The much-awaited remake of the Frank Herbert sci-fi classic Dune has finally hit theaters and streaming this weekend, and director Denis Villeneuve gives his version the detail befitting the epic nature of the series of books that Herbert wrote. Villeneuve chose locations that provided striking vistas and stark contrasts, while using more refined CGI than what was available to David Lynch in his widely panned 1984 version. The use of the dream sequences throughout the movie, while almost making the moviegoer feel like an intruder, finally gives an idea of how they’re meant to be used by the movie’s end.
The cast is just as epic – Timothée Chalamet shines as Paul Atreides, son of Duke Leto (Oscar Issac), who really doesn’t want the title but who also realizes he has another birthright from his mother’s (Rebecca Ferguson) more mystical side of the family; one that’s been haunting his dreams lately. The object of those dreams, a young Fremen woman (Zendaya), rarely speaks, but she tends to lead and prepare him for everything he’ll need to know for the move to Arrakis. Paul just wants to be a pilot and a warrior like his mentors, Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) and Guerney (Josh Brolin), but the collision of his birthrights and the inter-galactic politics will make that impossible for him.
Stellan Skarsgard plays a brutal Baron Harkonnen while wearing a Draconian prosthetic device to make him appear to be the 600-lbs beast from the book. Dave Bautista plays his nephew and chief lieutenant, carrying out far-reaching plans of the House of Harkonnen with all the decades of revenue at their disposal from the spice mining they’ve controlled from Arrakis; mining that’s now been removed from them by the emperor. It’s for this reason they go to war.
However, for all the action and information contained in two and a half hours, don’t forget the opening scene that says, “Part One.” While there is a resolution of sorts at the end of this movie, an even bigger question remains. Viewers will have to decide if they want that question answered. Unfortunately, while this film was made for the art, whether a “Part Two” will be made or not will come down to money. That’s the harsh reality in Hollywood today. The movie’s run time is 2 hours and 35 minutes, and it really should be viewed on as wide a screen as you can visit. I was lucky enough to be only one of three people in the theater, and my only complaint is the sound was very loud.