#arakis

Here's Jaga Aranea showing off her skill with a blade! It took a lot of work to get to the level she's at, especially given she has to wield it with claws rather than the deft fingers of a mammal. But that's why she's training in a ninja clan. Below's an alternate version, swapping out the blurred-out Arakis concept with a simple cutout border.

Chani. DUNE

Painting of Timothy Chalamet from DUNE

Best of 2021 Movies #1: Dune

It takes many reasons to want to adapt something for a new medium.

Or do course correction.

What modern science fiction has given us is owed to primarily one source, Frank Herbert.

Who in 1965 gave us one of the greatest novels ever written all concerning worms and dust.

And of course we all know the story on the planet Arakis aka Dune sits the essential source for anything having to do with commerce in the universe.

The spice melange.

In the year 10,191 the planets control is turned over to the atredies house. Led by Duke Leto, Heir Paul and bene geserit concubine lady Jessica.

But conspiracies much like the spice must flow as sensing a power grab, the emperor conspires with duke letos previous enemy the harkonens.

And you know the rest. As we saw attempted adaptations in 1984 from David Lynch which valued style over substance and a 2000 mini series along with that subsequent sequel which took the opposite approach.

Denis Villeneuve fresh off of giving us a realistic take on alien arrivals wisely decides to adapt the first half of the novel while given us the intrigue and depth needed to gain a better understanding of this world.

And with lead turns by Oscar Isaac Rebecca Ferguson Jason Momoa and even a very compelling Stellan Skarsgård you actually get to see the true depth of this power struggle.

The only weak points belong to the main leads as Timothée Chalamet does the best of what he can as Paul along with Zendaya playing the pivotal Chani for a mere seven minutes of screen time, but does get hampered due to the need of splitting their significant arcs to the second film.

Make no mistake however, this is the best film of the year due to the very strong visuals and scope that it took to bring this world to life.

Along with one very epic trailer featuring a Life long dream by Hans Zimmer to bring the music to life. Even wisely remixing the best Pink Floyd closer song into this while tipping his hat to who was going to be involved in the first aborted adaptation of Dune.

A very sweet ride from start to finish which is going to be hard to top with part two in 2 years.

But I like a certain maudib says.

Where the fear is gone only I will remain.