Greetings, Seekers! Today is the anniversary of a dark moment in American history. We remember those who lost their lives and send our hope for peace to their loved ones who still carry the burden of grief. Thank you to all the first responders and our armed forces who battle daily to keep us safe and healthy.
Now, you may have noticed that the trailer for a certain science fiction film dropped this week (link below in case you missed it!). J & K have some strong feelings about it, so read on to see what we think about the first teaser for the new cinematic adaptation of Dune.
J Dune ranks among my all-time favorite science fiction books, so I am very excited to see it getting a film adaptation that has to be better than its first. That being said, the mind-blowing scope of Dune is part of what makes it so appealing. Can a film succeed in capturing the vastness of an interstellar empire rife with political intrigue? We’ll see.
The trailer’s visuals are predictably stunning, especially that final shot of a sandworm. I am thrilled that the Litany Against Fear is finally getting the love it deserves. The casting of Timothee Chalamet as the film’s main character seems spot on. His boyish looks underscore how young Paul Atreides was when he was thrust into the middle of a galaxy-spanning power struggle. I like Zendaya as Chani, too, and Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson should be excellent as Duke Atreides and Lady Jessica. I’m less excited about Baron Harkkonen. He was barely present in this trailer, and if you’ve never read Dune you would have no idea that he is, in fact, the villain. Not Dave Bautista’s character, who gets way more screen time.
The glaring issue with this trailer, though, is that spice is not mentioned at all. There’s one brief shot of a handful of glittering sand that alludes to its presence, but that’s not nearly enough. Spice–a psychotropic substance harvested on the desert planet Arrakis, where the film mostly takes place–is the driving force of Dune. It’s the catalyst for everything that happens in the movie. And, virtually every character in the story is addicted to it (which means their eyes should have turned blue, by the way). Now, I fully grasp the challenge of representing drug addiction in any sort of positive light. But, this core element of the story shouldn’t be overlooked. We’ll see how the filmmakers choose to handle it.
K So I might have the unique perspective here as I’ve never read the Dune book (books? see, I don’t even know) and I know that’s such a shocker for someone who reads sci-fi (there’s only so much time to read and I’m selective, what can I say). Also, I’ve never watched more than the first little part of the original movie. Another gasp, go ahead. With that said, this trailer didn’t help me at all. I still have no idea what this story is about.
Ok, so there’s a young man who’s maybe a Duke of Tatooine who talks in monotone and has the expression of come-at-me-bro frozen on his face. He has some sort of dream power. There’s some people who want to kill his family, and there’s a big battle coming. Maybe some space ships, but just in the desert so maybe they are just desert ships. Is this in space? Is this future earth? I don’t know why I should care about stone-face or his story. I know I know, unpopular opinion I’m sure. I just didn’t get teased enough to say, “Show me more!” More of what? Sand people? What story are you telling me in all of these visuals? (which, pause, do look lovely. Especially the giant freaking sandworm thing).
I’m about to drop another UO (unpopular opinion) bomb on you, brace yourselves. Jason Momoa is type-cast, one-level, monotone…. and I could do without him here. Also, I can’t see Dave Bautista now without thinking comic relief (thanks GotG) so if he’s not, I’ll be disappointed. So, yeah, I’ll see it sometime as it seems obligatory that I do. Just not soon. Don’t hate me. (Ok, I also just cheated and read J’s response and ADDICTIVE SPICE?! Blue eyes?! That totally should have been in there. I thought the sand looked normal. J’s insight has me slightly more optimistic.)
My most anticipated movie of the year! Dave’s dramatic acting chops are not to be underestimated. His best work is still ahead of him, to be sure. No mention of spice I’m the trailer? That’s a little worrisome, but perhaps Villenueve is trying to avoid the franchises existing tropes while presenting us with our first impressions, and I can appreciate that!
We’re looking forward to it too, Bryan! The role of ‘Beast’ Rabban will be an interesting one for Dave and an opportunity to display those dramatic acting chops. Hopefully, he rises to the occasion! The absence of spice is indeed troublesome, but as you said, this may be an instance of a curated first impression. We’ll see what the movie holds in store!