Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.
The relevant theme that appears throughout this film is the notion that no one truly knows how much power they have until someone forces them to exert it. When the movie opens, it slowly builds on the relationship between Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and her son Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), whom she tries to groom into a proud warrior in the absence of his father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). She struggles to get him to understand that he has an innate power within him, yet it is only as good as the force with which he commands it. Born into a great destiny that he has yet to fully embrace, he shies away from the notion that he is powerful and mighty by his family legacy alone. The two live on planet Caladan and as they plan an escape to planet Arrakis to save the world’s precious supply of Spice, they are met with the dreadfully challenging Fremen Warriors who will fight to their death to have control over the world’s most precious commodity which lengthens life and prolongs consciousness. While they go back and forth trying to agree on a strategy to conquer the Fremen and gain control over what is rightfully theirs, their personal relationship with one another seems weirdly problematic as Paul matures and Lady Ferguson digresses from a doting mother figure into what seems almost like sibling rivalry.
Paul’s reoccurring dreams, which are a major part of the plot, include a beautiful Freman named Chani (Zendaya) who appears to caution him and balance his consciousness over the real threats in the desert wasteland. The dreams are both a source of pride and confusion as they help him foresee the future, yet they also make him feel like he doesn’t know enough about the segmented visions to form a realistic plan of battle. When Paul and Jessica are attacked by the Harkonnens, they escape into the desert that is full of vicious sandworms and eventually they meet face to face with Chani, the woman in Paul’s dreams.
In this adaptation of the 1965 science-fiction novel by Frank Herbert, director Denis Villeneuve’s greatest attribute is the use of cinematography and A-list actors like Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Mamoa, and Javier Bardem, that have just enough creative control that they give the film sustenance and depth. Set in the year 10,191, where the humans have colonized unknown planets, the storyline with interesting twists and turns, keeps you on the edge of your seat hoping that Paul will find a way to stay alive in the Spice World and that he will indeed prove to be the “Chosen One” that many had hoped for. Equally entertaining are the heart-wrenching sand storms and the grueling and dueling warriors who are strong, plentiful, and humorous enough to make you anticipate Part two and the ever-expanding chronicles of “Dune.”
In Theaters and on HBO Max Friday, October 22nd
