Dune Review: One of the Better Films of This Year!

Dune is a 2021 sci-fi film directed by Denis Villeneuve and is based on the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, primarily covering the first half of the book. The movie stars an incredible ensemble cast of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, Javier Bardem and others with a screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Eric Roth.

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I’ve been looking forward to Dune for a while and at the same time, I didn’t expect much. I never do with these huge blockbusters because the hype surrounding them is almost never a reliable gauge. While it did have it’s share of issues, I was surprised that I was not only entertained by the concept but I’m also anticipating the sequel.

Set 8000 years in the future where interstellar travel is the norm. In Dune, Paul Atreides played by Timothee Chalamet is heir to House Atreides on his father’s side and also (reluctantly) of the Bene Gesserit on his mother’s. He has dreams of Chani (Zendaya) from the dangerous desert planet Arrakis rich in spices that are apparently integral to every part of their life. His family is sent to Arrakis to collect their spice “tax” but soon we realise, all may not be as it appears.

Honestly, Dune has Oscar worthy production design with all the trappings of a big budget film. The costuming, setting and props perfectly capture the look and feel of this weird dystopia. Although I will admit, the musical score could be better (maybe with the exception of the end credits theme).

The acting is solid but not outstanding (props to Rebecca Ferguson though) and I felt like Timothée Chalamet was a bit stiff in the role. I don’t know if that’s because he’s supposed to be a brooding teen or whatever. The tragic part is, I can’t tell if it’s the actors’ fault or if it’s just the half written dialogue.

What little we do get focuses on giving us some world building so points for that but it doesn’t really challenge them and comes off rather bare. That’s my biggest complaint of Dune, it’s missing character depth and emotion. The story itself was intriguing enough to make up for it though.

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There’s a heavy focus on colonization and respect for other cultures that was very endearing too. Essentially, this film really serves to set the stage for Part 2 and I feel like they achieved exactly what they intended. I’m not mad at it. I will say though, this is a movie for the big screen so definitely go out and buy a ticket. It’s very much one of the better films this year.

Dune (2021) Rating – 3.5/5

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