Conservatives who complain about liberal Hollywood may have a new film to champion: Dune: Part Two. The new science fiction epic is directed by Denis Villeneuve and adapted from the famous book by author Frank Herbert. ...

Dune the novel tells the story of Paul Atreides, a teenage boy who comes to Arrakis, leads a revolt against the empire, and fulfills a religious prophecy. In the recent Dune films, Paul is played by Timothee Chalamet, who is perfectly cast.

What many critics get wrong is that Dune is not an argument for a messianic leader to come and save us. It’s about resisting the lure of such a figure — a Barack Obama who is deified as the answer to our spiritual desires and is the fulfillment of “the arc of history.” In Dune Messiah, the sequel to Dune, Paul becomes a tyrant who doubts his so-called destiny and is responsible for millions of deaths.