This has been a long-ass road for me. After being delayed for a solid year, I had to practically forget in my mind that a fresh take on the Frank Herbert novel was even coming out. Alongside “No Time To Die”, “Dune” was probably the second biggest victim of Covid related delays in the box-office realm. Had it not been for that pain-in-the-ass virus, Dune Part 2 would probably be in post-production by now and gearing up for marketing and release.
Thanks China!
Without beating around the bush, Dune Part 1 is an amazingly effective attempt at a novel that nobody (including myself) thought could be pulled off. This is a great first half of a science fiction epic which, while I feel is 15 minutes too long, is still a glorious treat in terms of narrative, visuals, and score.
Denis Villeneuve is being regarded as the sci-fi wunderkind these days. While I didn’t really love his movie “Arrival”, I completely fell for “Blade Runner 2049”, as well as loving his previous thrillers “Prisoners” and “Enemy”. This French-Canadian dude knows how to make a good movie, and if I was a betting man, I’d say his “Dune” movies could in all likelihood cement his place among the greats.
Not because they’re perfect movies.
But because he had the balls to take on a humongous source material and deliver it in an effective and meaningful way.
Dune is an epic sprawling tale of interstellar politics and resource conflicts coming face-to-face with a tapestry of spiritual enlightenment and predestination. What starts as the conquest of a vital planet rich in resources becomes a battle for the soul of the universe, where planetary Houses wage war against each other beneath a corrupt, all-ruling empire.
In other words, heavy shit.
The first 90 minutes of this movie are fucking great. The stakes are set up nicely, we meet our protagonists and antagonists in measured amounts and things go wrong in spectacular fashion, leading to a greater conspiracy that will be later revealed. Then the movie drags a little for 20 minutes, before getting back on track for the final scenes and setting things up for a great concluding finish.
In terms of character and build-up, this felt like the greatest story that Stephen King never wrote.
Like “The Stand” on an alien planet, and I mean that as a good thing.
If slow-burning sci-fi is your thing, it don’t get no better. Check it out.
