Movie Review: DUNE - 2021

This isn’t going to be a review where I write out the whole plot, and then in one or two paragraphs I tell you what I thought about it. I don’t think that helps a reader determine whether or not to watch a film or read a book. So, here’s my review of 2021’s Dune.

After watching it at the beginning of 2024, I think this movie got the hype it actually deserved. I really thought the casting was great, and it made me want to see good sci-fi movies again. I had read Frank Herbert’s Dune a couple of years ago. I followed that with Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, and some other hard sci-fi after that. I’ve really been making my way through some of the greatest science fiction books ever written, and I love them, but y’all, this one ain’t a book review (which, I must continue telling myself).

Even before reading the novel, I was a fan of Dune. When I was younger, I watched the 1984 David Lynch directed Dune film with my dad. My dad was a sci-fi fan, and he liked it even though it was touted as “the worst movie of the year” by Roger Ebert. Dad was also an artist, and the world that Lynch painted was vibrant and weird, just the kind of thing he really liked. So, I had been looking forward to this movie since I heard it was in production.

Much Deserved Hype
I wish I would have been able to see this in theaters. It feels like the right kind of cinema for a full immersive experience. I did however, watch it in 4K with surround sound, so that experience wasn’t too bad at all. There is just something extra special about going to the movie theater (it's the popcorn, I won't lie). Dune immediately captured me with that slowly increasing heartbeat rhythm. It was a mirror of my anticipation for what I’d heard was one of the best sci-fi movies in a decade (though, Blade Runner 2049 still holds it for me). Regardless, I was immediately drawn into the world of Arrakis and the struggle of the Freman people.

The cinematography on screen throughout the movie was incredible. It gave me the same kind of feeling that the Lord of the Rings trilogy gave me when I watched them in theaters for the first time in the early 2000s. It felt like I was watching something historic. Maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but The Return of the King came out in 2003 and it still holds up today. That’s good cinema. That’s what I believe this version of Dune was, good cinema. Now, there were some differences between the book and the movie, but I think we can all agree that doesn’t break a great film. In fact, some might argue that’s what makes it a great film.

The casting was so good. There are big names attached to this film, and in some ways that owes to its success, but the focus is on Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet. In Dune, he plays a believable protagonist whose attention is scattered between who he is and who he thinks he should be. There’s something subtle about him that makes you think he’s just a wimp at first, but then he continues to prove you wrong, and it’s wonderful. Some other highlights: Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho could not have been better cast in 2021. His character is lovable and regrettable… kinda (book nerds will understand), leaving you wanting more of him. Rebecca Ferguson as Paul’s mom, Lady Jessica, plays her as an eerie and strong Bene Gesserit sister who holds her secrets close and retains a smouldering dark beauty throughout the film. She seems out of place with the Freman, but I think she’s just as Frank Herbert, and importantly, director, Denis Villeneuve intended. Zendaya as Chani isn’t in this movie very much, but her presence is felt throughout, and she is a brilliant contrast to the harsh desert of Arrakis. Honestly, there is something about Zendaya that captivates audiences, and that has been proven over and over.

There were many other great performances in this movie. It seemed like the actors were making a movie they cared about and they believed in the vision, which says a lot about the director too. But there was a performance that stood out to me. Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides. Isaac plays the part perfectly as the even-handed and compassionate leader. I felt like he conveyed strength in his obedience to the emperor in leaving Caladan for Arrakis to take over the spice operation from the Harkonnens. Notably, this was an uncomfortable position that the emperor put him in, and a job nobody in the galaxy would want to take from the Harkonnens. It demonstrated the strength that no doubt won him the loyalty of the Atreides forces throughout his Dukedom. Isaac isn’t in the film for very long, but his presence commands the audience’s attention in every scene. He’s a tragic character, and one whose consequence is the rise of Lisan al-Gaib.

I know I didn’t spend a lot of time talking about the plot and telling you about how exciting the battle scenes were (they were lit, by the way), but I will encourage you to watch this film. In my opinion, this series will become classic sci-fi cinema. We’ve been through almost 20 years of sci-fi being mostly super hero flicks, so it is refreshing to see a production of this magnitude and quality based on something other than “HULK SMASH!” And that’s coming from a guy with over 200 comic books on the shelves behind me.

My Popcorn Rating:
DUNE: Part 1
4 🍿

What did you think about this film? I personally can't wait to watch Part 2.

Thanks for reading.