Dune (2021) Warner Bros./Sci-Fi-Action-Adventure RT: 155 minutes Rated PG-13 (sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images, suggestive material) Director: Denis Villeneuve Screenplay: Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth Music: Hans Zimmer Cinematographer: Greig Fraser Release date: October 22, 2021 (US) Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Babs Olusanmokun, Benjamin Clementine, Golda Rosheuvel. Box Office: $108.9M (US)/$298.7M (World)
Rating: ****
I’ve never made secret my appreciation for David Lynch’s flawed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel Dune. It’s so bizarre in so many ways; I can’t help but like it. I had my doubts about the new version of Dune directed by Denis Villeneuve. He’s done good work in the past (Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival), but it’s the disappointing Blade Runner 2049 that sticks out in my mind. It was a letdown on several levels and I was afraid he’d do the same with Dune. Well, he didn’t. For the first time in a long time, I was blown away. It’s AWESOME!
Dune is epic in every sense of the word. The whole experience of watching it reminded me of seeing the first Lord of the Rings movie twenty years ago. It isn’t just a mere adaptation; Villeneuve transports the viewer to an alien world that looks believable. Like Peter Jackson, he understands the mammoth tale can’t be told in one movie. Its on-screen title is Dune: Part One and it covers roughly the first half of the book. Second and third movies are tentatively planned.
SPOILER ALERT! I know some of you would like to know where this Dune ends, so I’ll tell you. If you don’t want to know, STOP READING NOW! I mean it, last chance to exit. Okay, here it is. It takes you to the point where Paul and Jessica join the Fremen after escaping death at the hands of the Harkonnens. Now you know.
Set in the year 10191, Duke Leto I (Isaac, the most recent Star Wars trilogy), head of House Atreides, has been ordered by the emperor to take over rule of the desert planet Arrakis from the Harkonnens. It’s the sole source of the spice melange, the most valuable commodity in the universe. It extends life and consciousness and it’s essential for space travel. Leto arrives on Arrakis with his concubine Jessica (Ferguson, Mission: Impossible- Fallout) and teenage son Paul (Chalamet, Little Women) with the intention of making peace with the planet’s indigenous people, the Fremen. The emperor, seeing Leto as a threat to his own power, plans to eliminate him by staging a coup by the Harkonnens led by the vile Baron (Skarsgard, Thor).
The real focus of Dune is on young Paul who’s been trained in combat by his father’s aides and in the ways of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood by his mother. He’s trying to master this thing they have called “The Voice”, a means of mentally controlling others by changing the tone of one’s voice. Lately, he’s been having troubling dreams, visions of his future on Arrakis. It becomes clear he’s destined for great things. He will play an important role in shaping the future of the universe. If you’re familiar with the source material, you know what I’m talking about.
One of the best things about the new Dune is that it doesn’t confuse the viewer right out of the box. That was one of the chief complaints about the ’84 version. It took me two or three viewings to absorb it all. Villeneuve and co-writers Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth take a different approach to the material. It’s easier to follow because they don’t try and tell you everything at once. They take the time to develop the characters and explain relationships before revealing crucial plot information. Some might think 155 minutes is too long, but it actually flies by because it’s such a gripping tale.
It makes perfect sense for Villeneuve to follow Peter Jackson’s lead and divide the story into multiple movies. Trying to cram the whole thing into a single 137-minute movie was a fool’s errand. To be fair, the blame for its failure lies more with the studio and the producers for forcing Lynch to cut down his original three-hour cut. I still like it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not a successful adaptation. This new one, on the other hand, succeeds where the 1984 version failed. It’s a lot, but it’s never confusing.
My biggest worry about the new Dune was the special effects. As you all know, I’m not a big fan of CGI. Although crude by today’s standards, I dig the FX in the original movie. I’m happy to report that the effects in this Dune are AMAZING! It is truly a sight to behold thanks to the dream-like cinematography by Greig Fraser. Visually, it recalls other big-screen epics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lawrence of Arabia. The sound work, especially Hans Zimmer’s innovative score, matches the scope of the visuals.
What a cast! What’s more everybody does a great job in their roles. I was especially impressed with Chalamet as young Paul. Come on, you have to admit he looks more like a 15YO than Kyle MacLachlan. The lineup also includes Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) as the brutal Rabban, Josh Brolin (Deadpool 2) as Gurney Halleck, Jason Momoa (Aquaman) as Duncan Idaho, Charlotte Rampling (Zardoz) as Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Javier Bardem (Skyfall) as Fremen leader Stillgar and Zendaya (Spider-Man: Far from Home) as his daughter and Paul’s “dream girl” Chani.
The only other thing I can say about Dune is that I LOVE IT! I haven’t been this thoroughly impressed with a big-budget Hollywood movie in a very, very long time. A lot of it has to do with it actually being intelligent. It’s accessible to all without dumbing down the material. It’s a far, far cry from giant alien robots destroying everything in sight. I really, really hope the makers follow through with a second movie. If Part Two is nearly as great as One, we are in for a treat.
