Dune (2021)

Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Chang Chen, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalachian, Charlotte Rampling
Directed by: Denis Villenueve
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction
2021

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The Atreides family is sent to the dune planet Arrakis and find themselves in the middle of a dangerous, galaxy-spanning conspiracy.

Review:

Tim: I've been eagerly waiting Denis Villenueve's Dune since it was first announced that the brilliant director would be tackling the classic science fiction story. I had high expectations for this film. I went into it cold, having not seen the first attempt at the movie, nor having read the book (I did read the first book shortly after finishing the movie). I certainly hoped this would be on my top 10 list of 2021. Now, I'll have a lot of praise for this movie, but I also have to admit it didn't blow me away like I hoped it would. It's an exceptionally well executed movie, but it misses out on greatness.

Reading the book certainly helped me understand the movie better, but reading Frank Herbert's classic didn't change my perceptions of the film. This first movie is good, but it has a lot to juggle, a lot to introduce to the audience. There's a big cast of characters, multiple planets to set up, a galactic pecking order to establish. It's also tough that this is just the first half of the book. The combined films will certainly be something to see. However, here, the movie feels unfinished. It ends in a less than satisfying manner. This isn't The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, a film that leaves the story unfinished, but still felt like a complete movie. This one very much feels like half of the story and that prevents the film from reaching its potential.

The cast, however, is astounding. Timothee Chalamet is excellent as Paul Atreides. I really enjoyed his performance and then after reading the book, I was even more convinced that he was absolutely the right actor for this. He's a talented guy and I appreciated him stepping into blockbuster territory here. Rebecca Ferguson is fantastic as his mother. Ferguson has been routinely impressing with nearly everything she does and that's no exception here. She conveys believable emotion and emerges as a strong, complex character. I loved Oscar Isaac's performance, too. His character was important in the first book, but it felt like he existed on the periphery. Isaac makes his presence felt here and the story is better for it. Zendaya's role will be more important in the next film, but she establishes a strong foundation in this one to build upon. Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem all have smaller roles than they usually do on screen, but they manage to give strong performances and make a lasting impact. I liked seeing Dave Bautista, but he doesn't have a whole lot to do. Stellan Skargard disappears into his villainous character. Chang Chen had some strong moments, too. As a whole, Villenueve assembles an all star cast for this epic.

For the most part, the movie moves at a good pace and it effectively world builds as it needed to. By the end of the film, we understand the Atreides family and their place in the empire. We are starting to get the Bene Gesserit, that shadowy sisterhood that has inexplicable powers. We see the journey from Caladan to Arrakis and we spend a lot of time getting to know this desert planet. Villenueve's movie is certainly long (2 hours, 35 minutes) but he spends a lot of time on the details that add up to painting this vivid picture of this dune planet. From the obsession with water to the sandworms, these details matter in the story. I don't know if you could do this story justice with a shorter run time.

Now, while I loved getting to know all these characters and detail, it does feel like that's the focus of the film. There's so much thrown at us and the story has to move along that we don't really get enough time to establish the incredible moments that great films have. The first encounter with the sandworms get close, as does that imagery of a sandworm later in the film. There's many moments that work, but too few that make you sit up and compel you. There's so much in this film that it almost feels like there wasn't space to create more great moments. Villenueve has to be content with really, really good ones and then move on. For any other filmmaker, this would feel like a major win. Villenueve, however, has done so many brilliant things- with Arrival, Sicario, Prisoners, and Blade Runner 2049- that you know he's capable of even more.

However, I certainly won't linger on that too long. Villenueve took a notoriously complex science fiction classic and turn it into a beautifully shot, visually impressive film that leads with drama before action, delivers a large, talented cast with the opportunity to deliver strong performances and leaves us eagerly waiting for the next film. Dune is a success and a thoroughly effective film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario, Dune (1984)