Dune Review – A slow burn

Overall review scores: 

Effects- 9/10

Characters- 4/10

Sets- 10/10

Plot- 5/10

Concept- 8/10

Soundtrack- 8/10

Verdict- 7/10

Dune is a 2021 film adaptation of the sci-fi series written in 1965 by Frank Herbert. Its first week in the box office Dune surpassed every other Warner Bros movie released in 2021.

This movie was made for those who’ve read the book in mind first. Other than the main character, it’s hard to tell who is important. The plot is overwhelming and at times hard to follow.

Some people found it very similar to Star Wars, though Dune’s source material was written ten years earlier. 

When I watched the film, the visuals and camera work blew me away. The coloring of each shot was thought out and intricately presented. 

One aspect of the film I greatly appreciated was how whenever something big was on screen, something familiar was used to contrast it. This made the space ships feel massive, and the monsters feel real. 

My biggest complaint about this film was that it was very boring. For a two-and-a-half-hour movie, I walked away from it thinking that it felt like nothing happened.  

If you’re wanting to watch this movie I suggest you go into it with the expectation that the story is only partially complete, so the story is mostly exposition. 

Story Summary

In the year 10191, the galaxy is fighting for control of melange: the most valuable substance in the known universe. The desert planet Arrakis is inhabited by aggressive sandworms and blue-eyed people. Arrakis also happens to be the only place in the universe that has melange, or spice.

The main character of the film is Paul (Timothée Chalamet), the son of a powerful leader on an alien planet. 

He is born with “the voice,” an ability that lets him influence other people’s actions. Throughout the movie, Paul is struck with visions and dreams of a mysterious girl from the planet Arrakis. 

About halfway into this movie, Paul and his family and base on Arrakis are attacked by evil forces seeking to kill him and gain control of the spice. In the latter half of the movie, he is on the run from them.

End of Summary

If you are a fan of galactic movies, amazing cinematography, or vast open settings, I recommend you watch this film with an open mind. Just be prepared for a two-and-a-half-hour movie without a real ending.