Dune (2021)

Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic “Dune” was one of 2021s most heavily discussed films. It’s a classic tale of a young man on a desert planet, who teams up with mysterious robed individuals to overthrow an evil emperor, all whilst fulfilling an age-old prophecy. I’m getting a sense of Déjà vu, isn’t this a tad similar to a dozen other films?

Enormous in scope and rich in its world-building, “Dune” is certainly worth watching. The performances are solid across the board, the effects are flawless and the score is atmospheric and unique. Despite this, as a complete novice of the source material, previous adaptations and the incomprehensible lore, I didn’t connect with “Dune” like many have. It’s been heralded as the best movie of last year by many, but all I see is half a story that doesn’t stand on its own.

“Dune” brings together a truly impressive ensemble cast. Oscar Isaac and Josh Brolin are suitably stoic, Dave Bautista is menacing and Stellan Skarsgård is ominous. Rebecca Ferguson is a highlight here, she’s as amazing as she is in everything else. Hers was the only character who I really felt any sense of emotion from, in large part down to her powerful performance and excellent chemistry with those around her. Jason Momoa plays himself, but as his character is the only one who seems to be having fun, he’s easily the movie’s most entertaining element.

I wanted to go into “Dune” completely fresh, without any pre-conceived notions of the narrative or characters, but I think that was ultimately a mistake. The world-building was effective in establishing this galaxy with all its various bloodlines, species and locations initially, but by a certain point, I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I think it had something to do with time travel or alternate realities, but the film was either too vague or not ambiguous enough to make for a satisfying conclusion. However, this offered an interesting point of comparison to watching a new “Star Wars” property, a franchise which thrives on the fact that most people are aware of the characters, planets and quotes that populate the franchise.

It goes without saying the visual effects in “Dune” are top-notch, everything on Arrakis from the “Black Panther”-esque dragonfly ships to the Sandworm look photorealistic. However, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I wasn’t blown-away by the visuals in “Dune.” Sure, it’s a very good looking film (the lighting, staging and colour grading are all commendable), but it isn’t 1996 anymore. Witnessing a space cruiser crawling across the screen or an explosion rocking an alien city isn’t impressive in itself, so I can’t call “Dune” amazing just because it showed us things we’ve all seen before.

“Dune” has one of the most manipulative, cheap and infuriating instances of misleading marketing I’ve seen in years. The trailers promised an epic battle sequence featuring the protagonist in an armoured suit, spinning and stabbing his way through a vast enemy army. Clearly the studio tried to make the film look more exciting than it actually is, because that particular scene is a flash forward to events that haven’t happened yet! What we saw in the trailer is the extent of the sequence, which may or may not appear in a future film. I’m sure that fans of the book aren’t frustrated by this, but I felt as though the marketing promised something it failed to deliver in spectacular fashion.

The pacing of “Dune” isn’t an issue until about three-fifths of the way through, when any sense of momentum, tension or progression goes out the window. Up until that point, I enjoyed watching the story unfold. It felt as though the film was building up to something and thankfully, when “Dune” kicks into high gear, it’s incredibly engrossing to watch. The film feels like it reaches a natural conclusion once the action has subsided and the characters are faced with the gravity of the situation. The trouble is, it keeps going. After a tedious, rambling forty minutes that felt like several hours, the film ends abruptly and unceremoniously. It’s not an issue of the movie’s length, rather the quality of its content. The final section of the film didn’t work as an ending, because of course, it isn’t one. I appreciate that “Dune” is only the first half of a larger story (it might have helped to market it as Dune: Part One, as it’s entitled in the film itself), but other Part One films have overcome this pitfall with far greater success. “The Lord of the Rings” movies stand alone, each one housing a satisfying beginning, middle and end, whilst culminating with a clear sense of where the tale will go next. Even if you knew nothing about Middle Earth going in, those films do a masterful job of laying out exactly what the characters need to accomplish, thereby hooking the audience immediately. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” culminates with an emotional ending, before providing a cliff-hanger to entice us back for the next chapter. By contrast, “Dune” didn’t give me a reason to care about future instalments. All I have to look forward to is more meandering around the desert… I can hardly wait.

In conclusion, I don’t feel I can accurately judge “Dune” until I’ve seen where it goes next. It’s undoubtedly a well-constructed film that features a superb cast, but it’s such an unsatisfying experience by itself. Its fans may frequently remind us that “Star Wars”, “Harry Potter” and other (better) stories wouldn’t exist without “Dune”, but frankly, the date of the novel’s publication doesn’t change the fact that this feels like a weaker iteration of a swathe of other films and books. I intend to watch the next “Dune” movie when it comes out, but I have no excitement for that inevitable experience. But who knows, maybe I’ll change my tune about “Dune.”