Frank Herbert’s Dune has always been touted to me as one of the seminal pieces of science fiction, especially since I have enjoyed similar pieces of grand fiction such as Game of Thrones and The Dark Tower. While I never got the opportunity to get to reading the books, I was excited to watch Villeneuve’s adaptation of the movie, especially since there had been a commitment to stick to the original source material as much as possible. Of course, watching it in IMAX made it a proper cinematic experience.

The Dune universe is a masterclass in world and character building. The story follows the main character of Paul, the heir to the Atreides house, who is thrust into survival mode when their house is betrayed. There is an epic backdrop of Arrakis, a desert environment where the Fremen have built their society and where the highly valued “spice” can be found, also known as Dune. The various houses are imbued with rich histories and deep motivations, some of which are extremely unique such as Bene Gesserit, who are mysterious and powerful, cross-breeding with various houses as a way to build influence.

The adaptation splits the first book into two movies, and so this movie just covers the initial set-up of the world. As someone who enjoys world building, I appreciated that the movie did not rush into the main conflict and spent the time to explore the world and establish the grandiosity of Arrakis. It also helps us build a better appreciation of the character motivations – for example, even though Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho dies in battle at the end of the movie, I strangely felt more compelled by his character than most main characters in other movies. Perhaps it is because the original source material of Dune is so rich, but either way, it makes for a different type of cinematic experience.

All in all, I hope that they build out the Dune universe and bring Herbert’s series to life. I personally cannot wait for Dune Part Two and to see how Paul’s story evolves. There are some major themes that inspired Herbert’s work, including the prominence of messianic religions from the desert regions, which we have only started to see in the movie. I am looking forward to seeing how we explore these themes and bring nuance to the hero epic.

Here are my ratings for the movie:

Cinematography: 5/5

Screenwriting: 5/5

Musical Score: 5/5

Acting/ Performance: 5/5

Overall: 5/5