There are not enough good things that could be said about Denis Villeneuve's remake of the classic Dune movie which came out back in 1984. Based on the novel by science-fiction genius Frank Herbert, Dune is an incredible way to introduce yourself to the true depths of the sci-fi genre.
Thanks to the arrival of streaming services, and Covid, movie theaters were on the decline. Before Dune, which had been delayed for almost a whole year because of the pandemic, I hadn't seen a movie in a theater since 2019. If there was any movie that needed to perform well not only for its own sake, but for the sakes of movies in general and theaters trying to get back in shape, it was Dune. And Dune absolutely delivered above and beyond. Director Denis Villeneuve said he wanted fans to go experience the movie in theaters as it was intended to be, and I'm glad I did. Never has a movie theater trip been so epic. The soundtrack was so loud that it almost made my ears bleed. (Thanks, Hans Zimmer).
I've been a sci-fi fan for as long as I can remember. I've seen lots of movies within the genre, but in recent years, it felt like sci-fi was on the decline. It's not exactly the most profitable thing for movie studios and producers to make. Franchises like Marvel and Star Wars took over a lot. The sci-fi movies that did come out either weren't that great, or they were just less seen in the hype for stuff like The Last Jedi and Avengers: Endgame. Dune, to me, felt like the long overdue return to the Epic, high sci-fi blockbuster type of film.
What made it so great?
It's very simple. Dune had a sandbox full of toys, and they used each one of them perfectly. Nothing was missing, nothing was unnecessarily added, and they utilized what they had to the maximum. Each component of the movie, from the characters and the plot to the theme and the visuals, was executed in a very polished and orderly way. You can tell the director and the crew had the time they needed to do everything they wanted to do, the way they wanted it, and the vision to be able to pull it off. There was nothing rushed about this movie, but you can tell the amount of work that was put in just by the quality of the acting, the set design, the way the scenes were shot, and how the movie had a perfect ebb and flow of pacing.
The movie has a slower pace than the average film, but that is one of Dune's greatest strengths. By taking its time, the movie provided so much visual worldbuilding and setting. The director didn't want you to just watch the movie's dragonfly-like helicopters take off into the sky, he wanted you to see the way the sun shines off of the glass, the way the ship's blades kick up a cloud of sand, the way the engines fire up and roar. The same philosophy applies to the whole movie, not just certain scenes.
Visually, there's just so much detail, and thanks to the pacing, you have the time to see it and soak it in and be immersed. There were a number of times throughout the film where a scene would suddenly change camera shots to a different angle or focus on a particular object of interest, giving a great sense of depth. The visuals were complemented perfectly by the aweing soundtrack, which was composed by one of the greatest movie composers of all time, Hans Zimmer. I could feel the cold temperatures of the dark nights of planet Arrakis.
The cast was likewise virtually perfect. The acting had me sold from the first scenes, and every newly introduced character along the way integrated into the existing list seamlessly. When you have names like Oscar Issac, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, and so many more, you might think sometimes that the lesser-known actors will seem dwarfed out, but in Dune, not a chance. Timothee Chalamet, who had the main role playing the character Paul Atreides, was just as good as anyone else. Everyone was just... so believable. Not one character felt forced, or when one of them died, it did not feel like they had been wasted.
Costume designs and appearances were also top-notch. They fitted the theme of the movie very well. That's what most of Dune is, just thing after thing complementing the other and making them all better.
No movie is truly complete unless it has a good story. One may still be considered at least decent if it has a great story but nothing else is good, but never the other way around. Good thing Dune decided that since it has a great cast, visuals, director, and soundtrack, it might as well have equally competent execution of its storyline. Again, slower pacing paid massive dividends. And from the very beginning to the very end, there was nothing but meaningful scenes that all contributed to the carrying out of the great plot. There have been movies that never got me hooked or fully sold no matter how many scenes went by, but hooking you within the first five minutes is what Denis Villeneuve does so well. He gets you sold before you subconsciously realize it and keeps you utterly trapped, unlike some other films which are a lot weaker or are almost asking you, the viewer, for permission to be liked. As in, it'll try to do things on purpose just to get you hooked. "Hey, big explosion. You like explosions, right? Have one!" Dune doesn't do that. It's simply made the way it's made, and just casually hooks you on its own.
There's a couple of themes to the story, common elements and techniques. One of them is mystery. Dune does a good job at keeping enough under wraps but also allowing the viewer enough information to understand what's happening. It's a good balance. And as the movie progresses, it keeps adding more, and revealing more. There's certainly no lack of depth here. There's so many pieces and parts to the world and lore that you'll never run out of discovering something new, or further build upon an existing piece.
One thing I especially appreciate about Dune is the way it includes supernatural elements without going overboard on the fantasy aspect. It's still completely sci-fi. The execution of Dune's "space magic" is far better than what Star Wars's Force has become. Just as a comparison, in recent years the Force has become less mysterious, and more of a tool to just have some "cool" lightsaber battles and superpowers. Dune stays far, far away from all that. (See what I did there?). Dune makes sure that all of its "magic" remains mysterious, incredibly eerie, and somewhat grounded in reality (most of it is telepathy, visions, and the power of the mind). Even though it's not trying to do Star Wars better, it naturally does. I was more creeped out by Dune's order of witches, the Bene Gesserit and the Truthsayers, than I was with any Sith Lord in Star Wars. Arrakis is a far more interesting place than Tatooine ever will be.
There's not really much I dislike about Dune. I enjoy how it's relatively watchable for older kids and can be enjoyed by teenagers, though adults are probably most likely to love it. The story was in fact so big it's going to take two movies to wrap it up. Yes, Dune 2021 is just the first of two parts. Part 2 is already in the works, and it is currently scheduled to come out in 2023.
Final Verdict
Everything went right for this movie across the board, and all people involved in its making built and utilized what they had very well. For me, Dune gets an 8.6 out of 10.
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