Dune: Part One

 3/4

Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Javier Barden, Stellan Skarsgaard, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Chang Chen, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Zendaya

Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Strong Violence, Some Disturbing Images and Suggestive Material

I left "Dune: Part One" with mixed feelings.  There was a nagging sense of disappointment.  Disappointment, but certainly not disinterest.  This version of "Dune," the legendary novel by Frank Herbert, just might be the most experimental movie ever to cost $165 million.  This is not mainstream fare.  Anyone expecting something like "Star Wars" or yet another superhero yarn is going to be very confused.

The story of "Dune" centers around a substance called "spice."  It is produced by giant worms on a desert planet Arrakis.  It is extremely powerful, as it is used by all in the galaxy for interstellar travel.  Leto (Isaac), head of House Atrides, has just been assigned to govern Arrakis, and is grooming his son Paul (Chalet) to become the next leader.  Meanwhile, his concubine Lady Jessica (Ferguson) is an acolyte of an ancient order and believes Paul to be a chosen figure.  All is not as it seems, however, and soon Paul is in great danger.

I've heard that the "Dune" novel is difficult to adapt because of its complexity.  I haven't read the book (yet), but after seeing the film I believe that.  Unfortunately, little of that comes across.  There just isn't enough world building.  It's as if it expects the audience to have read the book first.  Part of the reason is the sparse nature of the screenplay which gives little, if any, background information.  This isn't by accident; director Denis Villeneuve has always placed mood and images over dialogue and plot, and that's why I'm not as big of a fan of his as others.  There is something to be said for subtext, but with few exceptions, it can't be used for the whole movie.  The audience must know as much as the characters.  When the Wachowski sisters put "The Matrix" into production, Warner Bros insisted they include a lot of expository dialogue to explain their philosophical concepts.  I wish that they had told Villeneuve to do the same.  Having so little explanation into this world makes it difficult to become emotionally invested in it and the people involved.

The acting is strong, but there really isn't a lot for the actors to work with.  Villeneuve prefers to concentrate on how the characters look rather than how they behave.  Timothee Chalamet is an odd choice for the lead in a space opera, lacking the traditional matinee looks.  But he makes it work for him.  Rebecca Ferguson wrings her hands a lot and has different motives than Leto, but so much of her dialogue is unintelligible that I had a hard time bonding with her character.  Oscar Isaac, well, of course he's good.  A special shout out has to go to Jason Momoa as Paul's friend and bodyguard.  He displays the most emotion, and as a result, is the most interesting character on screen.

Visually, the film is impressive and makes good use of its mammoth budget.  While it's not as eye-popping as a "Star Wars" flick, this definitely feels like an epic adventure.  Too bad that I only got the sense that I was poking at the surface.  Time to read the book, definitely.

A word to the wise: "Dune" is very intense and not for younger children.  In fact, I'm sure that the studio's pull is the only reason this did not receive its deserved R rating.

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