Stubs - Dune (2021)

Dune (2021) Starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth. Based on Dune by Frank Herbert. Produced by Denis Villeneuve, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Joe Caracciolo Jr. Run time: 156 minutes. USA. Color. Science Fiction, Fantasy

Since the novel Dune by Frank Herbert, published in 1965, has been cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in the world, it should come as no surprise that there have been several attempts to bring it to the big screen. Despite a badly-received 1984 adaptation directed by David Lynch, a second attempt has recently been made, this time by director Denis Villeneuve.

While the film was released theatrically, it was also same day released on HBO Max, which is where it was watched for this review. While Trophy Unlocked isn’t quite ready to venture into theaters, we will admit that the film was made and should ideally be viewed on a larger screen than our TV set. This is an epic film, to say the least, with everything big, if not oversized, throughout the film.

The film deals with an interstellar power struggle between two houses in a galactic empire. The House of Atreides accepts the assignment from the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV to conquer the barren planet of Arrakis, where mélange, also known as "spice", is harvested. Apparently, interstellar travel would not be possible without it. While the Atreides are double-crossed by the Emperor, the son, Paul (Timothée Chalamet), also discovers that he might be the mythical chosen one for the inhabitants of Arrakis, the Fremen.

Timothée Chalamet plays Paul Atreides in Dune.

For the most part, the ensemble, which seems to feature every supporting cast member from the MCU, is pretty good with Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Oscar Isaac as some of the standouts. Both Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa are good, but theirs are more action-oriented roles. Some actors, like Zendaya and Javier Bardem, are barely in the film at all, given their screentime versus the film’s run time.

Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Chalamet in a scene from Dune.

While the film is also visually interesting, the pacing is slow. Some of that is to be expected with the amount of exposition that it has to dump on the audience in the first hour. However, that is not helped by the choice to use English, more than one made-up language, and sign language, not to mention whispered tones, to tell it all.

After that, the pace does pick up, it couldn’t slow down when there is more action. Even then, though, all the relationships aren’t as clear as an hour’s worth of exposition might suggest it would be.

Subtitled as Part One, the filmmakers have acknowledged that this film, despite its roughly two-and-a-half-hour runtime, only covered the first half of the book. The film does lay out the need for a Part Two, as the hero’s journey is left unfinished. While I don’t mind a planned sequel, Dune doesn’t tell a complete story, which leaves something to be desired in a film-going or stay-at-home viewing experience.

Dune is good, but not great. Strong acting and visuals don’t make up for the slow pacing, long runtime, and unfulfilled expectations. If you’re into Science Fiction and have been waiting for Hollywood to try it again with this novel, then you’ll want to see this film. Otherwise, you might not want to spend the time now for a film, but wait to watch it when Part Two gets ready for release. That way, maybe, the exposition seems worth it and it will still be fresh on your mind.