Swept away to another world…
Of all the attempts to make Dune into a movie, this is the best one. Narrowing the scope of the story had to be done, and this one did a good job of paring down the story into something understandable and exciting. Dune remains one of my all-time favorites. I read every book written by Frank and spent years lost in his epic, vast universe. It’s not an easy story to whittle down small enough for a movie, so I give those who wrote the screenplay credit for doing a good job of it.
It’s a stunning movie that is beautiful to look at and very well acted. There’s a good amount of action and tension. We spend some time with the bad guys and get a taste of the politics at work in the galaxy. The politics drive the story and what happens. Honestly, I was prepared to dislike this movie, because the scope of the novel is so vast, but I didn’t hate it. I quite liked it. A lot. Color me surprised.
In this installment, the Atreides are assigned to take over Arrakis and the spice production. Spice is integral to interstellar travel. The previous manager of Arrrakis, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, wants the planet and spice trade back. His ruthlessness and plots drive the story into the desert of Arrakis where Paul Atreides will discover his destiny.
The movie shows Fremen riding sandworms. Very cool. In the desert is where the story really comes to life.
More sand worms! I look forward to part two in March. Dune can only be done correctly in parts, IMO.
This movie earns the coveted ‘beer is optional’ rating.
