“Dune” is an epic with a breathtaking vision.

Declared as “unfilmable”, Denis Villeneuve goes against all odds to bring the beloved science fiction novel, Dune, to the big screen. Oh and trust me — this is one film you NEED to experience on the largest of theatre screens.

So after all the hype, I’m sure many of you are wondering, what is Dune? Uh. You know, besides that movie starring Thanos, Poe Dameron and Aquaman, all running in sand with massive worms.

Dune follows Paul Aterides (Timothée Chalamet) and his noble parents (Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson), as they are thrust into a battle to save a dangerous desert planet that’s rich with precious spices. And in this universe, spice is life.

To put it simply, my feelings about Dune are very mixed.

As far as storytelling, the experience is similar to that of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — a lot of introductions, a lot of questions and yet it is enough to keep you intrigued for the next installment (which at this point, we don’t even know if it’s happening or not).

Dune moves along very slowly, which is understandable when world-building, but makes some of the scenes a bit of a restless viewing.

But don’t worry, when the action picks up, you’re completely invested. It’s just a bummer that it takes half the film to get there.

However, the way this film is put together technically speaking is an achievement. The cinematography mixed with its impressive sound design, production design and visual effects are nothing short of pure perfection. It is very clear that Villeneuve’s vision was brought to fruition with such care and precision.

And that is why YOU need to see Dune in IMAX or Dolby. You need to fully immerse yourself into this world to fully understand and appreciate all the sweat and tears that went into making this movie a reality.

Dune is not my favorite film of the year. However, it is the most intrigued I have been in a long time and it was enjoyable to go on a completely new and breathtaking journey.

Final Thoughts: Despite its slow burn and long runtime, Villeneuve’s masterful world-building is impressively crafted thanks to Dune’s star-studded ensemble and technically perfect visuals.