'Dune' film review: Sweeping, grand ... plodding & incomplete setup for a sci-fi epic

The long-awaited remake of 'Dune' (opening in theaters and streaming on HBO Max Oct. 22) is simultaneously a must-see cinematic experience ... that's also just the opening act of a sci-fi epic.

In short: When the prominent Atreides noble house become stewards of the harsh planet Arrakis, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and his son Paul (Timothée Chalamet) find themselves thrust in the middle of an intergalactic power struggle. Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem and Zendaya also star.

'Dune' is being marketed as a grand sci-fi flick, when it's really the first half of a grand sci-fi epic. Its title card is literally 'Dune: Part One' - so the movie tips its hand that its the first part of a multi-part story. And just so there no misunderstanding: this film is barely a standalone movie. The last line of the film unironically declares “This is only the beginning.” It could have easily have had 'To Be Continued ...' tacked on just before the end credits. Frankly, 'Part One' should have been the title used in all the commercials and all the posters, out of fairness to the audience and to lay the foundation for some sequel hype or at least calibrate expectations.

Director Denis Villeneuve ('Arrival') has called 'Dune' a "tribute to the big-screen experience" and this is a film that should absolutely be experienced on the biggest screen possible. If anything, the fact that it will also stream on HBO Max the same day it opens in theaters is a great second-viewing option to compliment the theatrical experience. Sometimes the booming score or oppressive sound mixing overwhelms the dialogue, making it hard to understand what characters are saying. And 'Dune' is the ultimate "show don't tell" movie, dropping meager exposition for the audience to work with and totally understand all the winding politics, intrigue and world building of this entirely alien Empire. The best advice: soak in all the cinematic glory of 'Dune' on the big screen, then pick up any of the easy-to-miss little details at home (be ready to toggle the subtitles on and off).

Having not read the original Frank Herbert novel or watched the David Lynch's 1984 movie, it's hard to say if this 2021 iteration is a worthy translation or update - but it's definitely a sweeping setup for any future film or films. Villeneuve's 'Dune' patiently, deliberately establishes the brutal harshness of life on Arrakis, from the need to save every last drop of moisture just to survive to how native Fremen walk across sand (just to avoid becoming a meal for the terrifying sandworms). Yet, the script explains complex galactic politics ... with the minimal amount of exposition. This is the rare case where a little bit more exposition would have been helpful - especially when dropping the audience right in the middle of a political tension between various Houses within a space empire. Simply declaring that the Emperor felt House Atreides was becoming a threat isn't enough to justify anything that happens afterward. How was Atreides a threat? Was this threat founded? Everything the unseen Emperor does is apparently motivated by a threat ... alluded to and never explained.

'Dune' comes with a runtime of 155 minutes - and yet if you just boiled down the film to its basic plot points, not a lot actually happens in terms of plot. The Atreides faction gets orders, follows orders, arrive - and the last hour is basically a drawn-out chase sequence. Make no mistake, each singular scene is a stunning feat of cinema ... but the totality of 'Dune' is a plodding story with few actual story points ... that just ends abruptly. This film's conclusion takes "leave the audience wanting more" to its logical extreme: this desire to see the sequels ASAP unintentionally reveals how incomplete 'Dune: Part One' feels.

The great frustration of 'Dune' is how much is teased and hinted at - but just out of the audience's reach. Paul has visions - visions of events not even close to occurring within 'Part One.' Everything in this first part builds toward events that never come to pass in this first movie. And at just over two-and-a-half hours in runtime, 'Part One' is basically the first act of an incredible story - but that doesn't mean 'Part One' itself is great from start to finish. Perhaps watching the series from start to finish a decade from now will reframe 'Part One' in a holistic sense - but for now, audiences will to deal with a film that makes sweeping promises ... that never pay off within this first movie. And any film - even one that is part of a greater whole - isn't as structurally sound or satisfying as a film that truly stands on its own. 'Dune: Part One' is a first chapter and not a standalone film.

Final verdict: Even though its half a story, 'Dune' sets the groundwork for a grand sequel.

Score: 3/5

'Dune' opens in theaters nationwide and streams on HBO Max starting Oct.8. This sci-fi epic has a runtime of 155 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images and suggestive material.