Dune: My Invigoration of an Epic


Let’s start with the facts. I never watched Dune (2021) because let’s face it, sci-fi isn’t my default or favorite genre. There are exceptions to this rule, however. I grew up loving raunchy teenage comedies and family movies. I didn’t really open my mind and become a film fanatic until later in life. But enough of that backstory. The reason I mention this, is because there are very few action/fantasy/sci-fi stories I do love. There is just a certain feeling you get when you see them come to life. For example, I love Star Wars. The original trilogy will always be my favorite. There are also stories like Lord of the Rings that will go down in history. I feel like these Dune films are the next big thing. 

Sitting down and watching the first film just a few days ago reinvigorated my love for these long, epic stories. Everything captured my attention between the visuals, the score, costumes and sound editing. I didn’t have the pleasure of watching the film on the big screen, but I made sure to watch it days before the second film was coming to theaters. Luckily, I got to experience Dune Part 2 in Atmos Dolby at my local AMC. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Those sounds I came to love from the first part, were louder and the seats vibrated with it. The visuals were larger than life and I felt like I was almost there in some scenes. 

I rated Dune (2021) a 5-star rating on my Letterboxd account already because there wasn’t much I would change about it. It just took me back to the feeling I had when I first watched Star Wars and LotR. 

Dune Part Two will be another 5-star rated film when I get the chance to post. This movie was somehow even bigger and better than its predecessor. The cast was just as good, if not better. My favorite actress graced us with her presence as the Emporer’s daughter. Timothée Chalamet killed it as Paul once again. He was able to do more with the character this time, because he dealt with much larger challenges in the story. Dave Bautista was an angry and scary villain, along with Stellan Skarsgård. But two of my absolute favorite performances came from Javier Bardem, who we see in the first film, and Austin Butler who debuted in part 2. The character Stilgar had so much hope and faith and Bardem played him so well. I could feel his emotions the entire time. Austin Butler played the ‘psychotic’ baron, Feyd-Rautha. He was so good as this gross weird little freak who thirsted for killing. Zendaya and Rebecca Ferguson continues to play their roles quite well too. 

The sound was incredible from the thumper noises, to the sand worms actually coming up from the ground. The score was beautifully added to each scene and it brought out emotions in me I didn’t think still existed. 

I usually am bad with explaining things I like, but I tried my best to do so here. I am so ready for the continuation of the Dune story and I hope everyone decides to give these films a chance. They’re some of the best story-telling I’ve seen in a long time.


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