DUNE (2021) Review
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- DUNE (2021) Review
/ oliverharper
www.olivers-retrospectives.com
/ ollieh82
/ oliversretroreviews
/ oliverharper1982
Join the discord! / discord
#DUNE #DUNE2021 #DUNEPART1 #FrankHerbert #DenisVilleneuve #OliverHarper #DuneReview 
Развлечения
DUNE Part 2 has officially been greenlit! Great news! variety.com/2021/film/news/dune-part-2-sequel-1235094974/?fbclid=IwAR0qh4AXYCKg1IqtSbtFMwvbuI7M1m9vmWvdBw4ZC8qdSI5ZLSaWyDPLgBw
Great news indeed.
@Kalda Forn
“Waaah why are there colored people in my movie!!!”
@Kalda Forn Is that your fascist Nazi talking point? How long have you been anti-black?
Small critique-The Spice Melange does not make traveling at “light-speed” possible, Guild Highliners do not travel at light-speed. Holtzman engines fold space, make instant travel across the universe feasible. What The Spice does, is allow the Guild Navigators to achieve the mental state needed to make the calculations, to guide those Holtzman powered Highliners to their location. Miscalculations are deadly. A ship might end up inside a star, an asteroid, or light-years away from its target location, without on point calculations.
Think Battlestar Galatica jump drives, rather than Star Trek warp drive, or Star Wars hyperdrive.
Nowhere did the movie say it was used as a fuel or anything. We all understood "Spice is psychoactive chemical", nobody thought it's an actual resource to travel thru universe. Navigation mental requirement under influence was always the obvious reason.
I bet you are fun at parties.
aCtUaLlY
Folding space ain't like dusting crops boy. 😁
The Dune Encyclopedia (which Frank Herbert said nothing to contradict while he was actually alive) did suggest that it was a journey rather than a jump. The question is whether your jump needs to account for "leaping over" intervening obstacles.
Ahh damn.. That music playing during the transition from Caladan to Arrakis still sends me chills
Was not impressed by the music. Support well the movie thow. Like the movie.
You meant the music in that scene from the 84 movie right? Brian Eno's Prophecy Theme... Just one example of how much better the score is compared to the new film.
@@robertrobitaille320 I was more impressed at how the Ships and especially the Dragon Fly Copter looked.
Nice video. Little "correction" while Dune is set in the year 10191 A.G., that is in Dune's own calendar (A.G. stands for After Guild. Dune is set 10191 years after the spacing guild has been established.) Taking a look at the Dune timeline says that "beginning of space travel" happens at 11000 B.G. (Before guild), so the movie is "actually" set about 21000 years in the future. :) Again, great review. The movie has to be seen on the big screen!
Edit: On the year thing, in the end the point of setting Dune so far in the future is to distance the humanity we know from the humanity we see in Dune. The humans in Dune may as well be another species entirely.
It's set in approximately the year 21000, which is 19000 years into the future. We're on year 2021 now ;)
@@peersvensson9253 well that would depend on which point of origin B.G is established at, is it established at the birth of christ or the first record of human history? which would actually be 2600bc
This!
@@1183newman No Christ in Dune. No Earth. No Earth humans. It's not our universe.
@@willythepeachfacelovebird Yes it is. Dune is set in 'our' universe, although earth is not a viable planet to live on anymore.
6:21 - "Did the 1984 version pronounce it wrong?"
According to the 2003 documentary 'Impressions of Dune', Frank Herbert visited the set and helped with the pronunciation.
It also threw me.
I loved the pacing. In these times where every movie tries to outdo the others in spectacle and non-stop action, this one gives you moments to take in the landscapes and the atmosphere of the locations and allows you to digest what you just saw. I guess you could say that it has what in Japanese culture would be called "ma": A space around an object that is as important as the object itself.
Look at John McTierran movies - hardly felt rushed, in fact were slow.... yet pacing was perfect and movies no that long.
Anyone else have trouble hearing some of the dialogue and seeing what was going on in the night scenes?
Yes, me too. I turned on the subtitles for those bits.
This is a problem with almost all movies released these days. They're too concerned with pumping up the bass in the music, which drowns out the dialogue. It's really annoying.
Didnt have the problem watching it IMAX
i appreciate how hard it must have been to straddle the line between clueing the general audience in with expository scenes while keeping it from feeling contrived to dune fans. there are A LOT of foreign words and ppl groups to keep track and make sense of, even I had to think back a bit to make sense of it. i think denis really pulled it off in that regard in not being too complicated to estrange new viewers. he definitely had to 'play it safe' in many regards to guarantee a part 2. gotta remember the studio is treating it as a franchise starter so creating new fans is a top priority. i hope they allow a longer runtime for part 2 and give more room to build the world and its characters while keeping a tight paced like part 1.
so in conclusion; id also like to add that denis has said part 1 was written and made to be an introduction to usher ppl into the dune universe. so old fans will probably enjoy it but also have blue balls as a result of the inconclusive ending point. safe to say part 2 will have much more to chew on.
The writer Edgar Rice Burroughs influenced much with "A Princess of Mars." I have this weird feeling that "Dune 2" will break into the top 100 movies on my favorites list.
I love "Star Wars" since a child. I hated "Dune" in 1984 with Sting. I love Sting as an musician. "Dune" in 2021 is good and I really liked it, but somehow the Anti-Christ (Mahdi) making it to Jerusalem is unlikely to surpass "Star Wars." It might be interesting in a SCI-FI film to see Islam's vision of peace, and so I am glad that "Dune" will have a part two, but I'm not holding my breath that it will make the top 100 favorite movies.
As a child when I read the book I felt it pulled from Lawrence of Arabia and Islamic culture of the Caucasus or Bedouin tribes of Arabia, but I never got the idea of Atreides being America with capitalism waning. The movie in 2021 helped me see that connection. The Fremen call Paul the Mahdi is a dead give away that this whole thing is an Islamic end times vision. Hence the dead bodies that Paul sees piling up as he fulfills his place in history, by leaving America and being a Muslim as that is how the movie ends.
Here is where these three related series have fallen so far and any you don't see aren't loved enough to mention.
20) Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back (1980)
21) Star Wars: a New Hope (1977)
112) John Carter (2012)
148) Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
269) Dune (2021)
To quote the author "I am showing you the superhero syndrome and your own participation in it." - Frank Herbert, speaking about "Dune."
"A Princess of Mars," from 1912, inspired things like: Star Wars, Avatar, Indiana Jones, Superman, and Dune. "A Princess of Mars" even inspired Ray Douglas Bradbury. If you want to see a movie of it, see "John Carter" from 2012.
But the main reason for me to watch Dune 2 is to see whether Zendaya Coleman surpasses female actresses I loved in the past. Another in the top 100 and she will surpass all female actresses at least for having three movies in the top 100. The most have six movies on the list and two doing better than her top two.
10) Spiderman: No Way Home (2021)
96) The Greatest Showman (2017)
190) Spiderman: Far from Home (2019)
197) Spiderman: Homecoming (2017)
269) Dune (2021)
I just hope Sting has a cameo in part 2.
Well me too, but not a chance :)
It needs a pug too.
I miss old Piter De Vries and his mantra
In a winged rubber Speedo!!!!!
@@drpolishmatt
Brad Dourif hasn’t aged a day………
……..Sting, not so much.
roughly 40 minutes were cut from the movie. The fact that this movie is still so great after having huge scenes cut from it is surprising.
Does Villeneuve do director's cuts?
@@MrVonSchiller There was a director's cut before material was removed for theatrical release, so I wouldn't be surprised if an extended cut is released later. I don't think Villeneuve has ever made a director's cut, but considering how much Dune fans love the lore of the series I'm sure the demand will be there for WB to release one.
@@MrVonSchiller he doesnt, but it would be WB choice i assume.
I knew something felt off. I saw the film two days ago, and while I really liked it, (as a Dune fan, and as a Denis Villeneuve fanatic) it felt like this first part felt like it had no weight. No breathing room. Which struck me as quite odd because obviously; it's a Denis film, and it's edited by Joe Walker. I thought for sure Dune would have similar pace to Blade Runner 2049, for example, but it kind of felt rushed to me, (again, as Denis Villeneuve fan, not in the same view point as a general moviegoer). So knowing roughly 40 minutes is missing, makes a lot of sense...
There were certain characters underdeveloped or just missing i hope those 40 minutes get added in to see what it brings to the table.
One note about Hans Zimmer's score; I'm positive I heard a callback to the Dune main theme (from the 1984 film) kind of near the end of the movie. I think possibly right after Paul and Jessica narrowly escape the sand worm. I'd have to go back and check.
I caught that as well.
Heard the toto overtones in the new score
noticed it
I could not have missed it as that original is burned into me. I swear it is there and was awesome to hear.
Also the hazmat suits after the tooth scene look like a nod to Lynch's Sarduakar suits.
Everybody keeps saying it's not for everyone, myself included. However many people who I didn't think would like it actually loved it. Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 seems to say that my pessimism is misguided.
i didnt know anything about Dune and I love this film
@@KJ-je9pm and what do you know about dune? Why is spice important? Who are the navigators? Why is Jessica with Leto? Who are the Bene Gesserit? Why is being the “kwisatz haderach” important? What part do the worms play? Did you know there’s an ocean of water beneath the sands?
@@epiccollision Whoa, a whole ocean?
@@epiccollision an ocean? Where do you get that? It's not in any of the legit "Dune". If it's in the garbage that Herbert's son and his coauthor write it's nonexistent to me.
@@epiccollision You’ve illustrated how much of a fan you are of the franchise, and that’s really cool, but do you honestly believe that cramming all the exposition of the entire first book into part one of this film franchise would be a good idea? And it would still be enjoyable enough to a general audience? And would be successful enough to warrant the funding of part two?
Books are structurally different from movies. If this was structured exactly like the book, it would be boring as fuck. Perfect example of this is the harry potter movies versus the fantastic beasts movies. Rowling can write fantastic books for kids/all ages that someone else adapted into great movies, but when she was given the chance to write the movie itself, it fell flat on its face in my opinion.
Nothing that was left out was absolutely crucial for the understanding of part one, And that’s exactly why I think it was left out. World building and exposition builds up throughout an entire story, and we’ve had how many books now for that build up??!(depending if you count his sons books) This is one single 2.5 hr movie.
Time will tell, however. But I am more than pleased with part one, and look forward to part 2 with much excitement.
Baron Harkonnen isn't a caricature in the novel. He is a very complex, intelligent even witty villain. Lynch made him manic and crazed, this film makes him sombre and nihilistic. Neither are as complex as the book Baron.
@@dffndjdjd he is hurtling towards death in this film. In the book he plans to overthrow the Emperor. And live long enough to enjoy that status. He is the ultimate social climber he has decedent tastes but he isn't a grey spartan pig in a trough. This Baron seems to want purely out of spite. He is miserable. Just as wrong as Lynch.
@@dffndjdjd Pedantry is your strong suit.
@@dffndjdjd if you think about it long enough you should get the answer.
I’m sorry but what did u want. The problem is the 80s version was over the top, the miniseries was camp too, this one had to make a choice to play it subdued, its an entire fucking book and they can’t display everything. I think given the prior interpretations this is pretty damn good because there is NO way you can balance the camp and cunning in a movie adaptation since the book does not have the burden of visuals it only has to show what Harkonnen says even if it would sound much sillier if said out loud.
I seriously don't understand how David Lynch 's DUNE was hard to understand and follow when they literally explain everything in the first part of the movie
What did they explain? There was almost no dialog in this whole movie, just "epic shots" over and over again. As someone who didn't know anything about dune before seeing the film, I didn't understand anything and was bored
I understood everything about 84's Dune intro. It helped that I read the books. But w/ out the books the movie intro explains it pretty well.👍
@@fatbabyd2813 david lynch's film is the old one.
Denis villeneuve directed the new one.
What are you replying to?
That's always puzzled me also. I saw Lynch's Dune in the cinema with my friends who were big Doctor Who and D&D nerds from about 12-15yo, and we were all blown away by it. But even on our way out of the screening, we encountered a lot of head-scratching and "WTF?" For those into sci-fi and big political dramas like GoT I'd imagine it's not too hard to figure out.
I think if you can't understand that film or the plot to the first "Mission: Impossible," you're just deeply stupid.
I'm sure I read once that Frank Herbert was on Lynch's 84 set to make sure they got all the names pronounced right, so the Harkkonen pronunciation should be correct on original
Correct.
Another wonderful review. I loved this film. As a long time Dune fan, it was masterfully done. Will be a crime if there aren't more films.
I‘m ok with one more film to simply tell the first book‘s story. To have one big and bold masterpiece for the ages. I don‘t want this to become another business franchise.
I want to see the face dancers done right
part 2 is already green lit, so expect that in 2-3 years, and Villeneuve has said he also wants to do a film version of Dune Messiah to make it a trilogy. Children of Dune and beyond though, who knows.
This movie was terrible. Director, writer, and producer (1 of 19), Denis Villeneuve is very much in love with his sets, his special effects, and his box-office-draw cast. You can tell because the viewer's time is wasted again and again either watching Zendaya‘s feet walk in sandals in the sand, or being forced to watch Timothée Chalamet brood …and brood yet some more, seemingly throughout this entire picture. Say what you will about the grotesque approach that David Lynch took to telling the story in the 1984 film, but it made you want to pick up the novel and read it from cover to cover. Even with all the modern day editing, special effects, cinematography and set design at Villeneuve‘s disposal here in the twenty first century, he falls short of presenting a more compelling story than Lynch managed to do decades prior. Comparing this film to Star Wars is ludicrous. Here's why: George Lucas managed to take a cast of virtual unknowns and through special effects, a killer soundtrack, and legendary editors, tell an original story that we're still talking about to this day. As one of -again, get this- nineteen producers, Villeneuve is focused more on scenery than story. The pacing is slow; the soundtrack is loud and obnoxious, and the actors can't convey anything convincingly. Chalamet's fight scenes especially aren't believable. As an actor he's too willowy and wispy and has to wear loose clothing to hide his bony frame. Even as a training fight, you can't tell me Josh Brolin‘s character wouldn't have wiped the floor with him, let alone a seasoned Fremen outside his own Sietch on Arrakis. Even Alec Newman was more convincing in the 2000 miniseries. With a budget of $165 million, Warner Bros. took an awfully big risk trying to make a blockbuster film that now unfortunately requires a sequel. Sadly they chose celebrity over talent, and let's hope they eventually learn from their mistakes.
@@Laveau000 Children is really series material. How about another 2 movies to end Paul story (part 2 and messiah) children miniseries, a two part God emperor movie, and a final series with heretics and chapterhouse.
I mostly agree with you. There is a lot to love about this film, but overall I felt like it lacked emotional resonance. When the big moments from the book happened, for me they didn't have the gut punch I think they needed for me to feel anything other than intrigue for how Villeneuve was going to do them.
While I agree the third act felt a bit wayward, I'm actually hoping there'll be an extended version like Peter Jackson's Middle-earth films, so I can get more context and nuance for the chracter interactions. But it IS a good film, no doubt there.
It would nice, I'm pretty sure there's a far better version left in the editing suite, only problem is Villeneuve isn't a fan of extended or driectors cuts, I'm pretty sure he quoted as saying the film he gives you is the one he wants you to see. On the plus side corporate greed might give us one when they want to push those blu ray sales.
Hopefully we do get one, if Villeneuves the fan of the books he says he, then there has to be a great cut that while far longer will be far better.
Frank Herbert's writing can never be accurately portrayed on film, unless the filmmakers are allowed to continue without the limitations of censors. FH forced his characters, including the children, to suffer ordeals that can bring readers to tears, and causes some readers to scream with anger and disgust at the pages, then throw each of the original six books across a room, but later pick them up to continue reading, fueled by an intense concern for what happens next, hoping that there may be a happy ending for various characters. As offensive as some concepts are in the Dune novels, I honestly hope that someday the censors will be ignored, or for there to be no legal restrictions for artistic expression.
As a dune fan I was bored, it was beautifully shot, but so vapid.
We weren't allowed much investment in the characters and their relationships to each other. It just moved along too rapidly, and to be told their details is entirely different than developing an understanding and investment as they're depicted and their relationships are played out. The third act wouldn't have felt wayward at all if we'd been better prepared for Paul and Jessica's desert ordeals, had a better sense of their plight, and had a better idea of who these Fremen characters were, not just Stilgar.
I can't blame Villeneuve entirely, it's a huge, complex story. It's difficult and expensive to capture on film in the best of times, let alone during a pandemic.
@@epiccollision Yep ... It's pretty,.. but empty and cold ... Like an extravagant wealthy person's house where you're not allowed to touch anything. People drinking the kool-aid on this one. ... Not a terrible movie, but ultimately forgettable.
I found Dune to be a challenging read as well. I've read fantasy, science fiction and horror written in the 1800's through the present, so I'm familiar with older writing styles. HP Lovecraft, for example, took a bit of adjustment on my part to really get into. I ended up reading Dune over a period of about a year, despite being able to finish much longer books in a shorter amount of time. Now that I've read the book once, I bet a reread wouldn't be such an issue for me.
You might wanna try the Audiobook version....it made long trips on the road a breeze!
@@knoriel smart very smart👌
@@knoriel Also the Audiobook has a full voice cast
I've read Dune Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. I do have Lovecrafts books but I'm saving them for next year. I'm currently fully booked..lol
I absolutely loved the movie and visually it was such a gorgeous spectacle. I haven’t read the book and had seen Lynch version years ago so I didn’t remember anything about it. So I came in pretty much not knowing anything about Dune. The music is also spot on and it gave me chills so many times. The sound mix wasn’t really good at time in my opinion though. Sometimes the sound effects and the music was so loud I had a hard time hearing what the characters were saying but maybe that’s just me? My first language is also French so it might be one of the reason. Also, I had a bit of a hard time understanding all of the political aspects of the movie and I wonder if it could have been a bit more explored. I had to go read online about the emperor’s motive for wanting to wipe out the Artreides. I will go see again though, it was that good :)
I still think that long epic novels such as this are better off being adapted as a mini-series rather than a film (even if we're talking about trilogies). Every time I watch video reviews/analysis that compares the film to its source material I'm always left feeling disappointed learning that things were left out just to cut down on runtime -- and I'm not even a bookworm!
I agree. Especially with something as dense as Dune. I thought this movie was just about as close as a movie could possibly get though
If only there were streaming services where those mini series could live and be funded…I guess they could find a new director that can make something other then movies destined for a theatre.
The thing is once studios here "series" they want 5-10 seasons. Mini series are always neglected.
Saw this at the imax on Thursday and it blew me away... been years since playing the games or reading the books but it was like riding a bike...
Absolutely need part 2 as that's where it's really going to get good!
I was lucky to have seen Dune 1984 when I was 9 years old and loved it!
Any big Sci fi film you see at 9 will be a masterpiece.
absolutely needs a part 2.
no, I think it doesn't need a sequel. the story was told and a sequel would undermine this movies quality. let it stay a great movie. we don't always need sequels!
@@DezorianGuy 2/3 of the story was told. Read the book, if you actually know how to read. Where the movie ended is not nearly the actual end.
@@justmeeagainn for me it is. i can't see what else there is to be told. they arrived at arrakis, they got eaten by the worms. the end.
5:01
When I went to see No Time To Die in the theaters, the trailer for Dune said "The Next Star Wars"
I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a masterpiece or anything, but in terms of adapting a very dense source material to be enjoyed by mass audiences, it’s an incredible work
Yes, I came away wanting to watch it again, but there was nothing memorable about the musical score
In my opinion it's a masterpiece with issues
I would go that far. I have never read the
book, and I thought this was one of the most wonderful films I have ever seen. The acting was incredible. The story was enthralling. The shots were beautiful. The music was amazing. Everything came together into what I believe is the best Sci-Fi film of the 21st century.
@@criticizedreviews1081 you mean it’s a movie you love that you have issues with, which is just fine!
@@thefullmetaltitan9732 fair enough! I love Villenueve so I’m glad you really loved it
I found myself using Lynch's internal monologue in Villeneuve's movie. Then I looked over at my wife and realized she had no idea wtf was happening .
Deffo found myself referring to the Lynch movie in my head for all the missing exposition and character stories. Piter particularly. No bound and gagged Jessica being perved on, his importance to the Baron and his Mentat abilities. Bring back Brad Dourif please.
@@lucyrobinson2814 agreed 100%. I did like all the references to Paul’s grandfather . You could tell the director is a real fan.
All that and they couldn't include an assault Pug. 😡
"FOR DUKE LETO!!!" 🐶👴
🤣
I did miss the pug
this is the best most succinct, yet articulate review I've come across on you tube
please watch more RUclips channels then.
I am friends with an Animation Supervisor who's wife has the same role. She did the Ornithopters. Can we get a hand for Asa's work?
The Ornithopters were really awesome! We saw the movie on D-Box and it was a nice kick in the pants when the Ornithopter fired up it's wings. :)
👉👏
You can definitely congratulate her for her part in undoubtedly the best thing about this film. The ornithopters were spectacular in every way, it's just a shame that they were possibly the only undeniably great thing about it.
I'm looking forward to seeing this interpretation. The David Lynch version is one of my favourite guilty pleasures. Flawed but also interesting.
The 2 movies now compliment each other. The lost exposition in the new movie with less of the Ducal entourage and associated stores is so much better done in the Lynch version.
I think if you’re able to appreciate the original film despite its issues, you’ll definitely enjoy this adaptation unless you were hoping they could stuff the whole book into one.
Toddles off to watch the SpiceDiver Redux...again!
@@lucyrobinson2814 I agree 100%
MORE BRAD DOURIF!
Really great review Oliver. I liked the way you compared the two versions it was helpful.
Great review thanks
You are right. The cinematography, acting, score, etc are all spot on and it was money well spent. I wish I had not been so lazy and seen it on HBOMAX but went to the theater. It deserves the big-screen treatment.
Honestly go see it a second time in the theater. It is actually way better the second time in. It was for me, and I loved it the first time. My wife dint really get it the first time but I convinced her to go see it a second time, and now she thinks it is genius.
Best review I've seen of Dune so far, nice work
Don't forget the double sided paper you got when you bought a ticket to the 1984 Dune movie that you had to read before the movie started. Had a bunch of terms used that they never explained in the movie itself.
I felt the pace was too fast, the characters insufficiently developed, but at the same time I felt I was watching an incomplete film... not part one of a two part film but rather a film with too much left on the cutting room floor.
Maybe we will get director's cut.
I had the same feeling. It was like watching a long perfume commercial. WB certainly played it safe with this mega project and I so hope they will go a little more out in Pt II
I had mixed emotions and probably it was partly due to things you mentioned. Plus I was already biased from the previous two versions of dune. I wasn't so blown away as others.
I hate going to the cinema, and watching this in the cinema was a chore as always, but I did because this film deserves it!
Popcorn, big screen, amazing sound, what’s not to like?
@@Phoenix-cc6ep People slobbering, squealing, phones ringing, occasionally smelly or overpacked rooms. Extremely overpriced low quality snacks. Not to mention WuFlu
If you've got good space with a decent home theatre setup, then the typical cinema experience is mostly trash. Simultaneous home releases are the future. Productions that don't adapt will die in time.
@@ZombiAstral Agrees, also sound is always disappointing at the cinema, never seems to be any bass.
Wow good Job you disgusting lazy blob
@@Phoenix-cc6ep What's not to like? People still coming into the theatre nearly 10min into the movie, constantly going to the bathroom, leaving the theatre door open so there's a constant bright spot in the corner of my eye, the never-ending sound of popcorn from all directions, people checking their phones every 20 minutes, folks laughing at things that aren't even funny, and possibly talking to themselves watching the movie. To say nothing of the often poorly calibrated projectors, which make the image too dark, something especially evident on Dune that has entire scenes in darkness and fog.
Also not every country has an Imax screen - as an experiment I took a photo of the screen before the film started by putting the phone right infront of my nose and I took a photo sitting infront of my computer screen at home the same way. My screen takes up more of the visual field, so the whole 'big screen' thing is just a fake selling point. Watching Dune at home the following day was easily a better viewing experience.
I have to list these points out every time I mention I don't like going to the cinema, I don't know where y'all live where people still have manners and can't imagine the cinema not being an enjoyable experience, but I envy you.
Great review! (Yep, Frank Herbert pronounced it "Hark-un-nun" as in the new version)
Herbert picked that name out of a phone book and happened to get the pronunciation right. He totally butchered the words Feydakin and Atreides, though.
@@luckystriker7489 Truth with a slight modification. The name was the Finnish surname Härkönen, where the Hä- sounds more like Heh-, and -könen is actually pronounced more like keanen ("ea" sounds like it does in the word "earn").
@@YggdrasilAudio that's quite interesting. i've always read that name with a finnish pronunciation in my head, didn't know it was an actual finnish name though.
@@kloggmonkey It's true, and I like that they reference this fact in the movie by having the baron sitting in some kind of sauna for his introduction.
@@kloggmonkey På tal om det, fantastisk referens till Bröderna Lejonhjärta i din profilbild!
Great review Oliver
best articulated review on the net so far
The studio's CEO pretty much confirmed that Part 2 will be made, which is nice. As for the film, I'll just say this: I think somewhere BETWEEN Lynch's '84 version and THIS version, there's a great "Dune" movie. Villeneuve's film, while it LOOKS extraordinary, is essentially a "dumbed down" "Dune" in terms of the story, characters and details. I feel like Lynch's film understood the story and nature of the book a bit better, for all of its editing and structural issues. This felt like an admirer of "Dune" making a film and viewing it behind a pane of glass (add to that, Chalamet's performance, which felt bizarrely distant and wooden) - Lynch's film felt like it was deep into the guts of the story, for all of its flaws and I just felt closer to Paul's journey with Machlachlan.
I couldn't disagree more. Lynch's film had a weird and compelling setting, but it completely missed the point of the book by making Paul some sort of rain Jesus when he is much closer to some sort of accidental Stalin or Hitler. 84 Dune confuses the powers of the witches with telepathy and not a perfection of insight and bodily control where this film understands how prescience and the effects of spice addiction works. The old Dune move is a mess and it is a mess I love, but it did not really follow the book past a superficial summation of the plot.
As I commented elsewhere... Lynch has weirding modules and it rains on dune at the end. How in heavens can one think THAT movie understand Dune's story better? I am extremely confused by this post.
I couldn’t disagree more, Lynch NEVER READ THE BOOK. And he constantly deviated from it. So you’re claim that it has more attention to detail makes no sense considering the ‘weirding way’ was turned into laser guns in Lynch’s version for christs sake. Half the stuff that he added was Lynchian weird visuals just for the fun of it like all the background stuff on Giedi Prime. Which is fun and all but absolutely not ‘more faithful’ to the book. Lynch’s version was WAY more dumbed down by default because it squeezed the entire book into one movie so im sorry but your comment makes no sense if you’ve read the book.
If you like the Lynch version i get that absolutely, its a wonderfully entertaining weird movie, but then just say that instead of whatever nonsense argument this is.
As a new fan. I was shocked at how many of the main characters die in part 1 already. And the scale of the army soldiers when standing still and especially the big battle 😳😍 so gorgeous and believable. Looks better than something like Avengers Endgame where you can't see everyone in the battle and having actually characters dying.
The music 🥰 love it.
This needs to be experienced in theaters. Even if I didn't understood a lot of the movie. It's visually stunning like Interstellar and Blade Runner 2
I personally don’t think Josh Brolin’s character is dead as of yet, we just see them go out of camera in their last stand.
Why are you so sure they’re dead 😉
Don’t read the book if you don’t want spoilers lol
Everyone dies, it’s GOT in space with worms.
@@fansofER probably cause we don't see him after the big battle but if he's alive, awesome
Spice doesn't help spaceships fly "at light speed". It helps navigators predict the best course when folding space.
"Lacked surprises" because it's a faithful retelling of the book is hardly a fair criticism.
He doesn't say that in the video, he says it makes travelling at light speed across space possible, which is technically the truth. Folding space to travel to one point to another effectively makes you travel at light's speed or more and without the spice this technology is rendered useless because you don't know where to go.
Great review!!!
I watched this with my 15yr old nephew. He didn't understand some of the elements. Some explanations are needed for people who go into this fresh, It was a sterile film that never really got going. I think they needed to show how disgusting and dark the Harkonens are. The part where the emperors army were shown was eerie and weird, The fremin were interesting. And Jason Momoa was there, I'm not sure what he was doing. But he was there.
Dune is actually set in year 10190 something AFTER GUILD, not just AD. Before year zero, there was also several thousand years of human space civilization followed by the war with machines which lasted for thousands of years (if I remember correctly), as well. So the setting year is more like 20000, I think. Dune is, next to Warhammer 40k, one of the most 'distant future' settings ever.
From Dune, Appendix II:
Mankind’s movement through deep space placed a unique stamp on religion during the one hundred and ten centuries that preceded the Butlerian Jihad.
Calculations detailed in the Dune Wiki arrive at 10,191 AG being 23,352 AD
There is an entire genre Dying Earth, they would be set further out, the sun is fading and so on.
In universal scale 20k or 40k years are like nothing.
Seeing this on Sunday in IMAX Waterloo with 8 others, it's gonna be epic! Thanks for the review!
Congrats on 200K Oliver! You deserve it mate.
1 million coming soon 🏆
An absolute masterpiece with one big caveat - only if Dune Part 2 gets made and completes the journey. Everything about this film screamed passion and detail. The world building is crafted with such detail. The cinematography, art direction, framing of the shot, the scale, sound design, costume design, scale and insane sense of scope. The sense of size and realism of objects with depth of field is almost unmatched. Imagine if DV attempted a Star Wars film (Knights of the old republic...). For me - this was one of the best movies I’ve seen ever. 10/10.
Do you or anyone else know if it's going to be a 2 part series or a trilogy?
Imagine if star wars was actually good then people would have a reason to talk about it every 5 seconds
@@steady2wheels I think part 2 is almost guaranteed. It could turn into a franchise though, the next three novels are as essential as "Dune". The others aren't as good, and the less said about the Kevin J Anderson additions the better.
I grew up watching the Sci Fi miniseries, watching it over and over again. I liked Lynch’s film as well. This film was fine but lacked the politics I was expecting as Emperor Corrino or his daughter didn’t make an appearance. 🤷♂️
Rebecca Ferguson is no Saskia Reeves
Probably because they don't appear in the first half of the book :D
6:03-6:16 Thank you, Denis Villeneuve! I still haven't seen this new version, but to hear that these voiceovers aren't in it is a huge relief to me. They were what irritated me the most about the 1984 film. Not only did they happen too much, I think, but I always wondered "Why were they whispering?" I would think whispering would be pretty useless against a telepathic enemy, and with someone non-telepathic, it's not like anyone could hear them.
Good review, thanks.
I watched the new movie earlier today. Overall I enjoyed it. Unfortunately my kid didn't agree. My 13 year old son fell asleep about half way through.
IMO the one thing that 80's movie did better was the soundtrack. The soundtrack for David Lynch's film was epic. I felt that the soundtrack for the new movie was forgettable.
same here. people next to me snored away. soundtrack was loud and epic... but nothing more.
@@DezorianGuy thats interesting. Here I am having the official soundtrack, the sketchbook soundtrack and art and soul of dune soundtrack for this movie and absolutely love it. To each their own I guess.
Agreed.
It sure looked great and I liked the scale but the movie really lacked emotional depth and really drew me out. It made it a very dry watch.
The only review that matters! 💪 Thank you
it is completely understandable to compare both movies. Most movie fans do that. But it also muddles any objective discussion. The hint to IT and it's newer adaptation is very apt, making any conversation about the actual movie completely overshadowed by it's predecessor. I appreciate bookfans and dune1984 fans, more attention means a greater chance for a continuation of the franchise. But i am most curious what new viewers think, untainted and fresh. How do they see it? Will they see it as a knockoff from other franchises? Which is hilarious seeing the chronology of scifi. Or will they embrace it more like they did Game of thrones? Last season not withstanding.
I thought Dune was incredible. I am a completely new viewer-never read the book(s) or watched the 1984 movie. I do however love Denis Villeneuve. Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 are both on my favorite movie list. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and it was awesome to see where Lucas got inspiration from, e.g. Arrakis being like Tatooine or using The Force to persuade someone like The Voice in Dune. The movie is slow but I thought it provided nice character development and setting the foundation of its universe for Part 2. It gave enough foreshadowing of what's to come (possible training Paul will receive/give to the Fremen, riding/controlling a Sandworm). When it was over I immediately wanted to re-watch it to see things I missed. I was hoping it would be successful enough to see Part 2 be made. Luckily that news came recently! I went in knowing the movie wouldn't be complete per se, similarly to every other movie that breaks one book into multiple parts. I do think that is key going in and setting those expectations.
Good review Oliver. I saw this yesterday and your thoughts echo my own. I didn't mind the length but some people may have issues with it. Stars of the show are the sound and visuals. It looks amazing but the audio is different level. See it in the cinema and with Dolby Atmos. It is truly breathtaking 👍👍👍
No, it is not.
...watched it first at home. Then on the cinema, and the movie score blew me away. Must admit the last 20 minutes seemed long... I'm a fan of the books and Lynch's movie. But overall, I really loved the new version.
I agree about the third act with Paul & Jessica in the desert being boring-
That runtime could have been better spent with scenes of Arrakeen, or the Harkonnen world.
Great review.
The problem with Dune is that the book was plotted and structured to be about people having long talks about philosophy, ecology, religion, politics, the history and structure of the universe, and their own drama and tragedy, with some big explosions and action scenes here and there. But nobody in Hollywood has the balls to give anybody else 150 million to do that. People talking about stuff? About real stuff? So when you take all of that away, but maintain the structure, all you get is Dune´s plot. And what makes Dune the classic it is, is certainly not its plot, as good as it is.
You either are faithful to it and get people talking in closed rooms for two hours or you reinvent the whole story and restructure it and do your own thing. You cant get both.
This because the director is wanting to do Dune Messiah as a part three to complete a trilogy, there is one bombing scene and past that it's an entire book of people sitting in rooms talking.
Honestly if you don't know anything about Dune after watching this you still won't know anything about Dune...Is this adaption visually beautiful? Absolutely, but Can you tell me who the Bene Gesserit are? Nope. Can you tell me why the house of Atreides and Harkonnen have been spilling each others blood for hundreds of years although their cousins? Nope. Why is the Emperor jealous of Atreides? because he's a cool guy?...just like the original movie made me go seek out the book...if you want any background on any of this is madness thats happening you will have to go seek out the book also....this movie needs a real screen adaption, hopefully in the future we will get one...and really think people who claim this movie is amazing are just people who want to be perceived as in the know rather than just saying the truth...besides visuals there is no substance in this movie...every star wars movie in the current line presents a better story line than this current Dune...yep i said it...fight me bro
I totally agree.
I agree as well~
Somehow I agree... There is something missing, for which the grandeur of the images and the money invested do not accomplish enough. Lynch work as defective, but each character left a mark, even only visually. Here I do not remember a single face...
Oliver: “The film is too similar to the 1984 film because it’s based on the book.”
Probably also Oliver if DV had changed too much: “I wish it was closer to the book. The 1984 film was more faithful.”
Watching clips from the original really makes me appreciate what Lynch accomplished with what was available at the time. I remember being given a cheat sheet at the screening. I wasn't impressed with the soundtrack on the new one and the darker scenes looked really lossy on HBO Max. I need to read the book, but so far I like both versions, especially the extended cut of the original.
What a brilliant well balanced review! I felt the same about watching the new Dune, loved it but wanted more surprises.
I want to start by saying I like the movie a lot. But I don’t know this new version did anything for Dune that the previous versions didn’t. The people I was with the head and read the book we’re still confused about a lot of plot points. for example: “Why don't they use their laser guns?” I think that’s pretty important. And they did use guns in the book they just didn’t use lasers. It would also explain why they use swords and knives. I think these are important points that need to be brought up because otherwise to the uninitiated it just seems weird. And I didn’t even catch things like this on the first viewing because I’m so familiar with the novel.
That’s not true, guns don’t work with the shield technology. That’s why they don’t use them.
@@-AtomsPhere- Well, in the books armies didn't use projectile weapon against each other because they wore shields. The general public did not have access to shields so they did use gun's. For example the Fremen used Maula pistols.
@@-AtomsPhere- Just lasguns. Now shields block bullets. But they still used them sometimes. I sill maintain that they should have explained this in the movie for the people who haven't read the books. In fact, I dont think any film version of Dune has ever explained this to the audience.
@@perceivedvelocity9914 Exactly. But they used them in certain situations. But lasguns would cause a nuclear explosion if a laser hit a shield.
Good review and not fawning all over it like a lot of reviews I've seen. It's a good film but it's not as complex as it thinks it is, and I really dislike Zimmers score which is just forgettable and unmelodic. I think Arrival and BR2049 are better films but I will look forward to the sequel
THE REVIEW I look forward to.
I appreciate this review very much. Best I've heard so far. I plan on putting it on my Facebook feed as I discuss the movie and where I put it on my top 300 favorite movies. It came in at 251, which means I like it, for if I took my movie list to 500 they all would still be loved movies. Yet it had a lot lacking, with part one being set-up, part two being the betrayal, and part three being Paul becomes a Muslim to be seen as the Mahdi by the desert people, it didn't have a great story, but the visuals were amazing and the worlds and characters were fun to watch and see them interact with each other.
It is as if I watched a different movie from everyone else. The score was overbearing noise and melodramatic wails. The camera lingered on landscapes and tech shots at the cost of screentime for the characters. I felt nothing for any of the characters that died (including Cowabunga Idaho). I have read the original Dune series by Herbert (but not his son's additions) and I felt that this movie was somehow desolate, and not in a good way. Baron Harkonnen was not intimidating in his space muumuu. Ferguson was the only actor given enough time (and range) to be a human being. Of course, Lady Jessica has always been one of my favorite characters, so that might be bias. Chalamet was fine as Paul, though he would not have been my choice. The repeated slow-mo dream sequences of Chani bring the film to a lethargic stupor, ruining pacing. It is almost like the slowmo and the histrionic soundtrack were TELLING me how to feel because the movie failed to elicit the emotional investment needed for me to care.
100% Agree, and I hate to be such a harsh critic because I wanted to love this movie and I absolutely love hans zimmer, but the score was not heartfelt for me. It was like they were forcing the whole "This is an epic moment!" But you cannot force epic. Their was such a lack of political intrigue and cunning. This movie deserves clever villains and heroes and the mark was completely missed in my opinion. As you said, way too many slow paning scenes, but there was really nothing to see, just an empty city. It really lacked emotion, honestly I think the final act with the fremen captured more emotion than the entire movie. Hope they add more political intrigue and emotion in the 2nd film.
I agree. I read the book as well and while this movie is closer than the 80's version, it just isn't as enjoyable, at least for me.
Definitely some poor casting choices in new movie. Bad casting for Duncan Idaho, Chani and few other characters. Idiotic portrayal of Harkonnens yet again. Despite low budget both tv series are my favourite
I found it just...bland. looks great, but that doesn't make it good.
Fully agree, still a decent movie but total junk in comaprison to the 1984 classic.
Thank you, Oli. Good review as always. Reports are coming in that Dune (2021) has exceeded its projected ticket sales, not by much, yet, but it seems to be turning a profit. Hopefully Part 2 will be green-lit.
Director, writer, and producer (1 of 19), Denis Villeneuve is very much in love with his sets, his special effects, and his box-office-draw cast. You can tell because the viewer's time is wasted again and again either watching Zendaya‘s feet walk in sandals in the sand, or being forced to watch Timothée Chalamet brood …and brood yet some more, seemingly throughout this entire picture. Say what you will about the grotesque approach that David Lynch took to telling the story in the 1984 film, but it made you want to pick up the novel and read it from cover to cover. Even with all the modern day editing, special effects, cinematography and set design at Villeneuve‘s disposal here in the twenty first century, he falls short of presenting a more compelling story than Lynch managed to do decades prior. Comparing this film to Star Wars is ludicrous. Here's why: George Lucas managed to take a cast of virtual unknowns and through special effects, a killer soundtrack, and legendary editors, tell an original story that we're still talking about to this day. As one of -again, get this- nineteen producers, Villeneuve is focused more on scenery than story. The pacing is slow; the soundtrack is loud and obnoxious, and the actors can't convey anything convincingly. Chalamet's fight scenes especially aren't believable. As an actor he's too willowy and wispy and has to wear loose clothing to hide his bony frame. Even as a training fight, you can't tell me Josh Brolin‘s character wouldn't have wiped the floor with him, let alone a seasoned Fremen outside his own Sietch on Arrakis. Even Alec Newman was more convincing in the 2000 miniseries. With a budget of $165 million, Warner Bros. took an awfully big risk trying to make a blockbuster film that now unfortunately requires a sequel. Sadly they chose celebrity over talent, and let's hope they eventually learn from their mistakes.
Apparently part 2 is green lit, they just haven’t started production yet
@@loki.odinson in the first book, Paul is 16 and is a little scrawny kid, that is small for is age, so i think Timothee is well cast
There was always going to be a part 2. I think it was all just a marketing scheme to give people that FOMO feeling, and make them think they must get out and go see it in theaters and get everyone they know to also. I also think the double purpose of them playing it that way was to see how much it made, and if it is wildly profitable they will make it into 3 parts rather than 2 to get even more money out of it.
@@acronen I hope not. Villeneuve is on record saying that he wants Dune to be 2 films followed by Dune Messiah as 1 film. Peter Jackon uttered similar things, though, and ended up milking the public dry with 3 Hobbit movies which should only have been 1 film.
i saw it yesterday and if any of you are thinking of seeing in on HBO MAX i strongly recommend to go see it in theaters, it was the best experience i have had in a long time. It was made to be seen in theaters
It is a common mistake but it isn’t set in 10191. It is set in 10191 after the creation of the Spacing Guild which happened 200 years after the Butlerian Jihad, which if I remember correctly is around the year 6800 AD. Therefore it is 15000 years in the future
From Dune, Appendix II:
Mankind’s movement through deep space placed a unique stamp on religion during the one hundred and ten centuries that preceded the Butlerian Jihad.
Calculations detailed in the Dune Wiki arrive at 10,191 AG being 23,352 AD
Is great on visuals but sadly lacking in character development and plot
Both the lynch movie and the miniseries are better.
It's what I've come to expect from Denny lots of great visuals but really lacking on the substance.
friends they hadn't read the books we're completely lost
What, the Lynch movie has good costumes and sets, but is a terrible adaptation and doesn't explain anything. This movie takes the necessary time to flesh out characters and the world that comes with a dense book like Dune
@@NeverSaySandwich1 The Lynch movie It doesnt explain anything ? Incredible. It does way more than this. It does even start with Princess Irulan explaining why is the spice important. It does even mention the Emperor. You cant even compare these two movies. I really cant understand how Dune fans love this movie only because of the visuals.
@@NeverSaySandwich1 it doesn't flush out any of the characters or the plot.
Especially compared to the Lynch movie but the Lynch movie had its flaws but at least they fleshed out the characters.
This version give almost no screen time to several main characters
"Lynch movie was better" is a real interesting take, my guy.
Couldn't agree more. This was a fancy Zandaya shampoo commercial.
I didn't like it. It was bland for me. That sense of wonder and amazement just wasn't there. Where was few characters missing and there was no inner monologue. The inner monologue was one of the reasons they said it was impossible to film. I'll see if part two is better.
Agreed.
I found that I could follow the story a lot easier than the '84 version but Lynch's Dune is definitely a Guilty Pleasure even with its faults
I've read the books, and I like the new movie, but I'm so glad Lynch had an end to the movie. I like that Lynch went full weird, I liked his changes, and I never minded the voice-over. I loved the soundtrack to his movie -- it's epic. I can't even remember if the new movie had music... Okay, I watch review, now.
You summed up my only disappointment with this film when you mentioned it lacking the "glamour" of Lynch's version. I wish there had been more colour used to differentiate the different planets, cultures and groups; aside from everything on Arrakis looking beige/sandy, everywhere else was greyish, black and vaguely industrial.
As this movie put zero effort into world building, the setting was very claustrophobic
I agree everything seemed to be rather gloomy. You would think these ultra rich leaders would want to brighten up the place…
Yeah.. DV lack colorful expression, dune = arrival = br-2049.. same pallete tone.. anti-zhang-yimou
DV could have given dune games fans using same subtle color theme, like red =harkonen, blue =atreidis, purple=saudakar
Seldom do I get as angry at a film as I did at this showcase for Zandayas hair products. But seriously, this film is so hollow on every front it really blows my mind at the critical praise it's receiving. Has the cultural war/stupification gotten this bad; where even die hard movie dune/nerds are selling out for this vapid shampoo commercial?
I am not going to go into the details on why this film is so nauseatingly bad.
I will say this much though. I have always loved Lynch's Dune despite it's flaws, but never has my appreciation for it been as strong as it was after the credits of this film rolled.
Dune captures the imagination because it is utterly exotic. Lynch understood that very well, which is why he tried to create the truly bizzare imagery that he did, some failed some succeeded: but it certainly captured my imagination to the point where I couldn't help but superimpose those images and characters on my re-readings of the book.
My greatest sadness is that I will have to probably wait another 30 years for a chance at seeing Dune put on screen again, not to mention the prospect of the 2nd part to this horrible film.
I think its still a good movie (by todays standards) and better than most comic book blockbusters, but yes its not even comparable to the original at all
@@WitnessedOne Agree, taken in a vacuum it's definitely better than the brain melting junk coming out of the Hollywood sausage factory.
I love Villeneuve and think he's an amazing director but this movie was very poor. Characters are bland and unlikebale, villains were completely underdone and under written. Which harms the main characters development as you don't feel as much for them or that they are in as much danger. No clever dialogue or writing. Didn't even get to see the planet properly before they left it or even the lifestyles of the people. Caladan is supposed to be a lush water and greenery plane but because of the lack of scenes and the stupid color filter he put over the movie it looked bland. The whole point is to show the contrast of the oceanic Caladan to the deserts of Arrakis, which never happened. So surprising, seeing his a brilliant visual director. Score is the same old hard bass thumps with no tune or melody to last in your memory. I could go on but that's enough for now. So disappointing, the only movie I was actually looking forward to this year.
Great work! Enjoyed watching your review.
Dune was epic.
yes, but was really good...?
Saw it on hbo max yesterday, not being entirely familiar with the source material and given the less than raving reviews on RUclips. Personally, I think there is something to be said for making a 2.5 hour movie that made me wish it didn't end. I hope to watch it in theaters in short order.
Hate me now for this, but please read the books, and feel free to include reading the books written by Frank Herbert's son. You will scream at the pages, I promise.
@@Sytijinx haha, no hate. I forgot to mention that I do plan on picking up the first book as well.
I watched it twice already, and brain wants another third time.. HBO max.
Full context for me: I've read the book (but not recently), played a lot of Dune II: Battle for Arrakis on a 386 PC when I was a kid, and seen bits and pieces of both the Lynch version and the 2000s miniseries but never sat down to watch either beginning to end. I went to see Dune 2021 in Odeon Salisbury this Saturday for the evening show in the main auditorium (which is built out of a historic theatre and is highly ornamented!), which was about half-full. I enjoyed the film - in fact, much more than I expected to, seeing as I actually was very underwhelmed by Blade Runner 2049 and I really was seeing Dune more to support the franchise than enthusiasm for Villeneuve. The scale is absolutely phenomenal - you can appreciate the awesome and terrifying nature of the sandworms when we first see one destroying the Harvester, and the vastness of the sets really resonates in a story of star-scale aristocratic politics and destinies practically writ in geological terms. I thought the film did very well to dispense with all of the monologuing and expository prologues while still remaining entirely coherent - definitely a victory for show-don't-tell and which shows that despite Dune being regarded as a "difficult" book the story is still perfectly legible. I enjoyed how they represented The Voice, and Paul's dreams. Baron Harkonnen was much more sinister with a Kingpin vibe about him (but yes, the name pronunciation was weird!) However, I can't say that I recognise Oliver Harper's praise for the music - maybe it was just poor speakers in my cinema, but it was downright pummelling and in multiple places seemed to drown out the dialogue! The final duel which ends this movie was also fumbled - considering how pivotal it is with Paul's destiny as a reconciliator or a conqueror being decided there, I don't think the choice he made was very well explained - by and large, though, I'd say that Dune 2021 was worth watching and worth my admission.
See I take the opposite this movie was all “show don’t tell” but how does one describe concepts we have no basis for, with captions the “kwisatz haderach” name is voiced over the movie a lot…why? What is a “kwisatz haderach”? What is a bene gesserit? What is a mentat? Why would I care if dr yueh , a charter barely onscreen, betrayed them? I had more information about the worms then Paul, Jessica, Leto, Duncan and Chani combined!
I first read the book when I was 14 (24 years ago) and I've since craved a great film adaptation. This is by far the best so far, and I can't wait for the next installment.
this movie is great ... for the first time this year i was relaxed in the cinema
Whether a movie is part 1 or 2 or 19, it still needs a third act. There's no narrative closure to any of the plot threads, and the movie doesn't end, or close, or even leave on a cliffhanger; it just stops.
The visual cinematography left me speechless. The sound - dear God-Emperor, the sound - I'm still getting over it. Hans Zimmmer's soundtrack is frankly outstanding, it acts like a narrator of the story in places. And there is imagery and subtleties that will make this a movie you can watch and re-watch endlessly.
But, a movie must be: story, Story, STORY. And my take away from Dune is, I'm sorry, that it *shows* there's a story in there, but it didn't *tell* me one.
Full confession of my sins: after seeing in the Theatre (which you *must* do) I streamed the webrip. Yes. Yes. Hurl me your slings and arrows. But that allowed me to watch it again _without_ the impact of the big screen. And without that, the story left me feeling...Well, nothing at all.
Now, I know there's more. You know there's more. We've read the book back to front and have the encyclopedia. But, I feel if I didn't know the Dune book already, I would have walked out of the theatre thinking, "What the hell was that all about."
best conclusion and comment here. bravo. I felt exactly the same. 100%.
it lacked something essential that a movie just needs to have to be a masterpiece. it looks good, sounds good, but something surely is missing... a soul? a plot? I dunno, but people next to me snored away in the theater. ignorant morons? infidels? maybe. maybe not.
100% if I hadn’t read dune, I would have been very confused.
I totally agree with you. I recently wrote a piece about how pivotal and deep are the contents of the novel and how the translation to other mediums were difficult to the point of failure. This is not so different. Not having read the book, a viewer will find it difficult to understand in a similar level to the Lynch's version, as major elements are cast aside (the Spice is not discussed enough, the Bene Gesserit background influence is ignored, and so on). While I can find Zimmer's score enthralling in some parts, I found it pretty generic in some others, with the usual problem of the "primal wailing woman" trope, for example. I found the pace of the movie very slow and inconclusive, and the problem is that it is based on the first half of the first book of a new franchise for the time, which means that Herbert had to do a lot of exposition to lay the foundations of the story. That is why the movie seems inconclusive, definitely a mistake not thinking about this issue beforehand. Last, I found most of the characters shallow and falling flat, leaving their personality far from the depths of the book, which is a shame. A movie is about a story, and a story is about characters.
(Here is my piece, if you are interested: medium.com/@Onsyzygy/dune-an-exploration-of-the-novel-and-its-legacy-2c2975bcc41e )
Great review! I quite enjoyed the Lynch film growing up (more the style and atmosphere) and found the trailers to this one just had a generally sterile feel to them. They didn’t engage me or capture my imagination at all and there was just something about the actor who played Paul Atreides that didn’t sit well with me.
You’ve convinced me to give it a chance though, so I look forward to seeing it and judging it on its own terms.
I saw it and your worries are sadly all true. Terrible emo snowflake Paul that you want to just bitch slap everytime you see him pouting around.
No mentats, no emperial conditioning, no fleshed out world or characters, I think guild navigator was mentioned once. Terrible cast over all....
Good news is if you are a fan on Zandaya's hair you will get a lot of it lol. Countless painfully long Zanday dream sequences at the expense of well... Dune. Was Thufir even in the movie, I think I remember a scene.... Meh what a mess.
It views like a pretty but vapid music video to an annoying soundtrack. Lynch's version is magical exotic treat compared to this cinematographic demo.
@@zarfilg yes. Pauls mothers chin acting was on point tho.
If Harkonnen comes from Finnish, then the 2021 version is the "correct" way to pronounce it....
Really good movie experience. You have to give them so much credit for fitting this in a movie...very impressive!
Yea, it's pretty heavy-handed. I'm in the camp that wondered what all the fuss was about, so I'm glad Oliver acknowledged that.
I love David Lynch's Dune. I'm apprehensive about this new one because I've lived with these characters since 1984.
I've just got back from it. I've lived with the book since I read it as a kid, and have always been fond of Lynch's version. I loved this new version however you do have to be prepare yourself. First off, if you go in wanting classic scenes directly from the book you're going to be disappointed. The film hews very close to the book, and you can imagine scenes in the book taking place off-screen, but this film really focuses on the big themes and what's happening to Paul personally, and doesn't go into detail about all the intrigues going on in the novel. So you're not going to get CHOAM Directorship talks, dinners with smugglers or action back on Giedi Prime. What you do get is a great companion piece to Dune. The look is amazing and really nails the novel in my opinion. The big themes, the sense of power, the way the universe operates and the strange Feudal system really come over strongly in the film - as does the mysticism of the Fremen. What you sacrifice I feel are the Atreides friendships and the gaudy pitch-dark sick comedy of the Harkonnens. Personally I feel it's as good a version of Dune on the big screen as one could expect, I only wish it had been twenty minutes longer to accommodate some key lines. One thing I can promise you - it looks and sounds amazing. See it on the big screen if you can.
@@PeterEvansPeteTakesPicturesI'm going to try and approach this new film with fresh eyes. When I think of Vladimir Harkonnen I always see Kenneth McMillan. It's like burnt in my brain.
@@JoeyArmstrong2800 Hard to shake Freddie Jones as Thufir and Sydow as Kynes, too! :)
@@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures exactly
@@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures I was left wanting…
The mother was miscast but aside from that the film was great and I can't wait to see the extended version. That extended one of the '84 one that was floating about on youtube is worth a view as well. Cheers for the upload.
The Baron is played like colonel kurtz from apocalypse now. pretty cool
I thought it was disappointing and dull. They left out the most interesting back story parts.
There should’ve been a world-building prologue just like Fellowship had. The rejection of technology and the enhancement of human abilities was never mentioned or explained. Which is central to the story and why the spice is important. Also, never explained the politics of the imperium
They left out almost all the backstory besides the year. I know navigators exist, didn’t see them…I know the Emperor exists, didn’t see them… the 2 main motivators of the entire series of events…mute.
I didnt enjoy movie. It spent too much time setting up a sequel and not enough time to get to know the characters. With the exception of the mother and father there was no emotional connection.
I’ve honestly loved Dune since D Lynch version not being acquainted with the material but was blown away by this different take on Sci-fi films so this version is just…. There are no words, no words
I can not wait for part 2 and I loved this new version!
Baron harkonen seems based on colonel kurtz
If the film can only be done justice on an overwhelming screen with mind numbing sound that is a flaw. Then it becomes nothing more than a carnival ride,not a film that will hold up throughout the decades. I haven't been to a theater since I saw The Tree Of Life back in 2011 and haven't missed it at all. My set up,75 inch Sony Bravia XBR 4K with a Denon AVR Atmos receiver with 7.4.2 sound set up,is good enough to appreciate the effects. How it will hold up to repeat viewings,once the "wow" factor of the effects are reduced,is what will determine if it is forgotten about a few years from now. Frankly I'd rather watch Primer or Mamoru Oshii's Avalon for truly intelligent science fiction.
You're not wrong, the visuals and the score do too much of the heavy lifting, it's a visual spectacle for sure but it's also a poor adaptation, and your comment about repeat viewing is right on the money. The score while good, started to grind for me after a couple of hours, whether it was the actual score or the way it was setup in the theatre, I don't know, but it started to feel like somebody thought that loud equals good.
It is a beautiful looking movie to be sure, but it will look and sound good on your setup, obviously you can't compare with IMAX but what home setup could, but the IMAX experience is I think blinding some people to what I think are obvious flaws in the adaptation. There's a reason why most people will argue that the SYFY channel mini series is the best adaptation despite it's poor production value. Simply put, no matter your skill as a film maker there's just too much to squeeze into a couple of films.
@@gs8494 yup...it turned a book into a graphic novel...a very LOUD graphic novel, thanks to Zimmer.... that's about as deep as it goes...
When I hear someone claim the casting was spot on I discount the review as garbage
First review I looked up as soon as I finished watching the film ;)