Dune – Epically Breath Taking
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth (Screenplay) Frank Herbert (Novel)
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Rebeccas Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgard, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling
Plot: Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.
Tagline – It Begins
Runtime: 2 Hours 35 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Dune starts when house Atreides Duke Leto (Isaac), Lady Jessica (Ferguson) and their son Paul (Chalamet) are assigned to a new dangerous planet Arrakis, formerly run by the ruthless Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Skarsgard), who isn’t happy about being replaced on the planet.
With Duke Leto looking to create peace with the natives, he sees his house come under attack, leading to Paul and Jessica needing to learn about the desert planet if they are ever going to be able to fight back.
Thoughts on Dune
Characters & Performances – Paul Atreides is the son of the Duke, he has been dealing with dreams about Arrakis before ever being there, seeing death coming along with a mysterious stranger in the dreams. He isn’t prepared to takeover, constantly learning from everyone around him. Lady Jessica is Paul’s mother that has gifted him her own powers, ones that can control people, she knows the threat this could if in the wrong hands, she will always put his safety first. This is a film that spends a lot of time on the characters, showing how most are important to Paul, be it people that trained him, people that have wronged him or the people he is dreaming off. The acting in the film is strong with most needing to remain on the calmer side of things, with only Jason Momoa enjoying the freedom to break this at times.
Story – The story here follows the son of a ruler that sees his family set to a dangerous planet where they are betrayed, leaving him to use the skills he has obtained in his young life to put together his plans to get revenge and bring a peace to the universe. This is only the beginning of the mega saga, opting to create the characters around Paul, with a couple of massive set pieces, diving into what is important in showing his journey, the people that are after him and the Spice, as well as being about throwing us into a world, with so much more to see. This is a story that will have everything you want from an introduction film, creating the sides and showing the early signs of what Paul could become.
Themes – Dune is the spectacular sci-fi movie that we have waited for this year, it creates a massive world, with Arrakis being the planet with little known other than danger, the center of the greed within the emperor’s reign. This is a visually treat, with gorgeous scenery for the open spaces, while keeping the darker toner for the enclosed ones. The battle sequences might well look like everything we have seen before, the defence suits have a unique look, which has shown the improvement in the special effects since the original, with the grand appearance of the worms, being what will leave you jaw dropping.
Final Thoughts – Dune is the most beautiful visual experience of the year, making you want to come back for more.