I read the novel Dune when I was too young and didn’t get it. Then I saw the David Lynch film and loved it, even though I knew (even at a young age) that it was a mess (to be polite). Then I re-read the novel as an older, wiser person and understood it. But my memory of the story is more linked to the David Lynch film since it’s the medium I’ve experienced the story in most.

All that said, I was looking forward to Denis Villeneuve’s take on the story since he’s proven himself an intelligent expert craftsman of science fiction. He’s going to take the material seriously and deliver gorgeous visuals at a pace of his own liking. And he largely delivers. This is a better version of the story in most ways, though wounded by the simple fact it is only half the story and part 2 (the second half of the book) is not a guarantee. It arguably ends at a logical point, but the story isn’t structured for that point to be a cinematic exclamation point.

For those keeping score, this movie ends at about where the Lynch film goes into fast forward and starts skimming. A sequel (if made) will be most welcome since we’ll finally get the complete, unrushed story in film version.

Novices to this material may well get lost very quickly. This film (wisely, perhaps) chooses not to over-explain and throws out nouns and lines of dialog without much explanation. It’s giving the audience credit that they’ll be able to figure it out. Which is probably the best approach this movie could take given the complexity of the novel. But it will still leave some people behind. The Lynch film lost people and it was bloated with attempts to explain things.

This film is gorgeous though. Gorgeous and stark. The money is all on screen and there’s no faulting the production value, visual effects, or imagination.

The acting is very good, especially from Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson who have the lion’s share of screen time. Not everyone gets as much time onscreen (as the story necessitates) and that may disappoint some (especially the legion of Zendaya fans).

I do wish we had more time for galactic politics and world-building outside of the two planets we see most. And more time with the villains. The Harkonnens don’t get as much screen time or, at least, they don’t have enough room for vile villainy. Stellan Skarsgård as the Baron only seems to skim (or float) his way through the movie.

The film also takes its time and some may find it a slog. I was into it though and felt that, for the majority of the movie, the pacing worked. But there’s my big problem with the film… the final half hour or so has some real pacing issues. It’s doing what it needs to do to tell the story without feeling rushed, but it’s not as thrilling, epic, or simply as desperate as it needed to be.

In my book, the film should have ended with an escape sequence and left the wandering through the desert to the opening credits of a part 2. That way the movie would have ended with a bang instead of wandering about.

Unfortunately, this isn’t me at my most excited for a science fiction epic. It’s a very well produced film that puts all its budget on screen. It’s smart and assumes the audience can keep up. But it’s only half the story and the final act is kind of a chore. Good movie that will, if the Gods of Hollywood smile on us, be made better by a part 2.

Score: 87