Dune: Part One (dir. Denis Villeneuve).

Villeneuve reimagines Dune as a somberly faithful and contemplative adaptation of the spice opera with grandeur in excess. In many ways, the half of a film feels overly ambitious in its hard sci-fi fantasy meets arthouse style. It’s more than occasionally frustrating how much promise there is without the explicit guarantee of a second half. Sadly, “It’s only the beginning.”