Dune 2021 Review
In the latest adaption of Dune, director Denis Villenueve presents a visually stunning film of epic proportions. If you are unfamiliar with Dune, it is based on the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. A previous film was released in 1984 directed by David Lynch. Famous for its troubled production and critically panned at the time of its release, the 1984 film adaptation has gained a cult following in recent times. So what did I think of the 2021 film adaptation do? In short: It was excellent.
Featuring an ensemble cast of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Chang Chen, and Jason Momoa. The film is stacked with some high quality actors and actresses. Overall, the performances were good. Special shoutouts to Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac, as their performances were astounding. Jason Momoa was his usual self in being the toughest and biggest guy in the film, delivering some stellar action sequences. I still don’t know how I feel about the casting of Timothée Chalamet as the main protagonist, he felt a bit miscast. Maybe he will grow on me eventually in Part Two.
The film at times does seem to drag. I did like this though, as this particular brand of slow burning science fiction is similar to Denis Villeneuve’s other work, such as Bladerunner 2049 or Arrival. If you do like Denis Villeneuve’s previous work, this film will be right up your alley. The film clocks in at 2 hours and 36 minutes, but it never felt too long for me. The film could have been more than 3 hours and I still would not have had enough.
The highlight of the film is it is a feast for your eyes and for your ears. Do yourself a favor and either watch this film in IMAX with Dolby Atmos or watch it with a home theater system that has Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. I watched the film with the latter and it was very satisfying. Hans Zimmer delivers an truly epic score to the film, and the cinematography of Greig Fraser is truly excellent.
Denis Villeneuve and Greig Fraser both built worlds that were absolutely stunning to look at. The costume designs as well were amazing. This is science fiction at its best.
Denis Villeneuve says there will be two parts to this film, as this is only part one. Warner Bros has not greenlit part two yet, and they are saying they will not green light part two until they see how this film performs. Even though the story can drag on at times, do yourself a favor and go watch this film, as it is truly a feast for your audio and visual senses.
My recommendation: Watch this film
