Movie Review: ‘Dune’ Is Stunning

Review by Lauryn Angel

Unlike many, I actually like David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune, but I can understand why so many people do; it has many flaws, including attempting to collapse story epic in scope into just over two hours. Still, I saw it at the age of 12, so it was my introduction to the story. I didn’t read James Herbert’s 1965 novel until much later. That being said, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune may prove frustrating for the opposite reason – at two hours and 35 minutes, it only tells half of Herbert’s novel. That being said, I found it to be a stunning adaptation.

The story centers on Paul Atreides (Timothy Chalamet), heir to Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), who may or may not be the Kwisatz Haderach or the Lisan al Gaib –messianic figures foretold by two different prophecies. Paul, however, wants nothing to do with these prophecies and isn’t even sure he wants to inherit his father’s office. The point becomes somewhat moot, however, as the Atreides family’s move to Arrakis, a dangerous desert planet known as Dune, throws the family into a hotbed of unrest.

The film does a good job of setting the stage here, but some might find the pacing a bit slow at the beginning, as various characters and settings are introduced, but Herbert’s universe really does contain multitudes: the Empire, the Bene Gesserit, the Mentats, and the Fremen, just as a start. And Villeneuve has assembled quite the cast to bring them to life. Oscar Isaac is a charismatic Duke Leto and Rebecca Ferguson is excellent at conveying the complexities of Lady Jessica. Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho and Josh Brolin’s Gurney Halleck are great in their roles as Paul’s mentors. I’m not 100% sold on Timothy Chalamet as Paul, but I think that part of this is because the character is flat for most of this film – for the first two thirds, things merely happen to him; he doesn’t start to get interesting until he has to take action. Zendaya’s Chani is mostly presented in dreams in this installment, so it’s difficult to really judge her take on the character.

There are several performances that don’t get as much screen time, but command the time they get. Stellan Skarsgard is fantastic as the villain, Baron Harkonnen, so much so that I wanted more scenes with the Haronnen clan, including Dave Bautista as Beast Rabban Harkonnen and David Dastalmachian as Piter de Vries. I would also have loved to see more of Charlotte Rampling as the Reverend Mother Helen Gaius Mohiam of the Bene Gesserit, but she’s deliciously creepy when she is on screen.
Aesthetically, the film is stunning. I did not get to see it on an IMAX screen, but I definitely plan to do so at the earliest opportunity. The special effects and Hans Zimmer’s score give the story the epic quality it deserves, and I felt my jaw drop more than once at what was on screen. While the movie has its occasional slow moments, I was genuinely surprised when it ended, as I hadn’t felt like I’d been sitting for two-and-a-half hours.

At the time of this writing, Warner Bros. has not greenlit a sequel, but I really hope we get one, because I would love to see what Villeneuve does with the rest of the story.