How You Dune? I’m Dune Fine (Dune Part 1 Extremely Untimely Review)
By a sci-fi fan who never read the book
Hello, readers
In honor of Dune 2 in theatres now, I am re-posting my review of Dune Part 1 from 2021.
I realize this isn’t my usual subject matter here, so my apologies if this is an imposition on this mostly-fitness-related site.
I’ll be back in a couple of days with a post about Intentional Eating vs. Intuitive Eating: which one works for me, and why?
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my non-standard movie review of Dune 1, even though its three years late. At the end, there are links to a podcast episode I was in, all about Dune 2.
The Dune Part 1 Review
When my buddy Ryan went to see this movie in the theater three times (three times!), I decided I better go at least once and see what the big deal was.
It was a pretty big deal.
Here are some of the highlights.
Who Was In It? A Star-Studded Cast
I’ll admit I never paid much attention to the casting until I was in the theater. So much to my surprise, not only was Aquaman in this movie, but so was Drax the Destroyer, Thanos, Mary Jane (Spiderman’s main squeeze), and Poe Dameron.
Sadly, they picked a bunch of other actors who were never in superhero or Star Wars movies, but I guess they couldn’t get Superman, Captain America, or Batman in on this film.
You Know. Scheduling conflicts.
Should You Read the Book First?
This movie is based on the book by Frank Herbert. It’s a given that a lot of people will never read it: Too thick for them.
Options? You could look online for a plot summary. You could listen to the audiobook. Or you could wing it like I did and see the movie.
But then you’ll miss a lot of small details placed carefully for the “true” fans. Like the two occasions when a Mentat (people who train themselves to think like machines) rolls his eyes back in his head during information retrieval or calculations. Or the meanings of the visions the protagonist has of Mary Jane in the desert.
Bottom line: Everyone says Dune is an excellent book that will give our lives meaning. Without it, we are merely shells of what we could potentially become once we have perused its thickness. So we should probably all read it. Or else.
It’s on the to-do list.
What Was It About? (No Spoilers)
Picture it: Thousands of years in the future. People are still awful to each other, and the government is out to take away your birthday.
Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet, who was never in any superhero movies that I know of) is the son of a Duke who has a big navy and submarine-type ships of enormous size. His mom is a witch.
And they’re being forced by the emperor to move to a desert planet, aptly named Dune (Arrakis.) I bet they aren’t bringing the submarines.
But, why must they move?
Because people love drugs.
And the best drug of all, Spice, is just lying around in the sand at their new home. Spice makes your eyes blue. No need to look for track marks to spot an addict!
Paul’s family has enemies. That’s what happens when you start breaking bad. Gangsters come gunning for you to take away your drug stash and get their turf back.
Violence ensues.
Do You Need To Watch It On The Big Screen?
Maybe.
This movie is full of awe-inspiring scenes of awe, draped with more awe.
One scene sticks with me: Battalion upon battalion of soldiers, in training or just staged, on an entire planet of war. The chanting that echoed over their heads from a figure on high seemed to have a religious tone. The whole scene was unnerving.
Then there was the sandworm scene.
But if you don’t like visual masterpieces and jaw-dropping vistas, then it’s no big deal to watch it on your Apple Watch, I guess. Or maybe you could enjoy it reflected off of a window from your TV screen while you face the wrong way. Or on your iPhone mini while you take the bus downtown. It would have precisely the same impact when seen this way. Just ask David Lynch.
Some of the scenes you need to see on the big screen:
Cold, dark, and scary military might
Big, fat, non-hairy enemy dudes in their stronghold
Old, mean, and scarily telepathic witches
Sandy, hot and barely survivable desert escapes
Giant, killer, and contrary sandworms
Fighting, dying, and unfairly suffering
This is Only Dune Part 1
What I didn’t know, because I didn’t bother to read reviews or anything before I went into this movie, is that this was only part 1. It just kinda ends, and you are left a little high. And extremely dry, a little sandy. Since, well, desert.
But the story cuts at a good spot, even if it is a little abrupt.
Part 2 isn’t on its way yet. It will come out in 2 years. So by then, we will need to watch this again and get back in the groove for the new movie.
Maybe I’ll re-watch Dune Part One on my smartwatch before I see Part Two.
Dune Part Two Podcast Review:
If you would like to check out our most recent Reliable Narrator podcast about Dune Part 2, you can find that with the links below or at our Reliable Narrators Substack.