Reviews and first reactions to Dune are starting to appear online. Although Dune will not be released until October 22, a select crowd at the Venice Film Festival was recently able to see what director Denis Villeneuve has created. So far, this crowd of film critics, journalists, and more have had mixed reactions to Dune.
David Ehrlich from IndieWire was disappointed by the film. He tweeted that the film was “the cinematic equivalent of getting a novelty-sized check for six dollars.” In his review, he praises the scale and cast of the film. However, he points out that there is little that the cast is given to do and that the world-building itself can be strange. Ultimately, Ehrlich gave Dune a C-.
Vanity Fair‘s Richard Lawson was also disappointed by Dune. Lawson specifically mentions Denis Villeneuve’s directing in his review. He felt that Villeneuve overloaded the film. Lawson also stated that the movie felt fast and slow at the same time and had more exposition than story.
However, not every critic noted issues in their reviews and reactions to Dune. Some had plenty of praise to give the latest adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel. Ben Travis from Empire found the film to be thrilling. In his review, Travis praised the movie, calling it “An absorbing, awe-inspiringly huge adaptation of (half of) Frank Herbert’s novel that will wow existing acolytes, and get newcomers hooked on its Spice-fuelled visions. If Part Two never happens, it’ll be a travesty.”
Clarisse Loughrey from The Independent also had words of praise for Dune. In her review, Loughrey wrote “Villeneuve’s Dune is the sandworm exploding out from the darkness below. It is a film of such literal and emotional largeness that it overwhelms the senses.”
Given how mixed the initial reviews and reactions to Dune are, the only real solution is for everyone to form their own opinion. Dune is scheduled to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22, 2021.
For more updates on Dune, Denis Villeneuve, and other movies, TV shows, and video games, be sure to check back in at The Nerd Stash!