When a film cultivates substantial anticipation and buzz but is met with delays, it’s tough to keep the momentum alive. However, judging by a solid domestic opening and a robust international take, Dune delivered on its promise of being a massive sci-fi epic for the ages.
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Based on the novel by Frank Herbert Spice is the most valuable commodity in the universe and it exists only on one remote desert planet. When control of its harvest switches hands, the governing houses are thrown into war and chaos as forces from the shadows look to exploit the conflict to their own ends. One young man is caught at the center and must confront two parallel destinies.
Denis Villeneuve has continued to raise the bar and taking on this project feels very much at home after Blade Runner 2049, but Dune is bigger in scope and scale. It’s so big, in fact, that the 2h 35m runtime is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot of world-building to get done from scratch, so it’s a bit of a slow burn but the script from Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, and Eric Roth handles the pacing very well. Plus, it’s always very intense so it never feels like a slog to get through. The characters are all written, with an expressed purpose, but it’s nice that most of the connective tissue raises the right kinds of questions.
Villeneuve’s mastery of visual storytelling goes a long way in engaging the viewer without having to do a lot of hand-holding and I appreciate that more and more. When you look at the incredible production design by Patrice Vermette, the remarkable sets by Richard Roberts and Zsuzsanna Sipos, and the wonderful costuming by Bob Morgan and Jacqueline West, it all comes together to form one singular, cohesive vision. No true epic would be complete without an original score worthy of one of the legends in the business and Hans Zimmer’s music is the blood pumping through the film’s veins. It’s all part of an incredibly immersive experience that helps Villeneuve communicate without needing to drown you in exposition. Of course, there are some moments that require it, but most of the important stuff is very well integrated.
The cast is incredible and stacked with A-listers that wanted to be part of this project. Part of me looked at it like Warner Bros. and Legendary were trying to secure the audience with their casting choices and I’m sure that’s accurate to some extent, but it’s not like they went right to the most marketable and profitable names out there. It’s no surprise to see Francine Maisler and Jina Jay at the heart of the casting. Ultimately, it’s a story with rich and wild characters that offer a lot to their actors beyond just a paycheck and the actors’ personalities don’t dilute their roles. Although I would have liked to see more of certain characters, the performances are strong all across the board and I eagerly await the conclusion of this saga.
Speaking of which, I’m happy to see that Dune: Part Two has been officially announced on the back of a very successful box office performance. Given some theater limitations and its availability on HBO Max, there were no guarantees on the return on investment.
I have no particular connection to the source novel or the 1984 film adaptation, so I was able to go into this and see it without any preconceived notions. It is safe to say that Dune is one of the year’s best films. It might even be the best film of the year depending on your personal preference. The production value is astonishing and to think it’s not even one of the five most expensive films this year speaks volumes about how effectively the budget was used to maximize the on-screen product.
Recommendation: If you can, do yourself a favor and see this one on the biggest screen possible. This is the kind of film that deserves it.
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