Dune: Part One (2021)

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac

Synopsis:
The powerful House Atreides is commanded by the Emperor to take control of the restive desert planet Arrakis and its essential spice production.

Impressions:
I've made it known quite a few times what a fan I am of the Dune series. The 1984 version is a cult classic riddled with problems and the 2000 miniseries was a valiant effort hobbled by the limitations of its production. Denis Villeneuve impressed me with Blade Runner 2049, so I was cautiously optimistic when I heard he was helming the project. There were a few yellow flags behind the scenes (particularly some wankery from the cast on the PR trail), but I held out and waited to hear from some people whose opinion I took stock in. I heard good things and so I was willing to wager the cost of a ticket to see it through. And the result... My cautious optimism was rewarded. And here I thought I was pretty much done with anything coming out of Hollywood these days.

While this is definitely a streamlined, pragmatic adaptation, I was pleased to see the level of fidelity to the source material and the fact that the story is given room enough to breathe by splitting it into two films. (Hopefully we get Part Two.) I can appreciate the omission of elements such as the internal monologues that felt so awkward in the '84 version. There are some breaks with the lore that are a bit irksome (particularly bare-faced Fremen in the open desert, but we all know actors' aversion to having their faces covered), but nothing that significantly took me out of the experience. The casting is quite good on the whole. Even though Timothée Chalamet is around the same age as predecessors Kyle MacLachlan and Alec Newman in the role of Paul, he looks much younger and feels like a much better fit for Paul at the start of the story. I wonder if he'll be able to effectively represent the character in the latter half (to say nothing of the sequels if they ever get made), but for now, I'm happy with his performance. I know a lot of people aren't big fans of Zendaya and I'll admit to being a little concerned about her being overemphasized in the role of Chani, but she doesn't actually have that much screentime and she was alright in my opinion, for whatever worth that is for any doubters out there. I've really got nothing but good things to say about the casting, but I'll give particular note to Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen and I think Jason Momoa fans will be pleased by his part as Duncan Idaho (and I'd be all the more interested in the sequels on that note).

As you'd expect from Villeneuve, the visuals are amazing. Honestly, everything about what we see is first-rate. We get a good feel for the almost alienly distant future juxtaposed with the medieval with the tech and set design. The design they use for the sandworms is interesting, a little less Freudian with teeth that more closely resemble baleen. As for the score by Hans Zimmer, it's suitably atmospheric and punctuates the action sequences, but there are no melodies that really stood out to me (and I, like many others, wish he'd get away from his over-reliance on "BWAAA!").

In the final tally, I was very happy with what I got and would gladly recommended adding it to your collection once it becomes available (and would urge anyone who wants to see more to hit up the theaters preferably or at least HBOMax to punch up those numbers). My greatest concern is that I really don't feel there's mass-market appeal. Honestly, I imagine it would be difficult to follow without first having read the book, but we'll see what happens as it gets a wider release.

Rating:
Own It