“Dune” Not Miss This One!

Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic is stunning but incomplete

Do you remember the last time that you saw a jaw-dropping movie? Not in a figurative sense; a movie that actually left you shocked, with your mouth open in amazement. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, one of the most anticipated films of the year, certainly does not disappoint with its spectacle. Greg Fraser’s cinematography pays homage to classic sci-fi epics while maintaining Villeneuve’s signature style. Han Zimmer’s score rattles every bone of your body as it waxes and wanes. Villeneuve’s earlier films, such Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017), while both critically acclaimed for their visuals, are utterly eclipsed by Dune, which wows the viewer by the sheer scale of every single shot. If you haven’t been to a movie theater since the beginning of the pandemic, this is the perfect film to bring you back because of how utterly cinematic it is as an experience. 

    Unfortunately, this movie does have some pitfalls. While the acting isn’t bad by any means, it certainly isn’t spectacular. None of the performances are memorable in comparison to the cinematography, sound, score, etc. In addition, the movie is so obviously built as a vehicle for its sequel, and suffers the side effects of stretching a single literary narrative arc across several movies. Due to this, the characters are yet to be fully fleshed out, and near the end, the viewer definitely starts to really feel the 2.5 hour runtime. It wouldn’t have necessarily been better if the whole novel was crammed into one movie, which would make it have a six hour run time or feel rushed and poorly paced, but creating something more conclusive to end this movie while still setting up Part 2 would have been much more satisfying. 

    Despite the negative criticism, this movie is a blast to watch. If you’re a fan of Villeneuve’s other films, or you love sci-fi epics, or you just want to experience a jaw-dropping movie, then make time for this one. You won’t regret it.

Dune was released on October 22, 2021 and is currently in US theatres and streaming on HBO Max.