Dune (2021) – Movie Review
Fear is the Mind-Killer
After the noble House Atreides is assigned to protect the planet Arrakis, Paul must travel there with his family to ensure his house’s future. The planet’s desert sands supply Spice, one of the galaxy’s most valuable resources that makes space travel possible in addition to being a potent hallucinogen. But when political upheaval puts House Atreides in danger, Paul must face his fears and venture into the desert in search of the native blue-eyed Fremen that live there.
Dune has been on my to-read list for years, but I intentionally went into the movie blind. Of course, I knew some of the basics, like House Atreides going to the desert planet Arrakis and that the drug Spice makes people’s eyes blue. That was about it. I put off starting the book, or watching any of the past movies or the mini series because I wanted to see the movie with no preconceived notions. And I must say, I really enjoyed it.
There is a reason Dune is a classic story. It has the familiar elements present in many other franchises about a boy with untapped power supposedly being “The One” getting betrayed and having barely escaped with his life, must rally to get his revenge. Some may think of it as cliche but I think of it as evergreen. There’s just something about routing for the underdog that resonates with me.
Some criticisms of the movie were that it was slow. I disagree and think director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve, in addition to Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, did a fantastic job building the world and adapting the story in a meaningful way. In building the world, the movie featured amazing shots of the landscapes in addition to the flawless CGI ships, shields and giant sand worms. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, however, given Villeneuve’s masterful work on Blade Runner: 2049 and Arrival. The movie had an all-star cast, all of whom did a stand-up job. Again, this was my first impression of the characters, but everyone seemed well-cast and fit their roles well.
Recently, Dune Part 2 was confirmed by Legendary Entertainment. My biggest question is why wasn’t Part 2 already in the works? Apparently, Villeneuve was just waiting for the green light from Warner Bros., who were waiting to see how the film performed at the box office and on HBO Max. I mean, this is one of the biggest movie releases of the year. Of course it did well. Now, Part 2 will not be released until Oct. 2023, two years from now. That just seems like a big mistake, given where Part 1 ended just left me unsatisfied. And now we have to wait another two years before continuing the story.
I guess at the end of the day, all that matters is that Villeneuve keeps doing what he is doing and tells the complete story. Overall, I was really impressed with Dune and would rate it 4 ½ / 5 stars. Given this was my first experience with the franchise, I’m a fan, and am now even more excited to read the book. And it looks like I’ll have plenty of time before Part 2 releases.