Could Dune be the Next Global Sci-Fi Franchise?
After countless pushbacks and delays, fans all around the globe were finally able to experience Denis Villanue’s long-awaited sci-fi blockbuster, Dune. Originally scheduled for release on November 20, 2020, to say that the film was highly anticipated is an understatement. About a month before the film premiere, I challenged myself with finishing Frank Herbert’s original 1965 novel Dune, managing to do so just a few days before seeing Villanue’s adaptation in IMAX. As a massive sci-fi and fantasy fan, I was well aware of the novel’s critical acclaim and influence on massive sci-fi franchises such as George Lucas’s Star Wars even before reading it. The novel is truly a masterpiece, and with all the details so fresh in my mind, I was cautious not to set unrealistic expectations for the film. With that being said, Dune is not only a fantastic adaptation, it is a beautifully immersive visual experience the scope of which I have rarely seen before in any film. Spoiler warning for anyone who has not seen the film yet.
Villeneuve sticks pretty close to the original source material, stating before that he has always been a long-time fan of the novel and wanted to tell the story of Dune in a way he thought Herbert would be proud of. Dune covers a little less than half of Herbert’s novel with Dune: Part One being the film’s official title. Both the novel and movie follow the journey of Paul Atreides, a gifted young man and the son of Duke Leto, member of one of the Great Houses and ruler of the planet Caladan, and Lady Jessica, a member of a mystical group of powerful women known as the Bene Gesserit. Paul is born to a great destiny beyond his understanding, continuously receiving premonitions and prophecies about his future through visions and dreams. Paul finds himself on a dangerous journey when the Imperial Emperor gives his father control of the desert planet Arrakis or “Dune”, previously owned by the oppressive House Harkonnen. Evil forces are working against Paul and his family as war breaks out over the planet's exclusive supply of Spice, the most valuable resource in the universe which can only be found on Arrakis. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the extensive world and lore behind the Dune universe, with its complicated governments, groups, technology, worlds, and socio-political history.
Thus, it is believed by many that Dune is simply too vast and essentially impossible to properly adapt into film, and I do agree with this to some extent. I think that it would be impossible to fully capture every detail the novel provides over the course of its hundreds of pages. But I don't think that should prevent filmmakers from attempting to tell their version of Dune through a visual medium, because the novel is so amazing that it simply deserves to be adapted for the big screen as best it can be. So when it comes to trying to capture a world of this scale and grandeur, it makes perfect sense why Denis Villeneuve was selected to direct this newest iteration of Dune. I am already pretty familiar with Villeneuve’s work; Blade Runner 2049 is actually one of my favorite films of all time. He has always been known for stunning cinematography and visuals so I had some idea of what to expect, but Dune is on a whole other level. I am so glad I decided to watch it for the first time in IMAX, because every second of this film was like staring at a beautifully painted canvas.
Dune’s visuals are easily its strongest selling point. The world of Frank Herbert's novel feels gigantic and immersive just as I visualized in my head when reading it, from the luscious greenery and mountains of Paul’s home planet, Caladan, to the barren, seemingly endless, and scorching deserts of Arrakis. The way that Villeneuve blends CGI with live-action pictures when it comes to world-building is simply unmatched. The only other films that I can liken it to in terms of its visually innovative world-building are Avatar or LOTR. It was astounding to see the sheer scope of the film with its incredible production design, from sleek gigantic silver spaceships to terrifyingly massive sandworms. Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly and adds to his legendary career as a composer. I cannot stress enough how impeccable the visual effects, design, and sound production of Dune are. Not only that, but I think that it will become hugely influential in terms of how future blockbusters approach visual effects and cinematography in modern filmmaking.
Another aspect I found equally impressive was the acting performances from the entire cast. These characters are so unique with such specific personalities that proper casting was always going to make or break the film, and Dune absolutely nails it. I was initially hesitant when they released such a star-studded cast list, as status does not always equal quality. But every role is perfectly cast, featuring some of the actors’ best performances to date. The cast includes Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Harkonnen, Javier Bardem, Zendaya Charlotte Rampling, Dave Bautista, and more. While everyone shined in their roles, the stand-out performances for me were without a doubt Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Jason Momoa.
Timothée Chalamet’s impressive resume just continues to grow at this point in his young career with his outstanding performance as Paul. I was particularly impressed with the way he was able to embody a wide range of emotions through subtle facial expressions and body language. The scene where he meets with the Reverend Mother and sticks his hand in a box of excruciating pain known as the Gom Jabbar contained some of the best acting I have ever seen from him. Rebecca Ferguson is equally riveting as Lady Jessica, a complex character who must often withhold her emotions, even in the most intense situations. She is also extremely powerful and elegant in the way she carries herself. Ferguson captures that powerful presence perfectly as the relationship between Paul and Lady Jessica is at the very core of the entire film. Jason Momoa brings incredible charisma and lovable energy as Duncan Idaho, warrior and servant to the Duke. More importantly, however, he serves as a mentor and friend to Paul, almost in an older brother kind of way. Their relationship is not only extremely wholesome but adds a lot to each of their characters.
Now as much as I enjoyed Dune, the film is not perfect or above criticism. Where the movie really fails to deliver in my opinion is in the effectiveness of its storytelling and exposition. Now this seems crazy, considering the entire film is basically dedicated to the exposition, world-building, and establishing its various characters and complicated universal history. But that just goes to show how extensive Herbert’s Dune novel truly is. Some of this is inevitable in any adaptation, but I do feel like Villeneuve could have done a better job explaining the complex inner workings of the Dune universe. As I was watching the film, I found myself filling in the plot and backstory to fully explain what I was seeing, whether it was the motivation of a character or organization, like the Harkonnens or the Fremen, or just the way certain things functioned, like the Hunter-seeker that attacks Paul on Arrakis. I understand that not everything can be explained when trying to tell a compelling visual narrative, but there were numerous instances where audiences would definitely be confused by what they were seeing, or why certain things happened if they had not read the novel beforehand. Portraying the development of the story in proper detail was always going to be a difficult task given that so much of the novel takes place inside characters’ heads (Paul specifically), with their thoughts and visions driving the plot forward. I would have loved to see more voice-over narration explaining Paul’s thought process and intellectual superiority as he confronts new challenges. This is probably Dune’s biggest flaw because as an adaptation, it should do a good enough job telling the story to not require audiences to have read the novel beforehand in order to understand the film. With only a slight fear of sounding pretentious, I would argue that the film can’t even really be enjoyed properly unless you have read Herbert’s original work first. Now, this did not necessarily impact my personal viewing experience per se, but it must be taken into account when considering the overall quality of the film.
Since its release, Dune has been met with mostly praise and satisfaction from audiences. The film’s production quality and visuals achieved through its cinematography and world-building are undeniably incredible, providing a fully immersive and breath-taking experience into the first half of Frank Herbert’s original Dune novel. Outstanding acting performances across the board from its distinguished cast are equally impressive. And while narratively, the film does lack the development and exposition that many would have liked, I still think that Dune was a thrilling viewing experience and adaptation of one of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time. And with Dune: Part Two already confirmed for production, I truly believe that Denis Villeneuve and Warner Bros. could create something really special. Dune has the potential to become the next global franchise, comparable to the likes of LOTR, Harry Potter, Marvel, etc. As Chani would say… “This is only the beginning.”
Dune will be playing at the SLC on January 14th and January 15th, 2022.
Written by: Bryan Herrera
Art by: Isabella Harrison
