Re-Review: Dune, Part 1

Re-reviews happen very infrequently with me as I feel the need to search for new content above old content. That being said, Dune was most definitely one of my top ten films of 2021 and is continuing to impress me with its stunning visuals, great atmosphere, and show-don't-tell attitude that really sticks with you after watching. The movie is a fascinating adaptation of the book and I feel as though it's my duty to go back and give it a full breakdown. This is my re-review of the first part of Dune!

PLOT: Show, don't tell at it's best

The plot itself is compacted heavily into a two and a half hour runtime. I quickly realized how well the movie was working when it managed to fit 100 pages of book into the first hour. I know because I recently read the first half of the book and remembered my place in the book because of the line. It astounds me how well this plot works as a heart-pumping suspenseful ride. It takes you across the dunes of Arrakis and into the caves of the Fremen, where we learn more about the world and its politics. While I'd say politics can be quite boring and hard to follow in a story (see my Star Wars ranking to address my problems with this), this film masterfully keeps things focused on Paul Atreides and only shows us what we need to know to keep moving. It's well-paced and well-done!

CHARACTERS: Clear inspiration?

A lot of these characters are often subtle and nuanced. Their acting isn't over-the-top or overly emotional as it can be in certain types of movies. For the type of film this is, it helps especially when we need a scene of the characters getting to express any particular emotion to an extreme. You feel it more when Paul withers in pain as his hand is stuck in the trap, you feel it more when Jessica loses everything and has to grieve for all she's lost. Additionally, this film is filled to the brim with crazy good actors from all backgrounds. Timothee Chalamet is fantastic as a naive optimist of a main character whose subtle knowledge of all things Arrakis really comes out in his performance. Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin steal all their scenes with their raw presence and Oscar Isaac is stellar. Rebecca Ferguson, however, is on a completely different level compared to everyone here, delivering the best performance of her career and convincing me that she is indeed Lady Jessica. After Rose the Hat, she is one of my favorite talents in Hollywood, alongside Ewan McGregor, Christopher Judge, and Taron Egerton. These characters are all developed and acted to near perfection.

SHOTS: Holy crap.

Greig Fraser, aka the cinematographer of The Batman, Rogue One, and Let Me In, is a visual talent unlike any other. He makes a largely sterile desert environment not only visually compelling, but delivers a metric shit ton of great shots and stellar cinematography. Just a stunning talent and every single one of his shots oozes style and substance. Additionally, they're rarely unnecessary. It unveils the story by showing details necessary to the viewer and constantly works to enhance the experience. It's a great touch to an already great movie.

SOUND: OOOOOOOOOH, man.

Hans Zimmer; legendary composer of The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Pirates of the Caribbean; has a clear and very-well known musical style that emphasizes the best part of any film he's working on: tone. His tones are constantly matching the film to a tee and serving the story above all else. While his work with Christopher Nolan has been made a joke quite a bit, his work on Pirates of the Caribbean cannot be understated. Here, he is just as legendary, creating a beautiful mix of almost rock with spiritual chorus. It makes the story just seem grand and enhances the already gorgeous visuals. However, an additional important step is making the sound design work. Feeling the Voice crawl down your spine due to its reverb and bass is just the best kind of stunning. It's a masterful soundtrack and nails sound design from start to finish.

WRITING: A clear strength.

To show and not to tell is difficult, even for me as a teacher working with kids on the daily. We must convey knowledge without spoon-feeding it and, quite frankly, I sometimes feel I fail at that. However, here, we see a masterful case of showing without giving you the information. The way this film delivers strange and exciting content without clear verbal reminders of what's happening and instead allowing the brain to fill in the gaps is often so well-done and strangely surreal that I can't help but admire it. Everyone here as well feels like real people for the time period, even in a book written over 60 years ago that's meant to be in the future. They just have a way of emotionally connecting that feels well-written as opposed to, again, Star Wars films that sometimes lose that ability. It's masterful filmmaking and screen-writing.

CONS: The runtime...

Sadly, I am an impatient man sometimes. The runtime is maybe 10-15 minutes too long for me. Cutting down on some of the earlier stuff might've helped, but this by no means ruins the film's near perfect score.

VERDICT: A great first half!

So far, it looks promising for the Dune adaptation. In a month we get the second half, but, for now, this is a clear success with promise to come. The characters, the atmosphere, and the tone are all set; the story is built and the plot is in motion to show the last of House Atreides in their new world. I'm gonna say as my final note: this is a great movie. Let's just hope it can stick the landing!

SCORE: 9.5/10