Dune - A Movie Review

It’s time to begin your training.

Dune is a 2021 film based on a franchise of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert. The son of a noble family is entrusted with the most valuable asset to his galaxy. All at once, training begins to fight the evil.

Oscar season is one of my favorite times of the year. An assortment of films of varying genres has been nominated this year. I was hooked for its duration and was floored by the cinematography. Dune is an epic adaptation of the novels it is based on.

Dune contains a cast of actors with an array of acting backgrounds. I’m impressed with the depth and research they did for these characters. Their believable portrayal is one of the highlights of the film.

Timothee Chalomet did a terrific job embodying his character. Chalomet has garnered an impressive career with several diversified roles. In training, Paul is tested on a number of levels. Most importantly, his fighting skills and mentality are tested.

Your mother is always here to help you fight battles. That’s what I liked most about Rebecca Ferguson’s performance. She and Chalomet were fantastic.

I have only just seen Oscar Isaac in one other film. He did an incredible job in his role. For most of the actors, Dune is a contrasting film to ones they’ve previously starred in. Other credits include Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgard, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Josh Brolin, and Sharon Duncan-Brewster.

Immediately after viewing this film, I explored all the behind-the-scenes fun facts I could find. The process in which this film was made is a story of its own. As a huge fan of the book, Denis Villeneuve had his own vision of the film and its characters.

The most impressive feature of Villeneuve’s direction on Dune is the cinematography. Dune deserves its nomination for best cinematography. Long Incredible hours went to rendering every special effect and location in the world of Dune. Filmmakers designed outstanding locations. The screen fits a humungous ratio.

Dune was shot for a four-month period. Filming took place in Stadlandet, Norway for some scenes. The entire crew flew to Jordan and Abu Dhabi to film desert scenes. One of the best parts about creating new worlds is finding new locations that have not earned a chance to be seen on film.

The soundtrack is also noteworthy. Sound is an integral detail. Composed by Hans Zimmer, I immediately felt the atmosphere of this world. The whole soundtrack was recorded during COVID in the sitting room of his house. Some instruments were invented specifically for this film’s soundtrack.

Visually, this is a cool movie to examine every screenshot. More than 2,000 visual effects were created! There were so many times where I was saying ‘wow’ at the extensive ratio. A lot went into every handcrafted detail and computer effect in Dune.

Not only the visual effects but makeup, hairstyles, and costumes deserve their own shoutout. For one actor, it took them seven hours to get into their makeup.

The fighting scenes were my favorite. Fighting styles were arranged by Filipino martial arts fight coordinator, Roger Yuan. The hard work on this film was highly achieved.

Before seeing Dune you should do your research. My friends had to explain most details to me while watching the movie. I was a little confused at times but it did not affect my watch.

Dune is a big adventure. You never know what films you'll like especially during Awards season. The story of Dune does not end there. Go watch Dune. You won’t regret it.