Villeneuve delivers an inspiring experience in Dune

Was so, so excited to finally watch Dune. I’m not a longtime fan, just recently getting into them. I read the first book in February of this year, and subsequently read the first 2 sequels and watched the 1984 movie. Have really liked it all so far, and with all the hype surrounding this release, I was pumped. It did not disappoint.

The movie does not follow the book perfectly (there’s too much material to do so), but it is fairly faithful. It begins with introducing the Atreides family, paying particular attention to main character Paul. The Atreides family has ruled the oceanic planet of Caladan for generations, but have new marching orders from the Emperor to oversee the desert planet of Arrakis. Nearly uninhabitable, except for the local “freeman” population who somehow have adapted to eke out an existence, no rational person would want to live there. However, Arrakis is the only source of “spice,” a sand-like mineral which makes interplanetary space travel possible. This means whoever runs the planet will be extremely wealthy. The Harkonnens did so for a long time, but the Emperor has, for an unknown reason, decided to replace them with the Atreides.

Enter into this politically unstable environment Paul and his mother Jessica. Brought up by the almost mystical Bene Gesserit women, Jessica has certain powers of deduction and can use “the voice,” an ability to give unable-to-resist commands to those that hear it. Against the Bene Gesserit law, Jessica has taught these skills to Paul, making him a candidate to fulfill prophecies handed down for hundreds of years about a young man who will lead all peoples with otherworldly powers.

Once on Arrakis, Paul, who has been having prescient dreams for some time about the desert planet, starts to see things that he had previously envisioned. Hardly have they settled in though before the family and their army is attacked, by the Harkonnens, who aren’t ready to release their control over the spice trade. In the ensuing battle, can Paul escape to see if he can become the leader that is foretold?

This movie is truly a sight to see. Huge in scope with ginormous vistas, massive armies, and the unfathomable expanse of space, the movie dwarfs the viewer in its reach. The soundtrack, by the great Hans Zimmer, builds continuously throughout, giving you plenty of heart-pounding moments. And the direction from Denis Villeneuve, who’s handled other large sci-fi projects like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, is spot on. If I have one quibble, it is that the movie, as large as it is, doesn’t give quite enough attention to its individual characters. I know the ins and outs of these people from reading the book, but newcomers may feel they lack personality, and you don’t really get to know them as well as you maybe should, perhaps leading to a lack of caring when some die or others struggle. There’s so much story to tell though, that I don’t know where they could spare time to do so, short of stretching its 2 1/2 hour runtime into a 3 1/2 hour butt-numbing run. It’s a minor spat, and for Dune fans like myself, it won’t bother you as much. I await with bated breath for the sequel. ★★★★½