Dune Review: Is it an Instant Classic Adaptation?

By Makayla Sordo   

The long awaited film adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel “Dune” is finally here and it’s three hours long. Despite the film being over an hour longer than the usual run time of 120 minutes, the 155 minutes of screen time is worth the watch.

“Dune” Movie Poster 2021

 If you aren’t a sci-fi fan, you can surely appreciate Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet’s quite literal superhumanly gorgeous features—uh, I mean the soundtrack. While it’s true they do have perfectly sculpted faces, the soundtrack for “Dune” is arguably the best part of the movie. The score for the film fulfills the futuristic-retro desert aesthetic with its combination of gospel instrumental and ‘yesteryear’ synth. The background music brings each wide range shot of the vast otherworldly landscape to life, as “Dune” ‘part one’ is primarily worldbuilding. 

I went into the theater with somewhat low expectations. As much as I enjoy director Denis Villeneuve’s work, “Dune” is still a movie adaptation of a classic, which is usually a let down in one way or another—especially considering the novel itself is usually deemed confusing. 

The plot follows Paul’s ‘hero journey’ using visions and glimpses into Paul’s future, which I believe to be incredibly corny in movies if not done correctly. Naturally, I had doubts the foreshadowing and visions aspect of the plot would eventually drive it into the ground for me but it was done tastefully and the warmer coloring in each vision was beautiful. 

I didn’t have many complaints with this movie as I believe part one has so far served the novel justice. There’s been discourse surrounding the film with critics claiming it was “boring,” these said ‘critics’ being millennials that posted their opinion onto a Reddit thread and then took a nap after a long day of being wrong. The film was so boring in fact that ‘part two’ of the “Dune” series has already been confirmed with Legendary Studios and filming is on its way. But I doubt anyone is gonna watch it… right? 

Seeing the movie in theaters is an experience I recommend everyone indulges in at some point. The soundtrack and visuals are something you just can’t watch on a tiny screen in your living room. “Dune” has proven to have aged like fine wine, once captivating audiences in 1965 and now in 2021. It’s a story that can entertain those of all ages with it’s menacing intergalactic sand worms and future-retroism.