'Dune' captures the book's epic scale while telling only half of the story

To anyone who remembers seeing David Lynch's 1984 version of "Dune" and thinking, "OK, so that happened," director Denis Villeneuve has conjured a far more coherent narrative filled with stunning images and massive machinery. He has also split the book into two films, leaving audiences to consume the less compelling first half before ending somewhat abruptly in the middle.