REVIEW: “Dune: Part One” by Denis Villeneuve

A year after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the release of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, I finally had a chance to see this latest adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel. Given Villeneuve’s work on Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, I fully expected his Dune – the first of two movies – to look gorgeous and feature excellent acting. Dune is a powerful cinematic experience, best experienced on the big screen (I saw it both on IMAX and HBO). It’s a cinematic epic that combines the majestic deserts of David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia with the science fiction otherworldliness of Ridley Scott’s Alien. 

As somebody who has not just read Dune several times but also published academic articles about it,* I can’t help but compare the film to the novel. I feel the loss of the scenes omitted from the film. I know that the book provides more detailed explanations for everything from why soldiers use swords to why nobody uses computers. The book suggests that the Harkonnens have red hair. Yet, despite all this, I also find myself agreeing with most of the film’s adaptation choices. This movie is recognizably Dune – or at least the first half of the novel – even while it is also recognizably a Denis Villeneuve movie. 

As I rewatched Dune this weekend, I began to wonder: Why did Dune work as an adaptation, despite the differences from the book? 

“Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir

Andy Weir’s The Martian was one of my favorite books of the past decade. The focus on smart scientists solving hard science problems was both a welcome throwback to the Golden Age of science fiction and a clever new take on the space-disaster genre. I thought Artemis was a bit of a misfire, largely because Weir seemed to struggle writing a female protagonist. Project Hail Mary retains Weir’s trademark glorification of science and scientists, but also differs from his previous two books. It’s a more emotional story and takes some very unexpected turns.

Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View 2

My favorite Star Wars books as a kid were the “Tales of…” series edited by Kevin J. Anderson. Those books imbued the Galaxy Far, Far Away with the sense that Greedo, Dengar, Bib Fortuna, and the hundreds of minor background characters from the films each had stories of their own. Those books – and the fan hunger for more stories – are a major part of the reason why the Star Wars franchise has been able to grow beyond the Skywalker saga through shows like The Mandalorian.

The “From a Certain Point of View” books continue that tradition – but in both more expansive and limited ways. The first book, released in 2017, celebrated the 40th anniversary of A New Hope by collecting stories from a variety of science fiction and fantasy authors. As the title suggests, the stories are told from the point of background characters. This latest volume does the same for The Empire Strikes Back.

“Poe Dameron: Free Fall” by Alex Segura

“You were a spice runner?” 

JJ Abrams and Chris Terrio wanted to create conflict between the main characters in The Rise of Skywalker and so gave each one a secret they were hiding. For Poe, this meant he now had a shady past as a drug dealer. This proved controversial. Some fans pointed out that the new backstory seemed to contradict other Star Wars stories about Poe Dameron, such as the novel Before the Awakening. Others noted that making the first Latino lead in the franchise a drug runner played into some unfortunate stereotypes. In the film, Finn and Rey seem to quickly forgive and forget Poe’s shady past, but Alex Segura’s Poe Dameron: Free Fall seems to exist largely to explain this new backstory.

“Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge”

I had the opportunity to visit the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge theme park in Disney World last December, just a few months before it closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a lifelong Star Wars fan, it was an incredible experience. I cam away extremely impressed with the attention to detail and the quality of the merchandise, food, and other amenities. Disney’s Imagineers went the extra mile to make the park feel immersive; once you enter, you can’t see anything to remind you that you’re still on Earth.

I had read Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire novel and the Galaxy’s Edge comics before I went, so I understood the importance of Batuu to the Resistance and the First Order. I loved having read about Dok-Ondar and then seeing him. My wife and I had fun trying to identify the Resistance spy.

Unfortunately, the park itself doesn’t make that backstory accessible to most visitors.

“The Star Wars Heresies” by Paul F. McDonald

Anakin as baby Jesus?

Like many Star Wars fans, I used to dislike the Prequel Trilogy. Unlike most of those fans, I’ve read The Star Wars Heresies.

The Original Trilogy rightly receives considerable praise for the ways in which it echoes Campbellian “hero’s journey” and other mythological themes. Paul F. McDonald, librarian and consummate Star Wars fan, applies the same thoughtful analysis to The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. While I was aware of some of the parallels between the Prequels and real-world mythology, this book showed me that I had barely scratched the surface.

“The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

I’ve made no secret of my disappointment in The Rise of Skywalker (TROS), particularly in Ben Solo’s redemption arc. However, whatever my feelings about the final film, I find the process of making Star Wars movies fascinating. I always make it a point to pick up the “Art of Star Wars” books by Lucasfilm creative art manager Phil Szostak, which collects concept art used to bring director J.J. Abram and writer Chris Terrio’s story to life.

Blade Runner, Coronavirus, & Loneliness

One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot during the coronavirus pandemic is loneliness. Most of us are in a state of lockdown or practicing social distancing. Loneliness is going to be a real challenge for many people. Not everyone has a significant other or family in their household. Not everyone has a strong social support network. Humans, even introverts, are social animals who crave some sense of belonging.

Feelings of loneliness had been increasing in much of the Western world even before COVID-19. As our societies have become richer and more urbanized, community institutions and social trust have broken down. Several years ago, the United Kingdom released a cross-government strategy to address loneliness. The U.S Health and Human Services Department refers to loneliness as an “epidemic” in American society.

After listening to the latest Shoulder of Orion podcast episode, I started to think about this problem through the lens of Blade Runner, one of my favorite films. The original Blade Runner is one of the most poignant meditations about loneliness I’ve ever experienced. Rick Deckard technically is not alone for much of the film. He regularly communicates and interacts with other characters. Yet, he is emotionally disconnected from the rest of the world. He begins the film eating alone at a sushi bar. Gaff and the Los Angeles Police Department only want him because he’s useful for a job. He doesn’t have an emotionally fulfilled life.

Deckard had shut himself off from his emotions – probably a necessity for his line of work. He comes across as cold and dismissive. When Rachel confronts him about the results of the Voight-Kampff test, Deckard does not even try to comfort her – at this point, she is a job, not a person. Over the course of the film, Deckard reconnects with that human sense of empathy. He allows himself to be emotionally shaken by Zhora’s death. He learns to care for and love Rachel. He recognizes the humanity in Roy. By the end of the film, Deckard is no longer alone. He is not free from danger and runs away from his home  but he is with Rachel (the events of Blade Runner 2049 are another matter).

“Inventing Tomorrow” by Sarah Cole

I admit I’m probably not the intended audience for this book. I’ve read H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine and War of the Worlds, and I’m very interested in the history of science fiction, but I’m not as well versed in his broader body of work. Sarah Cole’s Inventing Tomorrow is an academic study of Wells’s writing that takes him seriously as an early 20th century author. Not an early 20th century science fiction author – just an author.

Review: “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

The final episode of the Skywalker saga is here and my feelings about it are… complicated. While I’ve criticized some of the story choices in JJ Abrams’ previous films (such as his 2009 Star Trek reboot), I’d always believe that he is a talented director who knows how to infuse a movie with energy and at least take viewers on a fun roller coaster ride. As such, I was incredibly disappointed that The Rise of Skywalker (TROS) felt so cluttered and rushed. There’s a lot of plot in the movie, partly because it seems Abrams didn’t agree with the direction that Rian Johnson took the story in The Last Jedi (TLJ). TROS retcons certain plot points and themes in TLJ, and in doing so crams enough plot for two movies into the space of just over two hours. It’s hard to escape the impression that Johnson and Abrams never met to discuss the overall direction of the story.