Dune Review

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 156 minutes 

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Issac, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgård

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve.

The story: A young man born into a great destiny travels to the most dangerous planet in the universe, where he discovers that there is a plot to destroy him and his family.

The verdict: The predominant thought that kept running through my head whilst watching Dune was Denis Villeneuve is just showing off now, because Dune was incredible. It was so incredible that there were sequences where I literally watched with my mouth agape.

When it comes to adaptations, should we judge them as separate entities in their own right? Or should they be judged on how closely they have followed their source material? I may have made a rod for my own back on this particular topic, because I only finished reading Frank Herbert’s novel yesterday and so it’s very fresh in my mind. I felt that Villeneuve’s Dune was very faithful to Herbert’s Dune, but I did wonder how audiences completely new to the Dune universe received it. Dune isn’t hard sci-fi by any means, but there is definitely lots to learn. 

I think Dune is a very clever film in that essentially not a lot actually happens, yet I found myself fully engaged and on tenterhooks throughout. Declaring itself as ‘Part One’ as the titles come up, Dune is setting the groundwork for what’s to come. This involves quieter scenes and longer dialogue as well as big action sequences.

As I was reading the novel, I felt that Timothée Chalamet had been perfectly cast as Paul, and he didn’t let me down. Villeneuve has made the entire cast look strikingly beautiful on screen and all the performances were strong, with the standouts for me being Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac. 

Dune’s greatest strength and where its awe-inducing qualities come in though is in everything technical. The cinematography is beautiful, the colour palette perfect and the sound design just beyond belief. The score by Hans Zimmer is surely Oscar worthy and manages to evoke the right tone in every scene. I had goosebumps at the vast visuals and somehow the sound and score buries right under your skin. Everything about Dune screams cinema and what the cinema should feel like - you MUST watch it on the biggest screen you can.

I knew as soon as I came out of the screening what rating I wanted to give Dune. I did wonder if I was perhaps being too generous, as Dune does have its slower moments and I do feel that it may be slightly less accessible to those unfamiliar with the source material. However, any film that raises the hairs on your arms and makes you remember why you love cinema so much undoubtedly deserves a top rating. I cannot wait for Part Two.

The rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️