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After years in development hell and a pandemic delaying its release even further, Dune, a long-awaited readaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic, has finally arrived.
Timothée Chalamet is the lead in this science-fiction epic, and his name is… Paul. Moving on, Paul is the son of the noble Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), a family entrusted to collect spice on the desert planet, Arrakis. This spice (also known as melange) is the most valuable resource in the galaxy as it allows superhuman levels of thought, extends life, and makes interstellar travel possible. So basically, Arrakis is a gold mine, and everyone wants a piece of it.
Much like the book on which it’s based, Dune is a slow burn. Although, once it gets going, it becomes a wild ride that I’m sure fans of the books will love. At two hours and thirty minutes, it manages to pack a lot in, so much so that I think the runtime could have been shaved down with a couple of cuts here and there. Despite this excessive runtime, director Denis Villeneuve still makes a film that is tight. Nonetheless, I would happily sit and watch an extended cut if it meant spending more time with the characters.
An Interstellar Cast
Dune is the closest we’ve come to a Game of Thrones epic in space. Much like the earlier seasons of Thrones, it’s the characters that make up the movie.
Chalamet, Ferguson and Isaac make up the heads of House Atreides, with Oscar Isaac providing a subtle but endearing performance as the patriarch of the family. He is forced to juggle work, honour, power and family. Still, as much as I love Isaac, his performance was slightly overshadowed by those of Chalamet and Ferguson.
Chalamet and Ferguson are fantastic as co-leads. Their mother and son chemistry was believable, and their relationship had me invested. While I don’t think Chalamet’s performance warrants an Oscar nomination like many other critics have stated, I think Ferguson deserves a nomination for Best Actress.
Ferguson’s performance isn’t as physical as Chalamet’s. However, she delivers one of the most emotionally layered performances in the whole film because Lady Jessica is thrown through the rings in this movie.
Chalamet is fantastic, but he is often as emotionless as a Pod Person. It’s hard to connect to him, especially when everyone around him is outshining him. A notable example is Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s Dr Liet-Kynes, an Arrakis native who works alongside House Atreides. Dune is Duncan-Brewster’s first major motion picture, and she shows that she has the chops to lead her own franchise because she gives a badass performance that will leave you wanting more – more – more – more of her!
Big Names with Small Roles
Alongside the extensive cast are many famous faces who appear sporadically throughout the film. We often cut back to the villains of the story. Meanwhile, everyone else appears only when they encounter Paul and Lady Jessica. A lot of the supporting cast only appear fleetingly. In spite of that, their appearances are among the best moments in the whole film.
Stellan Skarsgård is the main antagonist of Dune, and his Baron Vladimir Harkonnen may not have a lot of screentime. However, Skarsgård, caked in makeup and often strung-up to ominously float, hits the nail on the head. He’s one of the most mysterious and enigmatic creatures in the film, and I can’t wait to see him in Dune: Part Two!
Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Charlotte Rampling, and Zendaya round out the rest of the cast. Of the six, Brolin delivers one of the more lacklustre performances in the whole movie. He stands tall as Gurney Halleck, the weapons master, and despite his fight scenes being fun to watch, his role is dull and something we’ve seen from him in many films past.
Jason Momoa and Charlotte Rampling deliver some of the best supporting performances in the film. Momoa brings his natural quick-wit as Duncan Idaho for some needed comedy relief, while Rampling’s Reverent Mother is as interesting as she is terrifying.
Lost in the Sands
Bautista and Zendaya are barely in the movie, so their performances are hard to comment on. Although, I will say that Bautista is the same as he always is. I guess that works well for him as it does most of his characters. Additionally, Zendaya is as good as she always is. She manages to work well with the short time we spend with her.
Javier Bardem’s leader of the Fremen (the natives of Arrakis) was one of my favourite characters alongside Duncan-Brewster. Unfortunately, he’s barely in the movie, but he owns the room when he is.
The Desert Has Never Looked So Good!
Aside from its stellar cast, the movie’s real stars are cinematographer Greig Fraser and composer Hanz Zimmer.
Fraser’s smooth dolly shots, sweeping aerials of the desert, and tight emotional close-ups make this one of the most beautifully shot movies in recent years. For a movie set almost entirely in a desert, Dune never looks barren or boring. Nearly every scene is a poster-worthy shot.
As for the music, Zimmer delivers as much as he always does – which is top tier quality. The music was by far one of my favourite aspects of the movie. In many parts of the film, it can be loud, frightening, and exciting. Meanwhile, it’s soft yet epic in other segments. Nonetheless, no matter the moment, Zimmer’s score keeps the tone consistent. He does so by using a female choir to deliver some hefty lyrical songs interspersed within the score.
The Middle Eastern and North African influences used throughout the film do help build this world that feels very futuristic while having some grounding in the past and present. Although, it would be inappropriate not to mention the sheer lack of actors from these backgrounds in the movie. Dune has a diverse cast that includes white, Black, Hispanic, and Latin American performers. However, for a film whose culture is influenced by people and places who exist today, it seems a bit off to borrow from them without their direct inclusion.
Dune: Part Two?
Dune is the first part of an intended trilogy, although Warner Bros haven’t officially greenlit a second part yet. That’s worrying since Dune only covers half of the book and ends on a cliffhanger. Warner Bros decision to release their entire 2021 slate in both theatres and on HBO Max has been a godsend for many who can’t or don’t feel safe enough to return to cinemas. However, this has undoubtedly caused their films to lose money. Not only for the fact that you can watch them for “free” at home, but because this allows pirated copies to be released from day one of release.
To beat this, Dune has been given a headstart in some international markets way back in September, while most English-speaking countries have to wait until October (or December if you’re in Australia).
I’m hoping and praying Dune: Part Two goes into production because the story is not finished. Think of this as the Fellowship of the Ring, except the movie ends halfway through, and while it works for Dune, it will not satisfy anyone if the story isn’t completed.
Dune is one of the best films of 2021 and well worth the wait. It’s an adaptation that packs the punches in every way possible, from the cast and score to the cinematography and Villeneuve’s expert direction. Dune is a thrilling masterpiece that needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible!
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