Theatrical Reviews

Studio:
Warner Bros   

What’s It About?
A young nobleman is forced to step up when his clan, who are entrusted with harvesting the most valuable commodity in the galaxy, come under attack.    

Who’s In It?
Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, Little Women & The French Dispatch)
Rebecca Ferguson (The Greatest Showman, Doctor Sleep & Mission Impossible Rogue Nation & Fallout)   

Other notables include:
Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina & Star Wars VII-IX)
Jason Momoa (Game Of Thrones, Justice League & Aquaman)   

Director: Denis Villeneuve (Sicaro, Blade Runner 2049 & Arrival)   

Audiences Expect:
Nearly 40 years ago, David Lynch took on an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s beloved science fiction novel and in all honesty made a bit of a mess of it. Branded unfilmable, the story has never reached the audiences it should. Yet, after taking on the significant challenge of a Blade Runner sequel and maintaining the good will of the original fans, Canadian director Denis Villeneuve decided to tackle a new Dune.
Somewhat wisely, after the previous effort, Villeneuve has split the story into two, focussing on this first part on the rise to prominence of Paul Atreides, after his clan are brought in to harvest the most valuable commodity in the galaxy – an extremely dangerous assignment. Needless to say, things go awry, and the young nobleman has to assume great levels of responsibility and danger.
Unsurprisingly Villeneuve barely puts a foot wrong in this first instalment. Firstly, he has taken time over the story, allowing characters room to breathe and audiences to care for them, with the byproduct of making the story much more accessible than Lynch’s version. S
econdly, he has assembled an outstanding cast. Oscar Isaac rarely disappoints, while Rebecca Ferguson gives another sublime turn, but this is very much Timothy Chalamet’s film, with a role tailor made for him. Leading from the front, he shoulders the full weight of the film as well as the audience’s expectations – and delivers in spades.
Unfortunately for Villeneuve and cinephiles in general, Blade Runner 2049’s box office figures did not match the critical reception the film received. Dune certainly deserves to, and we as film fans more than deserve a second part if it is anything like as spellbinding as the first.   

In A Nutshell:
Denis Villeneuve films the unfilmable, delivering a breathtaking, epic slice of cinema.   

Highlights:
Incredible Cast
The visuals – simply incredible sets and wondrous backdrops all beautifully framed   

Lowpoints:
N/A