Dune Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

5. The Strong Ensemble Cast

Clearly Denis Villeneuve won't ever struggle to amass hugely impressive casts for his movies, and Dune undeniably boasts one of the most appealing, star-studded ensembles of the entire year.

Characters appear and disappear out of the movie so frequently that it's actually difficult to pick out an MVP, but the efforts of the entire cast are basically terrific.

Timothée Chalamet, while held at arm's length from the audience due to the script, conveys a lot of emotion through facial expressions and his subtle, slow-building frustration.

Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson are sure standouts as Paul's parents, while Josh Brolin is dryly amusing as Paul's mentor Gurney, Stellan Skarsgård is terrifyingly grotesque in his few scenes as the Baron, and Jason Momoa bring some much-needed comic relief as Paul's pal Duncan.

There are a few underused presences, though: Dave Bautista has a shockingly small part as the Baron's nephew Glossu Rabban, and while Zendaya's Chani only appears briefly per the source material, the marketing was a little cynical in suggesting to general audiences that she had a much larger part.

All in all everyone among the cast brings their A-game, their compelling performances sustaining intrigue even when the script is at its most expository and emotionally inert.