Leave it to Denis Villeneuve to absolutely conquer in bringing such a dense and epic sci-fi fantasy tale to the big screen! He’s got what I like to call…The Spice.
Even being familiar with the novel it’s based on; this film is an epic and I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. Not only was the overall look of the film so incredibly beautiful and pleasing to the eye but the entire story was very accessible to a wider audience. By this I mean it did not feel like you were being bombarded with exposition and mind-numbing lore typical of epics that would send the average viewer into a coma. (Side eye to David Lynch’s rendition, yikes!)
I won’t lie, I was hesitant when Timothée Chalamet was announced as the main character since we had not yet seen him in a role like this before but he definitely rose to the challenge. Grandly filling the shoes of our “chosen one”, Paul Atreides, on this beautiful desert planet. Our supporting characters were also fantastic and made you fall in love with all the different life forms in this world, no matter how grotesque. The film score was also so satisfying, reminiscent of films like “The Prince of Egypt” who’s cry awakens a primal roar in us all. But is also entirely unique to itself encapsulating the ambiance of the vast and dry expanse of this worm inhabited planet. And yes, the worms looked AMAZING!
With that being said, since this is the beginning of an epic tale, as the viewer you are left just glimpsing the summit of the action to come at its very end, leaving you wanting more even after 2.5 hours. Still, I am very excited to see the next installment of this series and honestly, I’m parched just thinking about it. *sips soda violently*
Fun Score – 4.0/5
QC Score – 4.5/5