Having not yet read the novel on which this is based, the only previous experience I had with Dune is the 80's effort by David Lynch, which I vaguely recall not being overly impressed with. However, general consensus is that this new effort by Denis Villeneuve is spectacular, so I decided to give this a shot, which unlike Lynch's version is only based on the first half of the novel.
Dune (part 1) follows the Atreides family, specifically the son and heir to the family throne, Paul. The family are tasked by the emperor to travel to the planet Arakkis, which is rich in the most valuable mineral in the galaxy - spice. However, Arakkis is an extremely harsh planet, with it's desert wasteland being battered by horrendous weather and even worse wildlife. The Atreidis family are tasked with looking after the harvesting, purifying and distribution of spice, but when they are betrayed and nearly all killed by the emperors forces, Paul and his mother escape into the desert, finding solitude with the indigenous Fremen, a tribe of people who call Arakkis their home. Can Paul befriend the people of this planet, rise up to take revenge against those who killed his family and lead the Fremen to a better life? You know the answer...
I must say that from a visual standpoint, this film is incredible. The endless desert vistas, futuristic yet ancient technology and effects on the deadly sandworms had my jaw on the floor. The film looks futuristic, but also lived in like only the best sci fi movies can. All the performances are really good, and Villeneuve wisely chose to split the book into 2 films so he could properly take the time to build up the characters and their relations. However, the downside of that also means this film ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but even so I'd still take this approach over trying to cram everything in to one movie. Having said that, some of the finer plot details were still lost on me, so perhaps reading the book is still recommended.
Overall this is a great film that I assume does its source material justice, and it will be interesting to see how it all comes together once the second part is released.
Dune (part 1) follows the Atreides family, specifically the son and heir to the family throne, Paul. The family are tasked by the emperor to travel to the planet Arakkis, which is rich in the most valuable mineral in the galaxy - spice. However, Arakkis is an extremely harsh planet, with it's desert wasteland being battered by horrendous weather and even worse wildlife. The Atreidis family are tasked with looking after the harvesting, purifying and distribution of spice, but when they are betrayed and nearly all killed by the emperors forces, Paul and his mother escape into the desert, finding solitude with the indigenous Fremen, a tribe of people who call Arakkis their home. Can Paul befriend the people of this planet, rise up to take revenge against those who killed his family and lead the Fremen to a better life? You know the answer...
I must say that from a visual standpoint, this film is incredible. The endless desert vistas, futuristic yet ancient technology and effects on the deadly sandworms had my jaw on the floor. The film looks futuristic, but also lived in like only the best sci fi movies can. All the performances are really good, and Villeneuve wisely chose to split the book into 2 films so he could properly take the time to build up the characters and their relations. However, the downside of that also means this film ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but even so I'd still take this approach over trying to cram everything in to one movie. Having said that, some of the finer plot details were still lost on me, so perhaps reading the book is still recommended.
Overall this is a great film that I assume does its source material justice, and it will be interesting to see how it all comes together once the second part is released.