Dune… A truly epic, engrossing, and awe-inspiring sci-fi film.
Overall Score: 10/10
Image: Warner Bros. Pictures
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the term “sci-fi”? Undoubtedly, most of us will probably think of either Star Wars or Star Trek. After all, those are two of the most popular works of science fiction, and they have continued to thrive decades after their initial debuts. However, for those who enjoy works of science fiction presented through mediums other than those of cinema and television, one of the most prominent and renowned stories comes in the form of Frank Herbert’s Dune.
For the purpose of keeping this review short, I shall not delve too extensively into the details and intricacies of the movie’s plot. With that said, the gist of the story is that an intergalactic war between House Atreides and House Harkonnen for control over the planet Arrakis (which is the Empire’s main source of spice) breaks loose. At the center of it all is Paul Atreides, son of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica, and heir to the title of Duke of House Atreides, who must deal with being thrust into a world and a role he may not have been completely ready or willing to enter and accept.
Dune, similar to Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, is massive in terms of scale and the nature of the story. It would seem then, that it would be an impossible task to successfully and faithfully translate everything from paper to screen. Many attempts at an adaptation of Dune (both for the big and small screen) have been made and were met with varying degrees of success. Therefore, when a new cinematic adaptation was announced, I was, of course, initially skeptical. I have not read the book (but I plan to do so eventually), but I was, at the time of the announcement, already familiar with the story to a certain extent.
As soon as the very first trailer for the movie dropped, I was instantly won over. And, thankfully, the film itself proved to be just as good as its marketing material. Scratch that. “Good” is an understatement and should not be used to describe this level of cinematic achievement. The word “masterpiece” would be a much more fitting description of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune.
Everything about this movie screams “epic.” From the jaw-dropping cinematography to the impressive production design to Hans Zimmer’s (quite literally) out-of-this-world score, everything is clearly a product of love and admiration; a homage to the film’s source material. Moreover, the acting here is top-notch, and the abundance of A-list actors like Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Stellan Skarsgård ultimately helps in grounding the story. Everyone feels perfectly cast and each actor plays well off of one another.
Dune is a long movie. There’s no denying that. However, it uses its two-and-a-half-hour runtime to its advantage by slowly and carefully setting the different pieces and aspects of its story up. Think of The Lord of the Rings or How to Train Your Dragon. That’s the level of world-building you get from Dune, only it feels grander.
What Villeneuve has achieved here is nothing short of spectacular. His decision to break the story into two parts and focus solely on the first half allows everything to be fleshed out and feel significant. Furthermore, his singular vision is what drives the story, moving from plot point to plot point and carefully but seamlessly weaving all the different elements together. He makes it feel and seem as if you were really there, on Arrakis, standing next to Paul and the rest of the characters, a sensation I personally (prior to watching Dune) had never experienced before.
Ultimately, Dune is a behemoth of a movie and a masterclass in filmmaking. It’s a technical marvel, a major cinematic achievement, and it’s one of those movies that has to be watched in theaters at least once to experience the full extent of its glory. And, as I mentioned earlier, to simply call Dune “good” would be a massive understatement. This truly is a masterpiece, and it shows. Come the day of the Academy Awards and I wouldn’t be surprised if it swept in several of the major categories.
Comments