Dune

I am a huge fan of the book Dune by Frank Herbert.  I read it for the first time in tenth grade (about the time the David Lynch adaptation, which I did not like, came out) and, even though I didn't understand it completely, I loved the world building and the Chosen One narrative.  Upon subsequent readings, I came to admire the message about the evils of colonialism including the oppression of indigenous peoples and the destruction of the environment in pursuit of a valuable resource.  I have been anticipating the latest adaptation by Denis Villeneuve ever since I saw the first trailer (which blew my mind) and I finally had the opportunity to see it last night at a Thursday preview.  I loved it!  The Emperor, who rules the universe, has assigned Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) of House Atreides to be the new steward of the planet Arrakis, which is a harsh desert but the only source of a valuable spice necessary for interplanetary travel.  The Emperor views House Atreides as a threat and sets Duke Leto up to fail with the help of the former steward, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) of House Harkonnen.  Leto's son Paul (Timothee Chalamet) is the heir to the dukedom and has been trained in warfare and politics by his advisors Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), and Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson).  Paul's mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), belongs to a holy order known as the Bene Gesserit and so he has also been trained in their superior mental and physical abilities.  When Paul begins having dreams about future events on Arrakis, Jessica summons the Reverend Mother (Charlotte Rampling) of her order to administer a test to determine if he is the one prophesied to bring peace to the universe.  After a betrayal and an invasion Paul must ultimately join forces with the Fremen, the native peoples of Arrakis, including a leader named Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and a young girl named Chani (Zendaya) who has appeared in Paul's dreams.  I loved the entire cast but I was especially impressed with Chalamet's portrayal of Paul's journey from resistance to and then acceptance of his destiny and Momoa's portrayal of Duncan's loyalty to Paul and House Atreides.  I loved the epic scope of the movie including some truly spectacular and visually stunning sequences, particularly the depiction of the ornithopters (they look like giant dragonflies) and the sandworms.  I loved the sound design, especially the portrayal of the Voice (it gave me goosebumps), and Hans Zimmer's incredibly atmospheric score (I loved the bagpipes when House Atreides arrives on Arrakis).  I love that Villeneuve chose to tell the story in two parts to really explore the mythology but this movie does feel incomplete (my only criticism).  I sincerely hope the next one gets made!  As someone who loves the source material, I highly recommend seeing this brilliant adaptation on the biggest screen possible (if you feel comfortable doing so).