Hello Fellow Journeyers,
While I take some time to get some books read, I thought I would do something that I haven't done before: a movie review. I've been wanting to write one for some time but hadn't found the courage but there is no time like the present. I've decided to take the leap and go for it with the movie I was most excited for (right behind Spiderman: No Way Home) this year: Dune. Let's begin.
What's the story about: Dune follows young Paul Atreides and his family as they take ownership over the highly sought after planet of Arrakis after their enemies have been enforced to leave under mysterious circumstances. Nothing is as it seems with young Paul's destiny or the fate of the planet.
The first thing I'll mention is that I did not read the book before going to see this movie. While I wanted to, I couldn't get into the story because of the way it was told. It's very cerebral and difficult but after seeing the movie, I want to give it another go. Dune is getting a lot of attention for being a visually stunning film and that attention is justly deserved. While this has been said before, you truly get transported to the planet of Arrakis and can feel every aspect of the atmosphere and setting deeply. Almost too much so. There's a sense of desperation and scarcity from the moment Paul arrives on the planet, and while the movie does tend to lose a bit of its soul with the aesthetic, it doesn't lose its appeal. It is extremely atmospheric, which is as haunting as it is engrossing.
The most blatantly apparent thing to note on Dune is at the beginning, it states "Part 1" under the title card and this can pretty much emphasize the biggest issue plaguing Dune. It simply does not feel like a complete story since it is only half of the complete tale and just like every other movie that has done this (Harry Potter, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, The Hunger Games) there is just a lack of finality that doesn't get there with the ending of the first half. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that splitting a movie into two is a bad thing innately (I think Harry Potter's Deathly Hallows Part 1 is splendidly enjoyable contrary to many people's opinions), I just think that the stories suffer from a lack of progression when they can't properly end at the right time. Which is definitely the case with Dune as it leaves us off on a cliffhanger that isn't terrible, but definitely isn't wholly satisfying. But I will say this, some movies deserve to be spread out. I can't criticize Dune immensely since The Lord of the Rings is kind of the epitome of a truly split story that doesn't close upon each entry ending, so I will allow this to not sour my experience. Upon rewatch, I came to accept this more for what it was.
Now that I've stated some things very critically, I will get to the positives. I was deeply enthralled the entire time. I immediately wanted to return to this world and universe despite it being a truly terrible place to live in. The score is haunting and surreal. The tone is laser-focused on telling a journey for Paul in many facets and while is suffers a little from the weight, it delivers on it by the end. This movie has a ton of worldbuilding and intense multi-character storytelling and while it isn't perfect, it does a really good job most of the time. I'm incredibly excited for Part Two because I think it is going to be absolutely crazy but I also hope that it is able to handle the amount of payoff that it promises by the end of this first movie.
Final Verdict: ★★★★ 4 Stars - Dune is a masterclass in cinematography that is as good as it is flawed. The characters are great, but besides Paul, none of them shine especially; which is too bad since you get to spend significant time with most of them. The most interesting characters you don't get to see enough of, but hopefully this will be rectified with the completion of this story in Part Two. The progression is slow and methodical, but drifts between exciting and boring a little too jarringly. While it's not a perfect film, there is still enough meat to provide a fun movie experience that has depth and intrigue abounding. Upon another watching, this film grew on me more than I expected and it truly is one-of-a-kind.
Let me hear from you! If you like what you read, want to hear more thoughts on this book, other reviews, or talk book recommendations and Essential Reading, leave a comment below.