A powerful exercise in pure spectacle. ittedly I might be biased, since I’m a big fan of the Dune novels (I’m not sure how much of the series Villeneuve wants to adapt, though I really hope he goes further than Dune Messiah), but I truly think this movie blows all other recent blockbusters out of the water. Villeneuve conveys the immeasurable scale of this universe through gorgeous shots of Arrakis’ vistas, impressive special effects and truly epic battle scenes (along with an assist from Zimmer’s stirring yet ominous score). This is the kind of film that it only really effective in a cinema; the sheer scope of it all just wouldn’t translate well into home viewing. I was also glad to see the film adapt the book’s warning against religious extremism, with Paul’s rise to power amongst the Fremen being more manipulative and insidious rather than noble (which is mostly evident through Stilgar’s disconcerting transformation from a stern warrior to an awestruck sycophant). The parallels between Paul and Feyd-Rautha are subtly played up too, making the audience question the ethics of Paul’s tactics. However, knowing how weird some of the book’s ages about the spice are, I was disappointed by the lack of psychedelic imagery (there’s a few moments here and there, like when we see glimpses of the former Reverend Mothers after Paul drinks the Water of Life), though I shouldn’t be surprised because that’s not really Villeneuve’s style. But overall this is a really strong adaptation, one that takes the events of the book and brings them to life with honestly jaw-dropping visuals, creating a film that’s viscerally exciting from start to finish. “Lead them to paradise” is a chilling final line.