The Lord of the Rings and Dune bookended a decade for me - Tolkien in fall of 1960, Herbert summer of 1970. I suffered through various attempts at making each into a satisfactory film until the Peter Jackson miracle, and have been waiting all these years for what only the amazing Denis Villeneuve could have done. For this fan, perfectly realized. So why not 10 stars for one of the greatest stories ever told turned into a spectacular film? I could quibble with some clunky dialog, but my greatest concern is accessibility. I've read Dune many times, and this film completely satisfied me, but I suspect that many viewers who are less familiar will fail to follow the political and cultural nuances that are essential to its greatness. Whatever. Villeneuve is the greatest visualizer of stories in the business, and this is a worthy addition to his resume. As for young Chalamet, there have been and will be greater roles for him, but I cannot imagine a better Paul Atreides.
