plan of common domination. Sadly, the prequels got here and went with out making a lot of an influence. Certain, they have been formidable, with Lucas making an attempt to mix much more political commentary right into a fantastical universe the place frog-like creatures can defeat a large robotic military by tripping over their very own ft, however they bit off excess of they might chew. And nowhere is that extra evident than within the Clone Wars and the intrigue surrounding the battle.

The Clone Wars was of nice curiosity as a result of it was one of many main breadcrumbs Lucas left in A New Hope, with Obi-Wan alluding to an enormous battle he and the remainder of the Jedi have been a part of. Big battles have been nowhere to be present in The Phantom Menace, however Lucas was setting the stage for them between the blockades and senate hearings. Then, it was time for Assault of the Clones, which had to offer the epic motion sequences The Phantom Menace lacked. Nonetheless, when numerous CGI Clones appeared and fought alongside a bunch of Jedi they’d by no means met, it was arduous to seek out any actual emotion within the story. Whereas Revenge of the Sith tried to play catch-up, the harm was already carried out, and the epic trilogy that was seeking to rival the unique by no means got here collectively.

Now, 2021’s Dune adaptation doesn’t have the identical points as The Phantom Menace. It truly does an outstanding job of creating intergalactic commerce and the management of assets attention-grabbing. Like The Phantom Menace, although, Dune units the stage for a large battle, with the Harkonnen laying waste to the Atreides throughout a shock assault. The Harkonnen and Emporer Shaddam even function a bit just like the Sith and Commerce Federation, pulling the strings behind the scenes to make sure sure events acquire energy. Nonetheless, regardless of all that, Dune: Half Two makes it clear from the beginning that it doesn’t wish to be talked about in the identical breath as Assault of the Clones.

Associated: Dune 2: Who Are the Bene Gesserit, Defined

Dune: Half Two finds Paul Atreides dwelling with the Fremen, who take him in after the destruction of his Home. He rapidly learns their methods and positive aspects respect from even essentially the most skeptical. What begins to turn into a problem is the truth that a big portion of the Fremen consider Paul to be their messiah, Lisal al Gaib, who will ship them to paradise. Initially, Paul doesn’t consider the tales, however with the intention to get revenge and take again Arrakis, he’s prepared to play the half. The facility goes to his head, although, and even after taking down the Harkonnen, he decides to wage conflict on all the galaxy, believing the opposite Homes ought to bend the knee.

Paul isn’t utilizing faceless Clones as his military, nonetheless. The “holy conflict,” as Paul’s mom, Girl Jessica, describes it, will likely be waged by the Fremen that Paul befriended. Actually, one of many closing photographs of Dune: Half Two is Javier Bardem’s Stilgar getting ready to board a ship and depart his residence behind moments after liberating it from its oppressors. It leaves a sophisticated style in a single’s mouth, forcing viewers to wonder if they backed the best horse. That’s in stark distinction to the ending of Assault of the Clones, the place Yoda equally declares a conflict kicking off, just for the film to pan to a CGI military with little or no to say.

The Clone Military obtained its time within the solar in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, however that was years after the prequels, and exhibiting off the very best elements of the large battle on Cartoon Community in all probability wasn’t what Lucas and Co. had in thoughts once they began to map out the prequels. Denis Villeneuve, the thoughts behind the present adaptation of Dune, received’t have to make use of the upcoming sequence Dune: Prophecy to make his films higher – he’s taken care of that each one on his personal by growing a narrative on the massive display stuffed with emotion and actual stakes.

Dune: Half Two is in theaters now.