Dune

This week's movie rental was Dune ...

is a 2021 American epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve .... It is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, primarily covering the first half of the book. Set in the far future, it follows Paul Atreides as his family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

This is the second movie made of the book, the first being a 1984 version that was really pretty bad - Dune - which starred Kyle MacLachlan and was directed by David Lynch (what could go wrong?).

I read the book by Herbert, which won the Nebula and Hogo awards, when I was a teen, but haven't read the numerous other following Dune books.

Anyway, this film got mostly positive reviews. Here's a one from The Guardian: Dune review – blockbuster cinema at its dizzying, dazzling best.

I thought the movie was very good, if depressing. It's the storyline of the book, so I can't blame the movie. I can't tell you how many science fiction stories have a depressed hero from an advanced culture find love and spiritual rebirth by embracing a more primitive culture instead (think Avatar). I believe that's a dopey storyline, but it appears to be very popular, so ok ;)