PHOTO BY NIKO TAVERNISE / WARNER BROS.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” series is the rare franchise that rises to the level of its own ambitions. Its uncanny, stately visual style is fully realized; its haunting tone is effective; its epic narrative feels endless and ancient.

Deliberately, the filmmaker designed “Dune: Part Two” as a pure continuation of the first film, drawing a distinction from a traditional sequel. That’s not mere marketing; this film does not function like a standalone film but rather as more chapters of the same book.

That approach further cements the grand scale of this narrative; its world feels well-established and vivid and its characters grow to mythic proportions. To some degree, however, that expansive structure is also the only significant flaw of “Dune: Part Two.” Not only does it not have a neat structure, it has no beginning and no end; it’s three hours of events without a clear arc.

As you’re watching, you won’t mind; it’s just too impressive.

When last we left Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), he was hiding on the desert planet Arrakis, sheltered by suspicious ally Chani (Zendaya) and tribal leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem), members of the beleaguered Fremen people. Atreides and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), are presumed to be the only survivors of House Atreides; their family and people were destroyed by the evil House Harkonnen, led by floating despot Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard).

House Harkonnen has taken control of Arrakis and its valuable spice mining; Atreides believes he can join with the Fremen to throw the villains off the planet, but keeps having visions of inadvertently sparking a devastating holy war.

The political machinations only get more complex from there, eventually involving the arrival of the emperor (Christopher Walken) and his ambitious daughter (Florence Pugh), as well a vicious Harkonnen heir (Austin Butler). If these names and places make little sense, you may want to watch a recap of the first film; “Dune: Part Two” deposits you in the middle of a lot of information, with no quarter given to newcomers.

Moment to moment, it’s breathtaking. The design and pace of “Dune: Part Two” match its somber, wondrous tone (amply helped by Hans Zimmer’s haunting score). This is a film awash in the kind of images that most science fiction works only manage once or twice; almost every frame is striking, and many are unforgettable.

Its action is tense; its twists are shocking. After the credits roll, its spell may not linger; the plot is too inconclusive, a clear middle chapter before a presumptive concluding film. But few theatrical experiences, this year or any, will be more dazzling.

My Rating: 8/10

“Dune: Part Two” is now playing in theaters.