Dune
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Zendays
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
Rated: PG-13
Spice, sandworms, and Timothée Chalamet. The 3 ingredients needed for any movie to happen. The highly anticipated sci-fi epic Dune has made its way to theaters after quite a long journey. The film based on Paul Herbert’s popular book of the same name had a film adaption in the 80s that didn’t exactly take off. Can Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation be the one to stand out?
Dune is part sci-fi, part political commentary, part action epic. If you’re thinking Star Wars, you’d be headed in the right direction. Dune was actually written before Star Wars and if I was Frank Herbert I’d certainly be side-eyeing George Lucas because there are some similarities that are hard to overlook here. While Star Wars has its fair share of humor, Dune takes a far more serious approach towards its subject matter.
The film follows Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), a boy of noble birth with mysterious visions. Paul’s journey begins as his family sets out to Arakis, a dangerous planet known for spice trading. They make the planet their home and try to bring peace to the land. However, an evil group looks to exploit the spice trade, and danger lurks around every corner. Can Paul become the hero he was meant to be?
Dune is a sci-fi epic. The scale is massive in every single scene. It’s difficult to not be impressed by the sheer scale of the film itself. From the vast desert of Arrakis to the dark void of Geidi Prime, Dune displays a visually stunning world, especially thanks to cinematographer Greg Fraser’s work. Hans Zimmer’s booming score matches the spectacle of each scene to transport us to the world of these characters. In a lot of ways, Dune reminds me of Denis Villeneuve’s last film, Blade Runner: 2049, a visual spectacle that embraces sci-fi world-building. It’s clear this was a big-budget film. From Arrival to Dune, there is a mysterious and haunting quality surrounding Villeneuve’s films that keeps the viewer invested.
I do have to say that there’s such a focus on the technical aspects here that some of the story comes out feeling a bit soulless. The characters on display feel like one-dimensional caricatures who exist to show off the incredible visuals. There’s an unfortunate lack of emotion throughout the film. Sure, Timothee Chalamet set against artistic images is cool to look at but at a certain point, a movie must be more.
These characters are tropes. Paul is “the chosen one.” Lady Jessica is “the mother who can fight.” Chani is “the mysterious girl.” Duke Leto Atreides is the “political father.” Vladimir Harkonnen is the “sci-fi villain".
Who are these characters behind the tropes? What are their personality traits? I have no idea because it’s never explored in the movie. This is a stacked cast with Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, and Zendaya. While all of the actors play these roles well, I wanted to know more about them as characters.
Denis Villeneuve has crafted quite an impressive film technically with Dune. By the looks of it, this is just part one of a two-part saga. Dune is a visually gorgeous sci-fi spectacle but visuals will only take you so far. There is a cold lack of emotion present that leaves the film with an overall emptiness.
My Rating: 6/10