Review of Dune (2021), directed by Denis Villeneuve.

I want to start off this review by saying this was the movie that got me back in a movie theatre, almost a year and a half after last going. The last time I went was right before the pandemic, in New York City, when Lincoln Center was having a Korean Cinema special. There I bought tickets to see Barking Dogs Never Bite by Bong Joon-ho (which, personally, I didn’t like.

Appreciated the dark humor but I wasn’t a big fan of the plot at all) and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance by Park Chan-wook (which I had seen but knew I needed to be in a wincing and screaming audience as the horrific aspects of it unfold). Dune, in October 2021, finally convinced me to go to AMC.

I had never read the Dune books before, nor had I seen the 1984 adaptation. But having read the basic premise online, I think it’s a really good idea that they split the book into two movies, even if I’m now painfully awaiting the second one.

Hell, I might go watch the first one again while in theatres. I hadn’t been to a movie theatre in awhile, which some may assume might taint my judgement, but I can assure you this is something you need to see on the big screen. It’s that beautiful. Definitely pick up a copy of the book whenever you get the chance, it helps you digest the content.

Let’s dive into the review! Please note that this review contains spoilers for the movie.

As the story unfolds gradually on the screen, Dune seems like the cinematic epic that we’ve been needing in a post-pandemic world.

Like many sci-fi novels, Dune is set in the far future. We begin the movie with a small introduction voiceover by Zendaya’s character, Chani, explaining the mechanics of her people, the Fremen, who are being invaded on their home planet.

Their home, Arrakis, is known for its spice that can be found in the dangerous desert; this spice is one of the most valuable products in the universe because of how it is is used for space travel (it allows you to navigate properly).

This has led their land and homes to be colonized by the House Harkonnen, who were asked to leave by the emperor.

And so begins the story we see on the screen. Our protagonist is Paul (Timothee Chalamet), the son of the House Atreides’ leader. His mother seems to be from a specific women-led organization, one that trains its members to wield psychic powers.

Paul’s mother, Jessica, has gone against the grain and made Paul have these powers, as he is capable of having visions of the future. Some he can change, but others he is powerless because he doesn’t know how to.

He also keeps having visions of a Fremen girl, Chani (Zendaya), who future him seems to have a romantic relationship with.

The House of Atreides is selected to take over the spice-mining in Arrakis, and Paul, his mother, father, and all their trusted commanders and warriors go from their planet, which is lush and full of water and trees, to Arrakis (which is, well, the exact opposite).

It is there Paul’s visions begin to get worse, and there seems to be a justified reason—he is about to lose everything that he knows.

The Emperor has teamed up with the House Harkonnen in order to exterminate the Atreides, and all their soldiers and Paul’s father are killed. Paul and his mother were promised protection due to the shady organization his mother is in, but the House Harkonnen doesn’t care. They’re trying to drop them in the desert when they manage to escape, leaving a bloody path of carnage to follow them.

If you’re looking for a lot of Zendaya in this film, this ain’t it. She mainly appears in Paul’s visions, where he seems to have become a Fremen since he has the signature blue eyes, and only appears in real life at the very end.

We do get a tease of her though when Paul and she go in for a kiss, and then he’s stabbed (it’s a vision!). You were indeed falling for clickbait though if you came into this movie thinking that Zendaya was going to play a major role. Not yet. Patience is the key here.

But even in the small moment where we do actually see her, as Paul prepares to duel her comrade to the death, we get a major glimpse into her character. She offers Paul the knife that her family member gave her as an act of kindness, telling him it is an honor to die with that.

That’s actually really nice because she gave him a solid weapon rather than leaving him defenseless against a trained killer.

The tension between Paul and his mother also was fascinating for me to observe throughout the movie. As her son is tortured and she stands outside the door while he’s tortured with the little painful hand box, she repeats, “I must not fear.”

And it is that that sets the tone for the entirety of the movie to me. They are quite literally thrust onto this new planet to die, but they don’t know that at first. They must face their fears almost immediately.

Then, later on, we see how Paul has a meltdown against his mother and blames her for his plight. At this point in the story, though, we’re not too sure what her motives are yet.

The best part of this movie to me, however, is the insane beauty and detail that went into the cinematography and effects. In the desert scenes, we get these beautiful shots of the sun rising and setting, how the harsh glare of light plays on the camera as we view the characters.

Even on the home planet of the Atreides, we get these meticulously crafted shots of Paul on the beach with the hills juxtaposed behind him.

After its namesake, the dunes of a desert, the background of the desert plays a major role here. It is vast, unassuming, and seems like a barren wasteland. And it’s always present wherever the eye can see; it has it’s own ecosystem, like how the sand worms inhabit one part and the Fremen in another, but it is also a character within itself.

At first, it’s menacing. But then it tends to grow on you once you figure out that they can navigate it and not instantly die.

I understand why the film ended the way it did, but man what a cliffhanger into the next movie. I knew immediately as soon as Chani said “this is only the beginning” that’d they’d cut to black and move to credits, which is perfect timing, but it felt so unsatisfying as a viewer. I wanted more from it.

And I guess that’s how they’re going to get more butts in seats when Part II comes out, because I imagine I’m not the only one.

Overall Thoughts

This is a really slow movie—it clocks in at almost three hours. But there’s so much care put into the world building and the conflict that it’s made completely worth it. I will also admit, though, that Paul seems like a Mary Sue insert at times.

He manages to not get himself killed at times he should’ve definitely been killed, and then he turns out to be like the birth the entire universe was waiting for. The coloring of the movie itself lends to the overall aesthetic and tone it’s trying to portray; it goes from a blinding daytime in the desert to a night so dark we can barely see our characters navigating across the screen.

Though, as a small picky thing, the mother and Paul don’t act like they’ve lost everything. Maybe they’re in shock as everyone around them has died, but I expected a lot more tears than the meltdown scene where Paul is so triggered he just collapses into a fit of visions.

Other side note: I am a simp for the fashion that was shown in the beginning of this film. Timothee Chalamet as Paul was gorgeously clothed, proper as a royal. Can’t wait for the sequel because I enjoyed this film so much, but it’s not even approved yet (so no work whatsoever has been done with it).

We’re going to be waiting a long time if Warner Brothers actually approves the sequel (go see it in theatres so we get that kids). I picked up a copy of Dune from the Barnes and Nobles across from the movie theatre I saw this in, so I’ll be reading up on the lore.

Don’t think I’ll touch the sequels though, I like the idea of keeping it contained to one massive sci-fi novel, especially as I see glimpses of the plot of the sequels.

Rating: 5/5

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