Dune - Review

Rating: 10/10

DUNE is a fascinating space opera of epic proportions. It is the perfect blend of stunning visuals, intriguing storytelling, intense action sequences, stellar performances, and colossal world-building. Director Denis Villeneuve has done the impossible by successfully adapting Frank Herbert’s novel (which has long been proclaimed as “unfilmable”) while staying faithful to the source material. 

Even though this is only an adaption of the 1st half of the novel, Villeneuve does a fantastic job of setting up this complex story, introducing an extensive amount of characters, and deftly explaining the comprehensive lore of this world. This grand story and rich lore is easily accessible in large part to the writing of Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth. The characters are not only relatable but have depth to them, and the world of Arrakis (and Caladan) feels tangible and lived in. 

Every actor/actress of this all-star ensemble cast brings these characters to life, but my personal favorites are Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides and Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. The secondary and tertiary characters that also really stood out for me are Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet Kynes and Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam.

The technical elements of this film are exceptional. The cinematography by Greig Fraser is astonishing, the score from composer Hans Zimmer is beautiful, the editing by Joe Walker is stellar, and the production design by Patrice Vermette is otherworldly. The sound design, costume design, makeup, and visual effects are also incredible, and they heavily contribute to the hypnotic allure of this film.

The pacing is excellent for a 2 hour and 35 minute runtime. Every scene and line of dialogue has purpose and importance to the plot and time flew by watching this film as there isn’t a single dull moment to be found, thanks to the sharp editing of Joe Walker and masterful directing of Denis Villeneuve.  

DUNE expertly balances the grandeur of this complex story with the more intimate character moments and weaves deep themes of imperialism, faith, and ecology through the narrative to create an epic Sci-Fi film for the ages.

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Director: Denis Villeneuve

Writer(s): Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth

Runtime: 2h 35m

Release Date: October 2021

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