80% Hot
Will Denis Villeneuve‘s long delayed adaptation of storied Frank Herbert novels finally “stick” with modern film audiences, enough for their sequels to be made…
Overview: AppFlicks JouleGage Scale: 4/5 – Hot!
Synopsis: “Dune is an upcoming epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve with a screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Eric Roth. The film is an international co-production of Canada, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is the first of a planned two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, which will cover roughly the first half of the book. The film stars an ensemble cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.”
Studio: Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros., Villeneuve Films, Legendary Entertainment
Streamer: In Theaters & HBOmax
Release Date: October 1, 2021
Format: Film
Genre: Live Action
Sub-Genre: Epic Science Fiction
Runtime: 2 hour, 17 minutes
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon, Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem,
AppFlicks Exclusive Review:
Have you watched Dune (2021) before? What did you think about the film, its direction, cast, the story, cinematography, soundtrack and overall themes? Please Note: I have revised the review I first wrote in 2021 after seeing Part Two in 2024 as I felt I needed to add more context, so the below are a mixture of my prior and current thoughts.
A bit of history, I had the “pleasure” of seeing Dune (1984) in Theaters a long time ago. It was released in the backdrop of box office and fan favorites such as Star Wars and Star Trek. Sadly, Dune did not live up to expectations, however, it was ambitious for its time. Never receiving the sequel it deserved, I was excited for the 2021 adaption.
Director Denis Villeneuve was not permitted to film all three films at once as Director Peter Jackson had done for The Lord Of the Rings Trilogy. While the same film studio, Warner Brothers, saved a lot of money back then, under new owners perhaps, they were unwilling to take the risk on Dune, taking a wait and see approach to how it would be received at the box office as well as by public sentiment. The untimely release of Dune in 2021, during COVID Lockdowns / Restrictions could have killed the film, but it did not and as a result, there is Dune:Part Two and you can see that REVIEW, here.
Living in Singapore, before their vaccine mandate, I had the opportunity to watch Dune (2021) on IMAX, in the Theater and it was a great experience, overall. My only criticism is that the film was far too dark not in tone, but the film exposure / contrast could have been lit a bit brighter for my taste. I did not experience this down-side when watching Part Two, so perhaps it was the IMAX Theater or the Villeneuve blighted up the second chapter.
Ok, on to the film… I really enjoyed it! While the pacing was slow at times and honestly, even knowing the story, it was a bit hard to follow. That said, I rewatched the film on TNT in advance of Part Two and I must say that my criticisms of my initial viewing are gone. It was an excellent film from start to finish, building -up to a climax and then…wait, there is more and then leaving you hanging for Part Two. That said, where it ended… I get it, they wanted to end at a point where, if there never was a Part Two, then “Chapter One” had a good ending. However, it was a bit long and had they filmed Part One and Part Two, together, we’d have had a better cliff hanger and a more punchy Chapter One, I am guessing.
What did I like about the film? Almost everything! The cast, the visual effects, the story, the drama. The cast performance and cinematography was top notch. I was astonished at how many high quality actors were cast in this film. Typically, when you have an all-star cast like this, it can sometimes, “take you out” of the film. It did not happen in this instance as each casting was perfect for their character part. My only issue(s) with Part One is that legendary Author of Dune, Frank Herbert, and his 1965 book, are not easy to adapt to film. So the pacing and ending may disrupt your enjoyment (a bit). Yet the visuals of the forested, water, desert planets and outer space with unseen vehicle designs are stunning.
Director Denis Villeneuve has created the start of a film series that is a gift to cinema, truly a sight to be seen on IMAX and his follow-up story, is even greater in Part Two. Dune is a smart story and the film follows the book in that way. I appreciate that Villeneuve didn’t dumb it down for fans of today’s cookie cutter action dramas.
I highly recommend this film!I look forward to your JoulePepper rating of Dune (2021) and I would love to read your comments in the JouleView section, below. Based on the above, I rate this film 4 of 5JoulePeppers – it’s Hot!
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