Many times have I tried (and failed) to get into Dune, the seminal, Hugo and Nebula award-winning, science fiction classic. After watching the 1984 David Lynch film, the 2000 TV mini-series, and the listening to the 1993 audiobook, I still wasn’t there, but Denis Villeneuve’s stunning, absorbing film has finally won me. I had read some reviews before seeing this movie warning that you need to see this film on the IMAX screen (as Denis intended) and I’m giving that same advice to anyone who reads this review. The scale of everything is so large. From the colossal spacecraft (that expel normal-sized spacecraft) — remember those large ovals that landed in Arrival? Also Denis — to the giant-sized buildings (where it looks like everyone lives in an ancient temple), I’d be surprised if there were any true sets used in this film. Plus, there were also amazing desert vistas, large-scale battle and bombardment scenes, and (spoiler alert) massive, monstrous worms that can swallow legions of men into their huge mouths ringed with hundreds of spear-like teeth. Everything might still look pretty good on a normal big-screen, but trust me on the IMAX.

Anyway, one of the problems that I had with past adaptations of Dune is that it’s a complicated story. Similar to Game of Thrones, there are different factions, different motives, and it didn’t help that the novel contained a lot of interior monologues and characters’ thoughts. Add to that, Paul, the main character of the story, has visions of the future that show us things we don’t yet understand. Somehow, Villeneuve’s version made a lot more sense, and I think it’s a lot simpler to follow than previous versions. When we begin this movie, Paul Atreides is moving with his family to Arrakis, the planet where a valuable material called “spice” is being mined from its seemingly endless desert, and his father, Duke Leto Atreides, is taking over the spice-mining as decreed by the galactic emperor. Unfortunately for House Atreides, they have to deal with the previous managers of Arrakis, House Harkonnen, with its odious Baron Vladimir and his nephew, Glossu “Beast” Rabban. Paul, and his mother Jessica, escape several attempts on their lives by the Harkonnens and are led to the desert-dwelling locals, known as the Fremen. I’m not going to summarize much more of the story since that will only make it sound complicated and Villeneuve has done a much better job of telling the story than I could ever hope to.

As Paul, I was suitably impressed by Timothee Chalamet (who I don’t particularly love as an actor) who was initially not as whiny a teenager as I thought he’d be and, as his character developed, not as smug or cocky as I expected either — plus, he didn’t run his fingers through his hair too much either. Phew! Along with Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson was pretty good as his mother Jessica — a strong woman protecting her son from people trying to kill him or use him (as her own religious order, the Bene Gesserit, wanted to do). Oscar Isaac (Remember him as Star Wars‘s Poe Dameron?) does a good job as the serious yet loving father to Paul (though their heart-to-heart scene felt a little out-of-place in my opinion — it had the whiff of a Spielberg scene, where families air their emotional issues as big sci-fi stuff is going down around them). On the side, the supporting cast of former super-actors Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, and Dave Bautista do a stolidly good job of shouting, grunting, running, punching, and generally gruffing it up. I really liked the casting on this movie and there are more excellent actors I haven’t even mentioned who did nicely embodying Dune‘s larger-than-life characters. (I confess that previously I had a hard time distinguishing these other characters in my mind, but now it’s very clear.)

If you didn’t already know, I should warn you that this movie is the first of two halves which together cover the material in the first Dune novel. But, if you don’t like cliffhangers, take heart because this movie does not really end with anyone dangling. There’s a nice, logical breaking point that makes good sense. Part one is more about the Harkonnens vs. Atreides, and part two will needs be about Paul and the Fremen. Maybe this longer, more drawn out pace (though I guess it’s not longer than the TV mini-series) allows the story to play out in a way that makes more sense — not squished into a single movie (plus, Villeneuve added a few helpful scenes in the early part of the movie that aren’t in the book).

So whether you are already a Dune fan, or it hasn’t really made it to the top of your list yet, I recommend this latest version as an excellent jumping on point. The movie looks amazing and tells the story in a way that is thrilling, enjoyable and engaging. (4.5 out of 5)