Review of Dune (2021) by Rebecca31 — 09 Jan 2022

The highly anticipated adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel Dune and a remake of the 1984 version by David Lynch. Yeah I know I’m very late to the party with this review, don’t blame me it’s been a mental year. I’ve finally seen the visually spectacular Dune and much like the fanbase for the original cult classic this new remake is sure to bring in a whole new bunch of sci-fi fans.

Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is the son of a noble family and must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. Also starring Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård and Josh Brolin. A truly brilliant line up of talent altogether and Denis Villeneuve was the perfect director to take on a new Dune adaptation. Throw in a completely full on Hans Zimmer score and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a modern day epic. A highly immersive cinematic experience with incredible attention to detail. Everything is allowing you to fall into this new world and lose yourself in the magic of cinema. Epic really is the word to describe it, I’ve also seen the phrase space opera to describe Dune and I’d agree that’s an accurate description. I love the star studded cast but particularly Timothée Chalamet leading the movie, he gives an excellent performance. As a Zimmer fan it’s no surprise I loved the awe-inspiring score for Dune. The visuals, the music and the entire cast all perfectly complement each other to create an epic sci-fi movie.

I haven’t seen the original or read the book so I’ve no idea where the story is going next but I am excited for Dune Part II and together I’d expect Part I and II to make a terrific double bill. As amazing as Dune is it’s still only half a movie and I do feel frustrated that it’s split into two separate movies with likely a two year gap in between them. It won’t become clear until Part II as to whether separating it into two films will be worth it though in most cases splitting a story in two only results in a dragged out movie with a wrecked story arc, looking at you Hobbit trilogy. I can’t say everyone will feel the same but for me the feeling of all set up for a good portion of Dune Part I was annoying and I can only hope Part II is worth it.

It can be a daunting task to take on a big budget sci-fi movie and bring some originality to the genre especially when there’s an endless parade of Star Wars movies and TV shows to complete with. Villeneuve has shown us what he is capable of with Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. With Dune, he has not only created one of the best looking sci-fi movies in years but made something that feels new in a world of unoriginality. Recommended for all the sci-fi fans.