A Review of “Dune (2021)”

 

Honestly, I have not read the 1965 novel that this is based on nor the 1984 film by David Lynch. However, I am a huge fan of the director Denis Villeneuve and loved all the films he has made so far. The premise is “Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive”. So is this another hit by Denis or his first work I don’t like?

Let’s get the obvious out the way first, Dune (2021) is a visual spectacle! The cinematography by Greig Fraser is wonderful. Every shot in Dune is gorgeous whilst also capturing the beautiful and grand nature of the otherworld planets. The costume and set department also do a wonderful job of really making it seem futuristic. Especial praise to the design of all the spaceships as they are remarkably designed. The CGI is very good as well, thankfully. Hans Zimmer of Interstellar fame does the music score for this film and it is magnificent. He uses to great effect a choir and electrical instruments that elevates every scene in the film. Dune (2021) also features a stellar cast who all do a great job in their respective role even those with little screen time. My biggest praise has got to be for Stellan Skarsgård as the Baron who is just creepy and unsettling every time he is on-screen.

The story is also very intriguing and engaging. There is a political aspect throughout this series that gives a Game of Thrones vibe. There are alliances, secret agendas and backstabbing that keeps you glued to the screen. The movie also focuses a lot on world-building with the noble families, the “voice” power and the Fremen; a group of natives to the desert planet. All of this lore make the world of Dune feel more vibrant and unique similar to that of Lord of the Rings which managed to pull you in; Dune (2021) does the same. Denis does a great job in making all the politics and jargon stated, easy to understand for the audience.  There are also a large variety of characters in the film and Denis does a phenomenal job in making it clear what their personality and agendas are. The main character,  Paul Atreides played by Timothée Chalamet, has a clear character arc with the struggle of his power and him being next in line for House Atreides. Most of his story arc gets a clear resolution by the end of the film.

However, Dune (2021) is a part 1 that just covers half of the book and it shows. Most movies build up to an epic 3rd act but Dune (2021) just ends midway through the 2nd act. This ends up feeling very jarring, to say the least as it doesn’t end on a high note. It is also incredibly slow-paced. Since a majority of the film is dedicated to just exposition and explanation of the world; it results in a lot of moments that feel dull and sometimes boring. Additionally, the fight scenes and action scenes are serviceable but could be improved. Apart from the fight scenes with Duncan (Jason Momoa) the others are choreographed blandly and shot awkwardly as well.

Overall, Dune (2021) has a lot of love and effort put towards bringing the grand vision and scope of the novel to the big screen. Every frame in this film is eye-catching thanks to the cinematography, costumes and set design that had a lot of thought put towards it. Nevertheless, it is a very slow paced movie that might deter some people from enjoying it. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed Dune (2021) and it was no doubt one of the most memorable Sci-fi movies to come out. It would be a crime for this to not get a sequel!