Dune

I just got out of an IMAX screening and I’m kind of in a state of euphoria right now. I find so much value in this project, not only as a Part One in a colossal universe, but as one of the greatest accomplishments in science-fiction filmmaking, leaving me itching and on my knees begging for Part Two. I need that shit right fucking now before I explode. Nolan referring to Part Two as Denis’ “Empire Strikes Back” has me salivating. Denis has the sauce and his genius is on full display. The fact that this movie exists is fucked up in and of itself. It’s absurd that anyone has the resources and the audacity to piece together something of this magnitude. The sheer balls this man has to take a beloved novel with such dense political storytelling and complicated themes of religion, power and suffering, and translate it into something this profound on the big screen and one of the greatest displays of VFX artistry is borderline unbelievable. I hope Denis wakes up every morning knowing he’s that fucking guy. Few films can continue to truly get a meaningful reaction out of me after multiple watches and Dune is absolutely one of them. Moments like the below line coming from Paul continue to leave a lasting impression on me: “It's coming. I see a holy war spreading across the universe like unquenchable fire. A warrior religion that waves the Atreides banner in my father's name. Fanatical legions worshipping at the shrine of my father's skull. A war in my name. Everyone shouting my name!” If you haven’t watched Sydney’s TikTok video about how Paul is NOT the hero of Dune, please go watch it. It adds layers to the above quote and she does a really good job at diving into just how complex this narrative is and how much depth there is to this lore. Watch HERE. Dune continues to be something impactful no matter how many times I watch it. This is now the 2nd time I’ve seen this film in theaters and the first time I laid my eyes on this glory in IMAX. An achievement so extraordinary that a 7th watch can feel like a 1st. There’s a really simple, yet great, bit of writing and film-making that I absolutely love… the Baron is sitting, cloaked in black, speaking with a sister of the Bene Gesserit about his willingness to let Paul live, and in that moment Stellan Skarsgård breaks the fourth wall, stares directly into my soul, and drops the line “House Harkonnen would never dream of violating the sanctity of your order.” I’ve seen it 7 times and it is still one of the most effective villain moments in film. It’s so quick, so simple, and so fucking brilliant, and this film is filled with such moments of great detail. Powerful, lasting detail. Dune is just about everything I love in film. It’s a culmination of everything within the art of film-making that makes my dick hard. A monumental science-fiction outing with unprecedented world-building, backed by a staggering dissection of lore and philosophy. It has set a new gold standard in blockbuster filmmaking, so much so that I am inclined to go and lower my rating for every MCU film by at least a half a star. 155 minutes and not a single moment is wasted. Not a single minute goes unwarranted. It’s relentless and the narrative structure and Denis’ pace of play need to be studied. He takes his time unpacking everything and refuses to hold our hands. Frank Herbert’s’ novel is stuffed with rich detail and what makes this movie even more brilliant is Denis’ commitment to the source material. A novel of this complexity could have easily resulted in a convoluted mess on the big screen. I don’t know if this is Denis’ “passion project” but seeing a filmmaker take such good care of something and really take his or her time to unpack a project of this immensity is inspiring and fucking electric. It’s so easy to approach a review and simply be like “Acting, good. Directing, good. Cinematography, good.” It’s elementary but fuck it, that’s kind of exactly how I want to review this film. It’s good. Like, very fucking good. Near flawless, if I may. Timmy is exceptional here. He man’s up and carries the weight of this entire film on his shoulders. Experiencing the sound design and Hans Zimmer’s monstrous score in IMAX was levitating. It’s a complete immersive experience. A herculean effort and one of the greatest feats in science-fiction filmmaking I have ever seen.