36. Dune Part One (reprise); movie review

 

DUNE PART ONE (REVISED)

Cert 12A

149 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat, bloody images

I have never favoured the notion that movies could be better on the second viewing.

Rather uncharitably, I believed that if they didn't resonate the first time, they certainly wouldn't during a repeat screening.

Until now. 

I thought Dune Part One was just okay when I saw it on release in 2021, but it was as if a light had been switched on when I revisited it for its 2024 re-release.

So, while I have stuck with the descriptive element of my earlier review, I have rewritten its conclusion and marked it two points higher.

"We Are House Atreides. There Is No Call We Do Not Answer. There Is No Faith That We Betray. The Emperor Asks Us To Bring Peace To Arrakis. House Atreides Accepts!"

If only the Duke of Atreides had Dad's Army's Sergeant Wilson by his side with a quizzical: "Do you really think that's wise, sir?"

Instead, he takes his people to an inhospitable planet with giant worms bursting through the sandy wastes and two armies set on destroying them.

Yep, the emperor of the universe looks like he has set them up.

Denis Villeneuve's ambitious remake stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul, the heir to the leadership of Atreides and Oscar Isaac as his dad, a pragmatist who seeks long-lasting peace, little knowing of the plots against him.

Rebecca Ferguson plays the heir's mother, who takes responsibility for keeping him away from the dangers caused by treachery and betrayal, and Josh Brolin is his dad's fearless right-hand man.

Meanwhile, skulduggery is led by Stellan Skarsgard, who has been transformed into a cross between Jabba The Hut from Star Wars and Fat Bastard from Austin Powers.

Obviously, the fans of these types of films want to know whether the action scenes match up to the likes of Star Wars.

Like many movies of its ilk, Dune Part One is a special effects extravaganza with Villeneuve filming in the desert in Jordan, so the desert scenes are spot on.

He has received much critical acclaim, and the movie has done well at the box office.

I didn't buy into the characters the first time around, but this time, I was inwardly cheering on Paul as he and his mum stood alone against the betrayers and the backstabbers.

I don't know if I wasn't in a good place last time, but I can't fathom why it took me quite a while to figure out what was happening. This time, everything fitted comfortably into place.

I loved Chalamet as the young lead and was impressed by the ensemble cast, especially Skarsgard's ruthless villain.

How can the same movie's impact be so tepid on one view and hard-hitting the next time?

I don't know, but it was in Dune Part One's case.

Reasons to watch: Acclaimed sci-fi

Reasons to avoid: Overly long

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? The scenes on the ocean world of Caladan were shot in Stadlandet, Norway. Many of the scenes in the desert world of Arrakis were shot in Jordan and Abu Dhabi,

The final word. Denis Villeneuve: "“I wanted to make the movie to please myself as a hardcore fan, but also to make sure that my mother, who had not actually read the book, would understand the story and not feel alienated." Deadline

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