Dune Part 1 Movie Review

Written by: Alexus Lowe

With the newest Dune: Part Two movie having just come out, there’s been a lot of buzz on social media
surrounding both the books and the movies. I’ve never read any of the novels by Frank Herbert but I decided,
hey why not give the movie a try. I got myself cozy and popped a bag of popcorn before pulling up the movie on
Hulu and pressing play. Now, I’m not sure what I expected but it sure wasn’t what I got.

Let me explain.

For the first hour of the movie, I was very intrigued but also confused. My genuine thought process during the
first half was “Ooo, where are we going with this?”. Most of the time when a new character was introduced, I
wondered what their importance to the overall plot was. And then it got to the point where I wasn’t even sure
what the plot line was.

I feel like there’s more missing to the movie’s plot that I would've gotten if I had sat down and read the epic
novel first. I could sense something big was happening but I felt like there was information missing that
would’ve made my experience even better. Denis Villeneuve, the film director and co-producer of the film,
definitely should’ve left in a few more minor details.

I didn’t come to completely slander the movie though. The movie itself was actually really good. The CGI was
absolutely amazing. The explosions and technology looked so realistic. The movie’s CGI specialists outdid
themselves in every scene where the sandworm was included. When it finally came out of the ground, I was
SHOCKED– jaw on the ground, eyes wide with awe. They definitely put a good portion of their budget into
special effects and the cinematography.

The acting was also superb. Dr Kynes and Lady Jessica, played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Rebecca
Fergusson respectively, was an amazing casting decision. Not only do they both portray their characters quite
well, but their voices created such an ominous atmosphere. Sometimes you couldn’t help but shudder and
expect something bad to happen.

The underlying themes of lies and betrayal along with the tense and suspenseful soundtrack will surely have you
biting your nails and leaning in closely so you don’t miss a thing.

All together, I’d give the movie a solid 4 out of 5 stars but I will say, I definitely want to read the novel now!