Dune -- A Resounding "Meh"

 

Dune

Two stars

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Zendaya

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 2:35

I have admired director Denis Villeneuve for quite some time. His films “Sicario” (2015), “Arrival” (2016) and “Blade Runner: 2049” (2017) blend incredible art direction, cinematography, and legitimately provocative existential plots into films that not only entertain, but stretch the boundaries of the genres in which they are categorized.

So when I learned that Villeneuve would try to resurrect the Frank Herbert franchise that unsuccessfully came to the silver screen in 1984, I figured the advances in special effects, computer-generated imagery and Villeneuve’s direction would surely make it at least a standout in the science-fiction genre.

Well, not so much. At times it is a resounding “meh.” At others, it is head-scratchingly confounding and just downright silly.

We are some 8,000 years in the future and the planet Arrakis is a desolate, arid place inhabited by an intelligent warrior-like people called the Fremen. Arrakis contains a “spice” that has wondrous properties. It not only is a hallucinogen, but fuels interstellar travel. I am wondering if Frank Herbert got the idea while tripping on LSD in 1965.

Arrakis is part of a galactic alliance that includes the House of Harkonnen and the House of Atreides. There is an imperial force that oversees the rival houses and, at the beginning of the film, decides that the Harkonnens have harvested enough spice on Arrakis and must yield to the House of Atreides. That is where our young hero, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) comes in. He is the son of the Duke of Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and accompanies his father to take over the spice harvesting. However, after growing rich on the harvest, the Harkonnens aren’t so willing to give up their cash cow.

One of the first things I noticed was such a pastiche of eras and geographical influences smashed into one film. And not in a good way. The Houses of Atreides and Harkonnen suggest some sort of royal Medieval influence, yet the desert setting and the layout of the main city on Arrakis suggest Christian era Middle East. You could see Egyptian, and maybe Mesopotamian and Assyrian influences in the architecture. There is even some references to Spanish bullfighting. It’s as if this film doesn’t have a true identity.

Young Paul Atreides’ mother, Jessica, belongs to a sect of witches called the Bene Gesserit, who act as some sort of intermediary force/fortune teller for the rival houses. Apparently, Jessica and Paul have special metaphysical gifts and the witches aren’t happy that a male has been introduced to the coven.

As Paul tours Arrakis, he gives off a lifeforce that some recognize as unique. The Messianic overtures are unmistakable.

The pending conflict between the two houses, and Paul’s growing abilities should make for a suspenseful denoument. And that is where this film ends with a thud.

First off, I didn’t care one whit about Paul or his mother. Chalamet is the essence of milquetoast. He displays an emotional flatline throughout and I kept screaming to myself for him to do something, anything, that resembled emotion. In this case, Chalamet doesn’t seem to be a mature enough actor to display that fine line between the calm that is expected of royalty mixed with the doubt of a naïve young adult.

As for Lady Jessica, hers is an inconsistent character that displays moments of wisdom, then turns around and acts as if she is no more mature than her son. If the audience cannot find a reason, no matter how insignificant, to care about the main characters, the rest of the film is lost.

The other culprit that sabotages this film is the art direction; usually one of Villeneuve’s strong suits. There is so much here that either just doesn’t make sense or is just plain wrong. I remind you, this is 8,000 years in the future. Intergalactic travel is routine. Yet the airborne vehicles used to travel around Arrakis resemble mechanical dragonflies with helicopter-like blades and they employ analog instruments and switches as if they were Vietnam-era military aircraft.  

And what I’d like to know is, with 8,000 years of technological advancement, why is all troop combat done hand-to-hand with knives and swords? Certainly firearms had advanced as well, right? This was a monumental failure in concept. Add to that more silliness of all the military pomp and circumstance (including random chants that are supposed to fire up the troops I guess) and this film rides a fine line between uninteresting and ludicrous.

Many are giving this film kudos because it is meant to be an allegory, a warning about slavish reliance on natural resources (think oil instead spice) and corporatism. That’s all well and fine but it still doesn’t make this film any better or any more interesting. The film’s defenders also say that audiences shouldn’t be too harsh because there is more of the story to be told. That is great too. As an entity all its own, this film deserves to be judged on its own merits, not on the promise of what’s to come.

Had I seen this not having to write a review afterwards, I would have been tempted to walk out of the theater. Only two other movies prompted that kind of reaction in me: “Uncut Gems” (2019) with Adam Sandler and “Freddie Got Fingered” (2001) with Tom Green. This isn’t quite as bad as those two. But it did achieve one thing; it was able to turn my apathy into a visceral reaction.