***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***
Dune: Part One, directed by Denis Villeneuve, was released on October 22nd, 2021. This movie’s cast is absolutely amazing. Dune stars Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, and many more amazing actors and actresses.
The movie starts out in the year 10,191 on Arrakis, the home dune of the Fremen people, and their sand. The sand has a drug called “melange.” It is essential for interstellar travel and the sand is a healing element but also dangerous if you’re not used to it. The Fremen, the indigenous people of Arrakis, have been immune to the sand, and because of that their eyes have turned blue.
House of Atreides has been chosen by the Emperor to help protect the desert and override House Harkonnen; they want to take the sand for themselves, profit from it, and kill the Fremen people.
Paul Atreides, the main character and the son of Duke Leto, has gifted abilities like his mother, Lady Jessica. She is a part of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. They have the ability to control people with their voice at a certain pitch.
Once they arrive at Arrakis, the Fremen are looking for the chosen one, possibly Paul, and repeat “Lisan al-Gaib” which means “Voice from the Outer World,” which is their word for Messiah.
Later on, House Harkonnen invades Atreides home base on Arrakis, ordered by the Emperor, and kills the Duke. Because of that, Paul and Lady Jessica are forced into the dangerous desert.
They meet the Fremen people, and Paul has to fight one of the Fremen people and kill him to show his “worth.” He ends up killing Jamis and becomes one of the Fremen people, and his mother is allowed in also. That is where the movie ends.
Dune: Part One was very slow and confusing in the beginning. It wasn’t until later on when I started to understand everything. It is definitely a “trust the process” type of movie.
There were many different languages shown in the movie. The languages consist of English, Mandarin, Sign Language, Chakobsa: Arrakis Language, Arabic, and Sardaukar. Dune has many similar characteristics to African/Asian culture mixed with Star Wars.
The cinematography, the costume design, and props were out of this world. I generally cannot express how well they were. There is a scene in the movie where there is a war and the explosions looked and felt so real.
The costume designs were much different than what I had seen before. Usually when you see certain movies that have similar characteristics, the costume designs are very similar; however, not for this series.
My favorite prop are the Ornithopters, the main air transportation in Arrakis, because they look like dragonflies.
Dune: Part Two was also directed by Denis Villeneuve, and was released on March 1st, 2024. This Dune movie stars the original cast, but also Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Robert Rodriguez, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
The movie begins the same day as Dune: part one finished. House Harkonnen proceeds to try to take over Arrakis and the Fremen people. Paul and Lady Jessica are helping fight them off.
We find out that Lady Jessica is pregnant with a baby girl. When they return to the sietches, underground homes of the Fremen people, Stilgar tells Lady Jessica that he wants her to be the new Reverend Mother since the current one is dying. She accepts and takes the Water of Life, which we find out later is made from young sandworms, Shai-Hulud. The ladies say it was a mistake to make her Reverend Mother because she is pregnant.
Paul, Chani, Stilgar, and many others set off to fight the Harkonnen. There is a new character introduced, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Baron Vladmir Harkonnen, ruler of House Harkonnen, nephew Rabban wasn’t achieving his needs and replaced him with Feyd. Feyd and his Harkonnen army start burning down the sietches. Lady Jessica and the Northern Fremen people start heading south for their protection.
Paul gets “renamed” with a Fremen name, Paul Muad’Dib Usul. Chani and Usul end up falling in love with each other, until Paul goes to the south. He was originally afraid to go because of the dreams he was having, seeing complete destruction and devastation, yet he goes.
He ends up drinking the Water of Life even after being warned not to. Chani has to use her tears, tears of the Desert Spring, and the Water of Life to save Paul’s life. He is now officially the Lisan al-Gaib.
After drinking the Water of Life, Paul and Lady Jessica find out that they are blood related to Baron, he is Lady Jessica’s dad. They are Harkonnen.
The Emperor, his daughter, and House Harkonnen are all in Arrakis. The Emperor is upset with Baron about the lack of spices produced; meanwhile, the Fremen people are attacking their army and home base.
The Great Houses show up to Arrakis. Paul asks to take the Emperor’s daughter’s hand and keep her safe as long as he answers to his father. Paul and Feyd fight. Feyd is a very good fighter and is brutal. Feyd almost wins, but Paul swerves and kills him.
Paul accepts Princess Irulan, Emperor’s daughter, hand and will rule with her; however, the Great Houses don’t approve of Paul and Princess Irulan. They load up ships to go to the Great Houses. Chani walks out into the desert by herself, and that is where the movie ends.
Dune: Part Two has a lot more background information and explains Dune: Part One a lot better. You definitely cannot watch Dune: Part 2 without watching Dune first. The cinematography in the second film was a lot better. I felt like I was there in some of the scenes. How beautiful, or intense they were, it was still exceptional.
Overall, both of the movies are extraordinarily good. There were plenty of plot twists that made me sit on the edge of my seat or have my mouth hanging open. The actors and actresses did amazing jobs playing the characters, and I cannot wait to watch the other movies.
