Movie Review: Dune
After a year of waiting, two watches of the 1984 version, 600 pages of book and £4.60 of popcorn later, I am happy to say that I am no longer the same person I was two and a half hours ago.
I don't even know what to say right now, I am so deeply shook. This is everything I expected from a Dune movie and more. I stumbled out of the cinema not knowing how to walk straight and not knowing how to process what I had just seen.
I really loved Lynch's interpretation, even if details from the book were changed. However, Villeneuve's Dune is THE modern science fiction epic for this generation. Staying 100% true to Frank Herbert's colossal novel, Dune is simple to follow even for people who aren't familiar with its universe, as opposed to Lynch's film which compresses the story to the point that it'll only really make sense for people who've already read the book.
The exposition is well explained and expertly incorporated throughout the movie. And, of course, the best part: the visual effects. Lynch's ambitious vision was weighed down by some slightly questionable (but still lovable in a weird campy 80s way) effects. This movie’s massive budget shows through in the truly gorgeous world building. The worms, the buildings, the spacecraft, everything - sometimes I was so stunned by the onslaught of visuals I couldn't focus on much else. Hans Zimmer's score sent chills through me and complimented the visuals perfectly.
The sleek sci-fi landscapes are almost a world away from the industrial landscapes of David Lynch's version, and the entire thing just felt more clean. However, from time to time, I couldn't help but miss the weird campiness of it all.
Dune is infamous for just how much STUFF there is - the number of interwoven characters, plot lines and ideas, the strange and complex terminology, the complex history. By wisely choosing to split the book in two parts, you manage to see it all. The ensemble cast all give very strong performances.
Dune is an intelligent science fiction blockbuster that finally did the book justice and is for sure Denis Villeneuve's magnum opus. Watch it.