Dune: Part One

 

On the desert planet Arrakis, amid huge sandworms and hostile Fremen tribesmen, lies the spice mélange, a valuable substance that fuels interstellar travel. Emperor Corrino has transferred governorship of the planet from cruel and oppressive House Harkonnen to noble House Atreides, a gesture more trap than gift. Nevertheless, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) seeks to secure his position by allying with the Fremen. Meanwhile, his partner Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) has been training their son Paul (Timothee Chalemet) in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, the powerful and secretive order to which they belong. Paul has been haunted by vivid dreams of a Fremen girl and armies killing in his name. One way or another, the house will meet its fate in the desert.

 

Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi novel is no stranger to the screen, having birthed a bizarre proposed 1970s adaptation by Alejandro Jodorowsky, a bizarre and offputting realized 1980s adaptation by David Lynch, and a less bizarre but more forgettable television miniseries in 2000. Denis Villenueve’s 2021 epic, which spans the book’s first half (a sequel is in the works), is by far the most successful of the lot. A faithful adaptation that distills when it needs to, Dune is crafted with vision and care. It is exciting and atmospheric enough to draw in even those that haven’t read the book, yet its latter-half pacing may test the audience’s patience.

 

As with Blade Runner 2049, Villenueve shows a knack for capturing the essence of what came before while still leaving his own stamp. Dune doesn’t skimp on the visual spectacle, offering everything from the endless sands (and terrifyingly huge sandworms) of Arrakis to the dark, cold hellishness of Harkonnen homeworld Giedi Prime and all shades in between. A pivitol battle, downplayed in previous adaptations, is given the full battle scene treatment here. A Hans Zimmer score, one of his best in recent years, accentuates the majesty and tension.

 

The actors generally do commendable work though several casting and character decisions don’t sit quite right. Among those that do work are Isaac, Ferguson (especially), and Chalomet (as with previous Pauls, he’s older than the character, but he pulls it off). Skellan Skarsgard’s take on the evil Baron Harkonnen is appreciably toned down. He’s still sinister and dangerous, but he’s not over-the-top. On the other hand, the Baron’s advisor Piter (David Dastmalchian) loses the source material’s twisted personality, much like Atreides weaponsmaster Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) loses his musician side (the gruff warrior shtick calls to mind Brolin’s Deadpool 2 performance, but that was played for humor). Duncan Idaho is given an expanded role relative to previous adaptations, and while Jason Momoa is a fairly limited actor, he at least has the combat prowess down. Javier Bardem, on the other hand, is anything but limited, yet he feels slightly miscast here. The sequel will tell how Zendaya fares as Chani since her role here is small.

 

Despite a robust beginning, Dune lags about half to two-third of the way in. Paul and Jessica spend what seems like a long time wandering the desert, an indulgent choice on Villenueve’s part. Pacing recovers well enough toward the end to set up the film’s next installment, but Dune would have lost little were it fifteen minutes short.

 

For sci-fi fans and those who enjoyed the novel, Dune is a must: a grand spectacle that consistently impresses. For everyone else, the pull may not be quite as strong, but there’s still more engagement than slog.