DUNE: PART ONE Review
It ain’t easy to bring some loftier (and deities bless, original) sci-fi ideas to audiences around the world. Just ask BLADE RUNNER 2049. So, even if my own enjoyment of DUNE: PART ONE didn’t quite match that of many other audience members who had the chance to experience Denis Villeneuve’s latest stab at an established sci-fi saga, I would be lying if I didn’t say it was relieving to see the first entry of a supposedly boundary-pushing franchise do pretty well at the box office. Nevertheless, as the title itself lets you know, DUNE: PART ONE shoulders the burden of establishing an entire universes' worth of information and lore that, even despite the presence of a stacked cast and a wonderfully realized world, can’t overcome all the table setting.
Adapted from a series of Frank Herbert novels centering around a bid for what is essentially hallucinogenic, yet powerful as hell sand, DUNE: PART ONE centers around another fair-skinned son of royalty faced with monumental change: the restless Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet, about to make a shit ton of money), son of the nobly bearded Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and his wife who may in fact be a literal witch, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson). As it goes in DUNE: PART ONE, celestial planets are dominated by various factions of “families”, with one family chosen by an unseen galactic “Emperor” to oversee control of the enigmatic planet of Arrakis, which houses the universe’s life force: Spice, the aforementioned hallucinogenic sand that grants visions and something called “Sand Power” (which various characters hilariously name drop in ultra serious fashion). Simultaneously holding the power and appeal of Earth’s interest in oil, but if it granted you superpowers, spice and the planet its housed on is understandably vied for by the multitude of families, particularly in the beef between House Atreides — a seemingly normal group of nice enough looking future space people — and House Harkonnen — a pale-skinned, bald-headed, and disgusting brood who would be offended if you didn’t label them as evil bastards. As politics, back-stabbings, and visions of fate run rampant, the native occupants of Arrakis, the nomadic (and noticeably darker-skinned) Fremen, find themselves in the middle of a powerful land grab that soon falls onto the shoulders of Paul himself, whose dreams show a deeper connection to the people of Dune, particularly the mysterious Chani (Zendaya, spending the most of this film in windy visions).
And honestly, that’s just a taste of all the characters, side-plots, and motivations held in this nearly three-hour introductory epic. For the most part, Mr. Villeneuve handles all of these characters and constantly churning narrative folds with ease, ably setting up the future of Paul and the franchise itself. Even so, it is a lot of information and names to take in and remember — especially considering that PART TWO is slated to come out about two years from now — and DUNE: PART ONE as a result feels like a well-versed superfan of the Dune series relaying effectively everything there is to know about the first entry of the franchise; it’s definitely informative (impressively so) but it isn’t always the funnest way to spend two-and-a half hours of your time.
On the flip side, the actual worlds of DUNE: PART ONE follows Villeneuve’s golden track record of creating places that feel immediately unique and true to themselves. Visually speaking, the worlds and the characters that inhabit them are meticulously designed and realized with the scale of the universe never once shrinking itself down, instead playing up its size, making the toils and deceits of the tiny creatures feuding in it feel impressively miniscule in the grand scheme of things. Where the world of the Atreides family is one of clean (yet lifeless) sheen, and the Fremen’s home planet is one of expansive if dangerous nature, the Harkonnen’s and anything they touch or reside in make for the most stand-out worthy imagery. Embraced by the disgusting and brutish powers of the likes of Stellan Skarsgard (playing the literal big bad head Harkonnen), Dave Bautista (as the brutish enforcer of the clan), and even a brief if deliciously slithery David Dastmalchian, the Harkonnens bring a true alien menace to the film. While their overall antagonism comes into the film in spurts — displayed in some of Villeneuve’s more muted action scenes — their impression works within the shadows that they play and operate in, establishing them as a formidable foe for future entries.
But for now, DUNE: PART ONE focuses much more on the establishment of lore and rules. Many interesting threads appear in the script by John Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Eric Roth, ranging from the heavy themes of imperialism and prophecy to the interesting and hidden worlds of the Bene Gesserit (the shadowy witch-like coven Lady Jessica is apparently a member of) and the Fremen, who each get intriguing moments in the spotlight, but are, understandably, held back by the fact that they need to be revealed later in the franchise. While I’m more than confident these threads will get their time to shine in future installments, it still makes for a sometimes frustrating trend in this first entry as one can practically hear the writers saying, “Well, let’s not explain this thing too much! We can just wait till the next movie haha!”. Despite the presence of stellar world building and maybe due to the fact that this is an entry focused on setting things up, the characters of DUNE: PART ONE can feel a tad cold and lifeless, with somber glowers and grandiosely dramatic lines inhabiting seemingly every characters headspace, which is understandable considering the threat of inter-planet war hanging over everyone’s heads. In the lead, Chalamet hits the right notes of an anxious, good-intentioned prince of the people that can’t quite overcome the “chosen one” archetype the film sets Paul up as. Of all the main characters, it’s Ferguson’s mysteriously intentioned Lady Jessica who lends emotional and narrative girth to DUNE: PART ONE. Never conceding just what angle she’s playing with Paul under the eye of even her doting husband, Ferguson ably sells the emotional frustrations of a woman deciding between being a motherly figure to a son placed in a very stressful situation or following through on whatever plan she has for Paul, and seemingly the planet of Arrakis as a whole. But of course, just how that will all play out is saved for a future entry in the foreseeable future.
Therein lies the main handicap of DUNE: PART ONE: the promise of more. While Villeneuve and co. will most definitely deliver the goods promised in this well-made first entry, the first entry in this expansive franchise on its own feels a bit stranded, idly getting the room ready for what is hopefully to be a nourishing cinematic feast in the future.
3/5
