Dune (2021)

| Disclaimer | This probe is all pre-release opinions and speculation before actually seeing the feature. At Film Probe we thought we’d break down the trailer and bring you our thoughts on the new sci-fi feature, Dune (2021).

This is a cinematic marvel and has the potential to be a dazzling picture that will be on people’s watchlist as soon as it’s released! By far the trailer is one of the most visually astonishing I’ve seen in a long time, I hope they haven’t filled the trailer with all the best moments and have left some for the cinema but nonetheless, there is no doubt this will be a showstopper. Director Denis Villeneuve has a distinct vision and style, his previous works include Blade Runner (2017) and Arrival (2016), both Sci-fi spectacles that bend the mind and entice the audience through foreboding plot twists, unforgettable aesthetics and intriguing characters. I personally am a huge fan of sci-fi, I find the extreme potential of science fiction to be intriguing and almost unstoppable.

Anything can happen because it isn’t real and Dune (2021) looks to be doing just that, huge sand monsters and dystopian landscapes… I cannot wait to see more. I have no previous knowledge of the novels but I can image this storyline is an ongoing narrative, this is definitely not the first and last movie.

This film has a endless list of recognisable cast, every face that appeared in the trailer was a shock and only increased my excitement for this feature more. Although Dune is adapted from a series of novels, eight to be exact, I still found it to have a similar design and essence as Star Wars and Mad Max, both being science fiction franchises and I think Dune (2021) could be a blend of the two? Not in a negative way, I think a merging of these two movies could be incredible, if done correctly. We need a mix of drama and light hearted comedy, sometimes when science fiction is all action and no down time, it can be slightly boring. Dune (2021) is almost a three hour movie, we don’t want the whole duration to be intense stares and monotone mumbling, which is unfortunately what the trailer seemed to showcase a lot. I do not think this is going to be a new franchise I personally want to invest in, I found the lack of character introduction and lack of plot description led me to think this film may have very little substance behind the special effects.

To conclude, this film is going to be visually marvellous, truly beautiful and cinematic but I hope this movie doesn’t solely rely on its visuals. I am hoping the writing is impeccable and the plot concept is easy to follow and packed with detail. I don’t want this film to blend into the background and have nothing for ‘us’ (the audience) to attach ourselves to, I want memorable, likeable characters! I figure this movie will set up a long line of ‘Dune’ films, as I said this is adapted from one of eight novels so the content is sitting there ready to be made. I think the style and visuals of this movie is stomp the narrative, everyone will be engrossed by the aesthetics and Timothee Chalamet’s beautiful face!