Review: Dune (2021)

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

A masterclass in sound design, worldbuilding and storytelling. Dune truly blew my expectations in every single aspect. Denis Villeneuve has firmly positioned himself as one of the greatest sci-fi directors of all time and I feel like this is just the beginning for him.

Dune serves up one of the most compelling storylines the sci-fi landscape has ever seen, from the set design, the intricate political nature of the story, the costume design, and many other things, the universe of Dune is so meticulously built that it just sucks you in so easily. The movie tells the story of a duke’s son, Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, in his quest to fulfill his destiny and become the future of his family.

This premise may sound cliché and you’ve probably heard it a million times before in other genres, but the way Denis packages the premise, and the story is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. The way the characters speak to each other in this universe evokes a sense of hierarchy that each of the characters possess and it really adds to the immersivity that the movie is clearly trying to sell us on. The pacing is also very similar to that of Blade Runner 2049, where it really takes its time to flesh out almost every little detail but not too much that it gets overwhelming.

But in my opinion, the main star of the show here is the sound design, I can easily say that this is one of the best movies I have ever had the liberty of listening. The way Hans Zimmer composes his music here is amazing to say the least. At some moments in the movie, it truly feels like you are in Arrakis, flying through the vast sea of sand with your dragonfly-like chopper. I cannot stress how insane it was hearing all the sounds that came out in the theater whilst watching this movie. It’s also a delight that the first movie that I watched in the theater since the pandemic began was this movie, because I really believe that this is how it was meant to be experienced.

Despite that, Dune is not perfect, some scenes are really indistinctive in terms of colors that it’s hard to focus on what is going on because the characters sometimes just blend in with the environment too well and it’s just difficult to take in. This is a rather odd complaint to be had because Denis’ Blade Runner looked so vibrant and vivid, but I guess that comparison isn’t fair either, due to of how widely different the world of Blade Runner and Dune is.

Regardless, Dune may not be a movie for everyone due to Denis’ characteristic “slow burn” directing style that may result in boredom, especially the first act. But if you’re able to move past that, you are given one of the most immersive experience you can have watching a movie and for me, that’s more than worth it.

-written by Kevin (kru’20)-