Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people.
As the story opens, there’s been an imperial decree that control of Arrakis will be taken away from the treacherous House Harkonnen and handed over to its longtime rival, House Atreides. It’s a triumph for the good Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), though he and his advisers (Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin) suspect they may be walking into a trap. Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his vicious nephew (Dave Bautista) cruelly oppress the Fremen, an indigenous nomadic people with mysterious blue eyes. Monstrous sandworms also devour anything emitting a rhythmical sound pattern.
On the water planet Caladan, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) prepares his house for the move to Arrakis. His beloved concubine, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), a Bene Gesserit witch with supernatural abilities, broke the rules of her order and gave birth to a male heir. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has been trained by his mother and father’s loyal protectors (Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa), who fear that doom awaits them on Arrakis. As Paul struggles with the burden of his birthright, he’s haunted by visions of a beautiful Fremen girl (Zendaya) and a devastating war to come.
Frank Herbert’s science-fiction opus gets a stellar adaptation worthy of the big screen. Villeneuve takes the time to weave a complex mythological narrative of classic archetypes. Striking cinematography, an excellent supporting cast, and rich dialogue envelopes one. Dune’s only significant drawback is the feeble screen presence of the protagonist, Timothée Chalamet, who lacks the charisma to carry a film of this epic magnitude. The most daring aspect of Dune is that it opts to immerse its audience in its richly rendered universe.