Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Dune’ Is a Visual Spectacle, but Hints at a More Intriguing Story

REVIEW: ‘Dune’ Is a Visual Spectacle, but Hints at a More Intriguing Story

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings10/22/20214 Mins ReadUpdated:01/30/2025
Dune
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Dune is directed by Denis Villeneuve and co-written by Villeneuve with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has been having recurring dreams of the planet Arrakis and a mysterious girl (Zendaya) who lives there, along with a holy war that spans the universe. Paul’s father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Issac), is assigned fiefdom over Arrakis to harvest its “spice”—a substance that increases human vitality and allows pilots to navigate the universe. House Harkonnen, who previously held dominion over Arrakis, plots the downfall of House Atreides while Paul and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) encounter the Arrakis natives known as the Fremen.

Dune is not only known as one of the most influential novels in the science fiction genre, but it’s also been notoriously difficult to adapt. Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to make a film adaptation of Dune in the 1970s, but the production fell apart. Other filmmakers, most notably David Lynch, have given their own take on the novel over the years, but Villeneuve’s is arguably the most faithful to the source material. That is partly due to Villeneuve’s decision to split the book into two parts to capture the novel’s events fully.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
Dune is not only known as one of the most influential novels in the science fiction genre, but it’s also been notoriously difficult to adapt.

However, this has the unexpected side effect of making the film feel like the buildup to far more interesting events—it literally ends as one character says, “this is only the beginning.” Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson was able to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels into full-fledged films; I think that with a bit of tweaking, Villeneuve could have easily made a three-hour cut of Dune. (Especially since he’s on record saying that the second part depends on the first’s box office returns.)

There’s also the matter of culture to consider, particularly MENA culture, as the Fremen are inspired by Arab culture. Though Villeneuve is on record saying that he didn’t want Dune to be interpreted as a white savior story, I feel that it would have made more of an impact if the Fremen themselves were portrayed by actors of MENA descent.

David Dastmalchain, who actually is of Iranian descent, has a woefully small role as the ghoulish Piter de Vries-the right-hand man to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). And while I admire Javier Bardem’s performances, he’s about as Arab as I am. Villeneuve has said that Dune is a passion project, so it’s strange that he hadn’t taken this into consideration.

I will give Villeneuve this: he knows how to make a visual masterpiece. Cinematographer Greig Fraser shoots some stunning images: a massive spaceship rises from the waters of Caladan, where House Atreides makes its home. Golden rays of sunlight fall on the sandy dunes of Arrakis. A trail of missiles leaves fiery orange trails in their wake as they descend upon the ground and consume ships in a gulf of flame.

Villeneuve also approaches Dune the same way he did with previous films, including Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival; he takes his time and lets the scenery wash over the audience, immersing them in the world. This is the right approach to take with a book like Dune, which was packed with paragraphs full of description.

The film also boasts one of the most star-studded casts in recent memory. Chalamet is a solid presence as Paul but ends up being outshined by many of his co-stars, including Issac, who shifts from parental pride to righteous fury with ease.

The standouts of the cast are Jason Momoa as swordmaster Duncan Idaho and Josh Brolin as weapons master Gurney Halleck. Momoa’s boundless charm makes Idaho one of the most interesting characters in the film, and Brolin brings his trademark intensity to bear when Gurney and Paul engage in sparring matches. Ferguson is also a compelling presence in the movie, as it’s revealed that Jessica is part of the Gene Besserit—a secret society comprised of women who hold designs on the shape of the universe. And Dave Bautista is pure nightmare fuel as Harkonnen’s nephew Rabban, a hulking albino behemoth who is chomping at the bit to slaughter his uncle’s enemies.

Dune is a visual marvel and boasts a star-studded cast, but splitting the book into two films leads to what is essentially an extended prologue. Should Dune: Part Two be greenlit, it will contain the most exciting sequences in the book and will hopefully be worth the wait.

Dune (2021) is available to stream on MAX ( formally HBO Max).

Dune
  • 7/10
    Rating - 7/10
7/10

TL;DR

Dune is a visual marvel and boasts a star-studded cast, but splitting the book into two films leads to what is essentially an extended prologue. Should Dune: Part Two be greenlit, it will contain the most exciting sequences in the book and will hopefully be worth the wait.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleRoguelikes to Play on Xbox Game Pass
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Komi Can’t Communicate’ Episode 1 — “It’s Just, I Wish I Could Speak”
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

09/11/2025
Natasha O’Keeffe in Whitetail
6.5

TIFF 2025: ‘Whitetail’ Is An Intimate View Of A Woman Stuck In Time

09/10/2025
Love Brooklyn
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Love, Brooklyn’ Rests on Pretty

09/10/2025
Park Jeong-min in The Ugly
7.0

TIFF 2025: ‘The Ugly’ Is A Harsh Exercise In Self-Reflection

09/09/2025
No Other Choice
9.0

TIFF 2025: ‘No Other Choice’ Delivers a Bleak Vision of Capitalism

09/09/2025
Molly Lewis in Whistle
8.0

TIFF 2025: ‘Whistle’ Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

09/07/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here