‘Dune’ Review and Beer Pairings!

Stunning visuals make the Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ interpretation worth watching, even if it falters at times. Here are some special ‘Dune’ beers to pair with it!

The Movie: Sci-Fi Adventure / 2021 / Legendary Pictures – Villeneuve Films

The Beers: From super refreshing to highly sought-after, these brews are sure to quench even the strongest thirsts on Arrakis.

Above all, Dune is a feast for the eyes.

From simplistic-yet-stylish costumes and interiors to vast, beautiful landscapes, there are few moments worth blinking through. If you’ve ever stood out in the middle of a desert, you’ll realize cinematographer Greig Fraser and director Denis Villeneuve perfectly captured that peculiar arid-nothingness-meets-magic atmosphere.

Is it as completely gorgeous as Mad Max: Fury Road — arguably the visual standard for desert-based epics? Not quite. But your eyes certainly won’t have any complaints, especially when the sandworms show up.

Unfortunately, like David Lynch’s 1984 Dune strugglebus, 2021’s Dune runs into issues where the visual elements aren’t concerned. For the record though, it IS better than its predecessor.

See, the book Dune is so incredibly detailed and layered, a true cinematic adaptation could perhaps only be done via miniseries. It’s essentially Game of Thrones mixed with Star Wars, after all, and it requires a lot of screen time to be properly told. But since it’s being spread into two movies here (studio heads say there will probably be a Dune part 2, at least), the narrative feels both unnecessarily compressed and drawn out.

The action sequences are great, but the dialogue is often rushed. While House Atreides is rightfully the focus, it felt like we only got to scratch the surface of House Harkonnen. And forget the Emperor and his whole fam. I found myself thankful that I was already familiar with the story, or I may have been a bit lost. There are also moments where you can practically feel the cast wishing they had more to do (Zendaya, hopefully you’ll get to do more than just stand around in Part. 2!)

It’s this uneven storytelling that once more prevents a film adaptation of Dune from being all that it could be. I mean, holy spice, we get it! Paul Atreides’ visions are super important, and he and Jessica are destined for life-changing experiences with the Fremen. Now let’s get on with the rest of it already.

On that note:

Dune Beer Pairings!

Five Threads Jessica

One of the cool things about Dune is that, unlike other stories about a “chosen one,” there is more than one supremely special character here. As important as Paul Atreides is, he would be nothing without the second-most vital character, his own mother. Lady Jessica is extremely powerful, though her magic and fighting skill is not obvious on the surface. That’s why Jessica Triple IPA from California’s Five Threads Brewing is the ideal beer pairing.

The brew may look like a straightforward Red or Amber Ale, and at first taste it is deceivingly drinkable. But be forewarned — the powerful sipper’s a Red Imperial IPA with a 12.5% ABV!

3 Floyds Dark Lord

Considered one of the most highly sought-after craft beers in America, Dark Lord is a massive Russian Imperial Stout brewed with brewed with coffee, Mexican vanilla and Indian sugar. Like the spice of Arrakis, just a little taste is fun but more will bring your mind to some crazy places — it’s got a 15% ABV!

Though seeing as 3 Floyds only releases Dark Lord once a year (on “Dark Lord Day”) our of their taproom in Munster, IN, you might as well be racing against giant worms and sandstorms to harvest it for yourself.

Mudshark Desert Magic

Mudshark Brewing’s in Arizona, so they definitely know how to beat the desert heat. They’re also renowned for being solar powered, which of course makes me think about how the Fremen adapted to use their environment for survival. To really stay on theme here for the movie, I’m going with Mudshark’s Desert Magic IPA. Pouring a deep golden and brimming with citrusy flavors, it’s a quencher for sure. Each sip also clocks a pretty manageable 7.2% ABV.

In other words, Desert Magic is just the beer to keep you refreshed while watching Paul and his mom stay hydrated on their own recycled tears and sweat.

Urban Artifact Astronaut Food – Blueberry

Dune may be mostly set on the desert planet of Arrakis, but it’s still a space saga with cool sci-fi elements. While there are plenty of space-themed beers out there, Urban Artifact’s Astronaut Food beer is easily among the coolest. Inspired by the “astronaut food” made by NASA, the Cincinnati brewers actually spent a year testing different freeze-dried fruits and brewing processes.

The results are incredible! Freeze drying the berries allowed the brewers to add more than usual, so the end beer is over 50 percent fruit. The process also removes the moisture that would otherwise dilute the flavors, so the finished (rehydrated) beer is amazingly juicy. And while it doesn’t taste like it, it’s also incredibly boozy — 15%!