When the first Dune movie came out, the masses ( I don’t mean us nerds) weren’t so familiar with it. The film got praise and those of us who knew the books and previous adaptations perked up. It finally seemed like someone could get it right. Could this have been our own Kwisatz Haderach? If you aren’t familiar, this isn’t a series you can skip through. You will need to see the first one, the second starts right where it left off. If you are, you will find some things familiar to previous renditions. We do get the small narration from Princess Irulan. There is string of new characters to enjoy, all of them well-played. You will even see a glimpse of the future Alia. The casting is well done and the acting is superb. There is a lot to take in and few moments that pull you out of the suspension of disbelief.
The cinematography is beautiful. This film is shot so well, it’s almost frame-by-frame art. Whether it’s the dunes of Arrakis or the stadium of Giedi Prime, there is so much to take in visually it almost made me sad I couldn’t pause and explore each scene. The balance and placement in each scene, the palettes and how they played into the locations and characters…it all had purpose. Even the technicality was executed with precision and seemed so easy and simple. There is a lot to unpack if you enjoy aesthetics and it could easily add another hour to your viewing time.
The direction was great and I thought Villeneuve did an amazing job. While there wasn’t anything we have never seen before, there probably won’t be anytime soon. But, he gives a clean, crisp and classic style to something that is meant to be simple and sophisticated. And it works well. I think he was able to frame so much of the story the way it should be and gave it the best possible expression in real people.
And here come the spoilers, so…don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The story was good, but it wasn’t entirely based on the books or the previous films. There were a LOT of things that are different, my biggest gripe being that Alia isn’t even born before the movie ends. No, don’t get me wrong…Vladimir Harkonnen still dies, but not at the hands of our favorite stabby magic baby. And the emperor’s deceit is almost played like he’s too old and frail to make good decisions. Also, Paul fights the Fremmen prophecy for way too long, when he actually WANTED to use it to gain his following. And prepare yourself for Paul and Chani to lose their way together when he takes Irulan’s hand. Those are just the ones I remember, that stood out. I understand why all these things happened, but I would rather they kept them the way they were in the book, since the way they play out will be the same in the end, anyway. While I understand they want something new and fresh for the fans, they should consider that maybe the fans are fans because they love the story. And maybe all some of us want is an accurate representation of the words we read and loved, that we can watch on a screen and fall in love with.
I gave this movie an eight. We don’t do halves around here and I’m too pissed I didn’t get to see an eight-year-old kill a grotesque bulb of a not-so human being. It’s DEFINTELY worth seeing and you should see it in IMAX, if you can! There are rumors the next one won’t be out for over a decade, so try to get that Shai-Hulud popcorn bucket topper to keep you company until then. Wink wink.
