_Dune_ was a massive undertaking due to the sheer amount of lore and political backstory director Villeneuve had to fit in a two-and-a-half-hour run-time, but I am happy to say it was executed brilliantly.

The story of _Dune_ is incredibly deep, there are so many layers of political factions and relationships that it can get quite confusing at times. I had to constantly be looking up specific individuals and their ties to each other to understand the minor nuances of the story. Despite that fact, Villeneuve is still able to deliver a coherent narrative that will allow the majority of the audience to understand the overarching plot. After the buildup of the first act, the story gets cooking, and I was utterly invested.

There is an incredible atmosphere present in this film. It begins as a Sci-Fi epic, following a house starting anew on a fresh planet and a new industry to conquer. You can feel the optimism and the sense of discovery in the shots due to the interesting angles, lighting, and a brilliant soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer. But as the narrative evolves so does the tone, as a thick fog of helplessness bleeds on to the screen and you can feel the dread form. This tone was quite refreshing in today’s blockbuster cinema, as each movie needs to incorporate a vast amount of unnecessary comedy to appeal to the broader audience. Dune is unapologetic about what the story is trying to deliver and gives you exactly what it wants without any concessions.

The visuals are stunning throughout the entire runtime. One of my favorite scenes was during the spice extraction visit. I loved the blend of realism that was used in this Science Fiction setting. The ships and equipment look like they could exist in our own world with a few technological advancements. The fight choreography is really well done, especially the hand-to-hand combat. The final scene was epic, each fist and punch were so sharp and calculated, it was really impressive to watch in the age of jump cut action.

The acting is perfect throughout the film, I really cannot point to any one character that felt off or out of place. Timothee Chalamet did an incredible job as the lead man. He delivered a heartfelt performance and evolved throughout the entire film into the confident leader the story crashendos on. Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, and Josh Brolin all did great jobs as well. I really brought the somewhat complex nature of Lady Jessic and Duke Leto, they had really great chemistry with themselves and with their son. Stellan Skarsgard had my favorite performance of the entire film. I felt entirely disgusted everytime he was on the screen, and he made the hairs on the back of my neck stand tall. He is truly a man poisoned by greed and will not stop at anything on his path to fortune. Jason Momoa does a fantastic job here too. I felt he really fit his role and his lines were delivered effortlessly, much better than his performance in the DCEU.

_Dune_ delivers a fantastic Sci-Fi epic that gave me everything I was looking for and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel's release.

**Score:** _88%_

**Verdict:** _Excellent_