@@tronam the last one that that stood a chance. Its such a strange way to show how string Feyd is. Two drugged artreides members (purposeful to show how they are corrupted) and an old guy doesn't necessarily scream that Feyd is an excellent fighter. Its just a weak first glance at an audience standpoint
Stilgar is the most tragic character to me. Even in the book there is a good line where Paul realised that Stilgar was no longer a friend, but a follower. The later books really show the damage the Atreides do to the Fremen
Yes. There are several character adaptations in this movie that differ from the first book, but I get what they are doing and I like it, because I think it is going to bridge their future character arcs better than the books do, where some of the personalities become different very abruptly from one book to the next.
Wait 'til you read the original novel, which is where it ALL comes from! 😁 The lore is actually much more rich and complex and satisfying than you can imagine!! ❤ Frank Herbert was a creative genius, which is why the movie is so good! 😊
You’re better off listening to the Islamic lectures about Mahdi and the anti christ and Jesus’s return. Dune took Islamic belief and made it into some fairy tale but Mahdi was mentioned by the prophet Muhammad.
Same here. After seeing it on Sunday, I texted two friends to have a 3 way conversation on the movies. I'm going to go see it again on Wednesday. I am totally engrossed in the hype and the movie.
I think the book explains it that it wouldnt matter if he lost or won. The damage was done, he created a messiah for the fremen and the holy war was innevitable at that point.
No lol. The Freeman only wanted independence from off-world rule. However, they just so happen to sit on the most valuable commodity in the universe. They were content with letting off-worlders pillage the spice as long as they did not interfere with freeman dealings. Infact the movie NEVER really explains why the Harkonnen were so cruel towards the Freeman causing friction between the two. I guess the Harkonnen just viewed Freeman as vermin fit for extermination. Paul exploited the freeman to his own avail because he truly believes he was the Kwisatz Haderach and thus to save mankind from extinction needs to put it onto the Golden Path. The Jihad was one of the only paths he could see to do so, but will learn later he made a miscalculation with his prescience vision.
The Reverend Mother makes that abundantly clear when she telepathically told Jessica that "you of all people should know there are no sides." The Bene Jesserit had so many irons in so many different sides that they were playing both sides against the middle. Both Paul and Feyd-Rautha had potential to suit the Bene Jesserit's goals.
In the movie itself Princess Irulan says the same. A dead Messiah makes him even more powerful. If he'd have died there, none of the emperor's goons including himself would have lived
Favorite scene in the film was him storming into the throne room and just stabbing the Baron in the throat while everyone watches knowing they can't do a damn thing.
@@zeroThreeSixHD yea same. There was something about his inevitable power that just made it so bad ass. Like, they took down the empire in a flash and that momentum was fire
As an IR photographer it was wonderful to find out this was the case. IR has a unique look when it comes to how it interacts with different materials. The scene where the BG walk out side and it transitions from color to IR was insane to see.
Were they now, interesting 🤔 I’ve done some IR B&W photography myself. It’s particularly dramatic for landscapes, where the sky comes out black and foliage white. I took a photo at St. James park near Buckingham Palace, and because there was so much green foliage and grass, the photo looked like everything was snow covered. A really cool effect!
Supposedly the lore explanation was that the sunlight on their planet takes away colour, which is why in the night scenes and indoor scenes it still looks like regular colour. I think there's a shot where the Baron emerges from indoors out into the arena grandstand and you can actually see the transition from colour to monochrome in real time on his body
The Harkonens may have been changed from the book, but it's another example of changes in adaptation that serve the story and honor the spirit of the original work. It's yet another perfect showcase of how one's environment influences the development of culture, worldview, and societal attitudes.
A lot of small things from part 1 paid off in this movie in satisfying ways. For example, in part 1 it’s mentioned to the duke that the airfield is one of arakreen’s two weak points. Paul using this information to ambush the emperor at the airfield in dune part 2 was sooooo satisfying having seen the first movie just prior
They should have mentioned Chani being Liet Kynes' daugter, because teal ribbon she wears is sign of mourning. And when she puts it back on in the end, she's mournig loss of Paul she knew. It was a great moment that you wold probably miss if you didn't know her parentage, or rhe significance of the ribbon from the book.
@@SimonBuchanNz Yeah, and obviously it in was in the script and cut during the edit. Another book easter egg - Feyd's daggers, one black and one white - one was poisoned, but the one that was usually not. Like, traditionally, black would be coated, but he would coat white, so his oponents would be more wary of the wrong hand.
I liked the way Alia was handled in this adaptation. Though not ‘book accurate’ the spirit of her Bene Gesserit knowledge is conveyed through Jessica and Paul’s dialogue
There was some applause at the IMAX screening I attended, but the conversation in the hallway afterwards was extremely positive. This is definitely the kind of movie that people will go see multiple times.
My screening on imax was awesome, the people was so hyped, one guy screamed out “yeah!” on one of the scenes (I won’t spoil which one) and there was laughs during the Stilgar parts. There was alot of applause at the end as well. I loved this film, I want to watch it again.
I saw it in IMAX, by the time the movie started, just before the WB logo, I was a bit shocked by the Sandworm sound effect that I could feel it in my seat
Hope so. It deserves it. So far, it seems like it won't be quite as big of a success as people were hoping, but I hope that it nonetheless continues to have legs. I will definitely be seeing this at least one more time. I saw it first with family. Might find friends to go with next, and maybe if I find I have nothing better to do down the line, I might see it by myself (the difference between seeing a movie in a theater by yourself and with a group is significant).
If paul loses the fight he becomes martyred, as soon as he embraces the legend the empire's fate is sealed. If paul loses then stilgar and the feydakin would massacre the emperor, his daughter, and feyd before going out on their interstellar jihad.
Yes.Fremens were always meant to go to war no matter what happens.The only way that it wouldn't happen is if the other houses have excepted Paul as the new Emperor,which could never hsppen because of Bene Geseret.They were actually the ones who were running the whole empire .
The ending is definitely meant to be understood as a tragedy, but I get why he came to conclusion that the only way to come out the other side with the best outcome in a bad situation is to be the one to take the reins and at least have one hand on the wheel.
@@_Amit_Sunilspace travel is a common thing in Dune's universe. That's how humans got to Arrakis in the first place. Things get more complicated with interstellar travel (you need the Spacing Guild for that), but the attack that begins at the end of the movie is directed towards ships orbiting Arrakis. Nuclear missiles are extremely old technology, less sophisticated than some of the other weapons the Fremen used. Atomic weapons are quite common, but very rarely used because of a very strict rule: if a Great House uses atomics against human targets, all the other Great Houses will use their atomics to retaliate. Paul used his atomics against the Shield Wall, a geographical barrier that protected the city from storms and worms, so he dodged that prohibition.
One of my favorite details in the movie is how Paul wins the duel with Feyd. He uses the move that Gurney teaches him in the first movie, a stab from below when all the action is up top.
Was a really cool detail but in the book it was described that Paul stabbed feyd in through the bottom of his jaw and out the top of his head and compared to that the movies scene is a little lackluster
I honestly haven't felt so entranced by a film in a long time. Even leaving the theater, I was still thinking about it and wanting to watch it again! I don't remember the last movie that gave me the same feeling!
I wish the trailers didn't spoil the scene of the sand worms coming through the dust cloud in the final battle. That would've been a cool thing to see for the first time during the movie.
This is why you never, ever ever watch trailers to movies that you know you're going to see. Even one glimpse of something from the trailer could ruin an amazing moment on the big screen. I'm glad I didn't watch the trailers
I would have minded it less if there was actually more to the final battle than what we saw in the trailers. The worms coming out of the storm is basically a third of the battle and lasts for a few seconds.
As a super fan of the book I approve of what they left out and sped through, because they spent the time to show they understood what Frank Herbert was saying about messiah figures.
Same. I've read the original novel about five times since I was a child, and have read all the other novels, including the ones published by Herbert's son and editor from his rich source material after his death. College courses have actually been taught upon DUNE. It is a wonder of creative writing. At first I was a bit mad at what Villeneuve chose to leave out, but I saw how well he captured the overall flow and essence of the novel. It works for people who adore the novel, and for people who never even knew about the novel, & my hope is that people will want to explore the DUNE universe more by reading the novel! ❤😊
As a lover of the book I actually enjoyed the movies more. Think of it this way, "Jaws" was a good book but the movie was better. I think Denis understood the book and given the tools he had at his disposal he made great choices. I can't wait for the third film knowing what happens in the next two books.
Yeah the book was written in the 60s and after the first book, shit starts getting WEIRD. I hope Denis nails the last movie and stops because he knows Children and God Emperor the shit goes off the rails. 😅😅
It’s an excellent film not doubt, but I really think it misses some of the crazier/abstract psychedelic stuff from their visions and even Guild Navigators going through space. It’s a little too clean and not weird enough imo.
@@dfchang813I could see him try to borrow elements of Children of Dune for Dune Messiah, but if thry continue to make this a franchise, the really weird stuff might be better suited as a miniseries.
5:20 after reading the book, Im thankful we got as much as we did, the book doesnt really speed run it, they kinda skip it, i know its not the point of everything, but the spectacle was awesome
One of the things I love about this director is his respect for who came before. nothing says this more than the scene of the ants crawling on the ear of the baron after he is cast out in the desert. this is an incredible wink to David Lynch, and one of the most subtle things I've seen in a movie in a long time. 2049 also had quite a few of these.
17:42 In think with Chalamet’s performance and all the build up (i.e. showing his reluctance to go south and talking about losing Chani), it’s pretty clear the water of life changed him into a different person. I appreciate Denis didn’t handheld the audience and just show what was needed to get the point across. It’s also more effective this way because it’s shown through the characters instead of explaining the lore. Lore is for the appendix in a book, and can and should be cut from the movie.
Haha... well we'll see how people receive it... Dune Messiah is a hard left turn for fans who think Paul is the hero... Though I have no doubt the quality and the story telling will be superb!
@@charlottegerken4477I have a feeling Dune: Messiah will focus less on the weird stuff with the ghola and the Tleilaxu and more on the economic and emotional cost of the holy war, the plotting against him will of course be there but I think it will be more of a great houses last stand against Paul, Alia and the Fremen with the end setting up the children to continue the dynasty.
Paul's transformation was not rushed. The vast majority of the movie was about his transformation. When he first arrived among the Fremen, he was intending to "fulfill prophecy"...he told Jessica the Bene Gesserit propaganda was taking hold but there were many who would need convincing. He started backing away from that as he got to know them and his focused shifted more to becoming one of them. Eventually he realized there was no other real option (Gurney's alternative wasn't feasible). So he decided to go forward with the "messiah" path. But the Water of Life DOES result in a sudden transformation. Just as what happened with Jessica - because (1) he now has the memories of all reverend mothers of the past and (2) the spice melange gave him clear vision so that he could see only one path forward. He said as much. So, no, the transformation made sense. What I felt was a bit rushed was the speed with which the movie moved toward the final battle and how quickly it was over. That did seem a bit rushed. It was still incredible and masterful, though.
Agreed. I agree with his point that maybe they should have explored what actually happened to Paul a little more. That and the final battle should have lasted a little longer. I also could have used another scene with Feyd and the Baron scheming alongside Princess Irulan and the Padashah Emperor. The problem is that idk what you could have cut instead.
You haven’t even seen anything. Wait until Paul becomes blind, gets exiled from the fremen, Duncan becomes Ghola, and Paul merges with a worm to be immortal
Definitely not. This story is a tragedy if nothing else. The Star Wars prequels definitely take even more inspiration from Dune than the original trilogy did in that respect.
I think Villenueve is taking a break to do a smaller movie first before going full swing into Dune Messiah or Dune part 3 or whatever they're calling it. Personally, I'm kinda sick of being "part 1" etc in movies even if it does work well here. I would have preferred part 1 ajd 2 to have been called Dune, Dune Prophet, and Dune Messiah. It would just seem kinda weird ti call the trilogy Dune part 1, Dune part 2, and Dune Messiah, and it might feel off to call the third Dune part 3.
I feel like the only thing that this adaptation missed is a plotline about whether Jessica is a traitor or not? It was my favourite part of the story and the conversation between Jessica and Thuvir is my favourite part of the book.
I wish the first movie had that plot line and more of the environmental themes, like at the dinner party. That would also have setup more of the politics we see in the second movie.
To the Atredies? She's certainly a traitor to the empire and at least somewhat to the Bene Gesserit - though it's pretty tough to tell what they count as betrayal, the squirrelly bints.
@@SimonBuchanNzin the book and the first movie there’s a plot line where the baron causing some in fighting between the Atreides. In order the successfully infiltrate they must distract the atreides mentat, because he so good at his job, so they mislead him into thinking Jessica is a traitor
Dan, I just want to say I subscribed to your channel because of videos like these where you do a fantastic job of taking the layers of films and discussing each part. It just feeds the fire of my love of cinema. I'm not saying every film deserves this but there are films like this, where my friends and I sat in the theater while the credits were rolling to talk about the film. There are movies where you watch it and say, "That was fun" and you go home and then there's ones where you sit and peel the layers. So, I really appreciate this. Thank you, and keep up the great content!
As always, you put out the best reviews on RUclips. You're someone who understands the movie and the book and are very articulate to put those thoughts forward. Thank you for this review! 😊
I have read all six of the Frank Herbert Dune books several times which I love very much and I think that the only thing that was left out was some of the inner monologue of Paul and Lady Jessica when they drank the water of life. Outside of that I think that Denis made the story better because Frank didn't kill his darlings around Leto II and maybe the times where women were meant to stay behind. I loved the changes in this version.
The city where i stay in India, the hooting, cheering and screaming happens during big moments in a movie. But Dune 2 was the first movie where the entire packed hall sat in rapt attention and clapped at the very end. Its a proper sign of respect towards a movie
I totally wish we had more detail while watching it. I really had that "ride of the rohirrim" feeling seeing the worms coming in for the first time. However, the ending fight between Baronboi and Paul made me completely forget about it until you mentioned it. One of the best knife fights I've seen in cinema - I was clutching my pearls!
I clocked the visual of the Fremen torching a pile of Harkonnen bodies near the end, an exact reflection of Hark torching Atreides bodies at the beginning of this movie (and/or the end of the last movie?). A direct message to the audience: The Cycle Continues.
The sad part is that Leto saw the Fremen as their own people and if he had survived might have helped them recognise their strength. Paul starts in P1 with the same intent but revenge and power in P2 push him back to the Bene Gesserit way and the ones that will lose in the end are the Fremen
Denis Villeneuve explained in an interview that he filmed the sequence of Giedi Prime using infrared cameras to create those “black sun” haunting images.
An absolute Masterpiece. There are movies and there are experiences. For me The Dune Experience is just another level. Cinematography: Hand him an Oscar. Sound/Editing: Hand them an Oscar. Timothy Chalemet: Give me best actor.
Thank you for the intelligent book versus movie perspective. Many of the other RUclips reviews spend too much time obsessing over what was changed and not truly appreciating the movie.
Perfect review, you clearly know the themes of the books and it shows, well done! As someone who has read all 6 books numerous times the whole saga of the Atreides dynasty becomes a cautionary tale of power and manipulation, that by the end you begin to question was any of it really worth the cost.
My girlfriend hates sci-fi and is not generally intruiged by large scale stories like LOTR, GOT, Star Wars, Dune etc. When we watched Dune 1 she was just curious, and then watched Dune part 2 in IMAX and her eyes were glued on the large screen. Now, I rewatch my favorite movies with her and she just gives shrugs and 2 sentence answers when I ask her opinions regarding the movie. Bruh, after we walked out the cinema we talked for 3 hours about the film. She was asking me questions about the lore of the Dune universe, she gave her own opinions about the characters, the visuals, I was even shocked that she appreciated the score of the movie (she never mentions the music in movies we watched), and she said she got goosebumps at some points of the film which she said never happend to her while watching a movie.
Chani's role in the movie is both the best and most troubling for me as an avid long time fan of the Dune novels. I love that, in the film, she shows us why Paul isnt a messiah but more akin to Hitler whipping an avid, religious fundamentalist xenophobes into a devastating war. She is directly an in-universe stand-in for the viewer pointing out why Paul is NOT the hero... but in the novels it is clear that Chani and Paul will always be together. Irulan gets to be the wife for political convenience, but she we never share his bed, bear his children, Chani will always be Paul's true wife regardless of political alliance and she understands and accepts that. the friction between Paul, Chani and Jessica over this is such a core piece of the novel that the way Chani is painted as a jilted jealous lover at the end feels terrible to me. Still, a relatively small complaint for as wonderful as the adaptation was overall.
Chani from the end of this movie to the Chani trying to get pregnant so she can give Paul an heir in Messiah is a huge jump. I don’t know how Denis is going to write it in a believable way but he has earned my trust.
Agreed. I wanted some nod to “they shall call us wives” but instead the last shots of the movie are Chani storming off in a huff to catch the next worm back home.
Yup. He borked that one quite severely. I'm not convinced it's a better series of mistakes than Lynch and the original producers made. Needed to be three films or a TV series and completely faithful to the books. None of this fluffy. Good films, still waiting for a faithful adaptation.
No, I don't think Chani is being portrayed as a jealous lover. She feels betrayed. What I think the movie is doing cinematically and character wise, is set up Irulan and Chani as contrasting figures, which is a book thing. This movie did a bunch of that already. Part 1 started with Chani's narration. Part 2 goes with Irulan's voice. These two women have very different roles in Paul's life and the future. I want to see what Villeneuve does with that going forward.
My general thoughts - 1. this was way better than the first 2. I can't wait for the third, I wanted it to keep going. 3. i think Walken was miscast. 4. Stars Wars really took a lot from Dune, and looks like a way watered down version. I don't think I can go back to SW again
Watched it last night broadly agree with most of your points but for me it boiled down to just being a cool ass movie. Like, for source material that can drag a lot, this movie kept me engaged the whole time
One blooper I noticed. When Paul is running to jump on the sandworm, he’s not wearing his goggles and then they magically appear on his face when he catches it after he jumps on it.
This is the best Dune review I’ve seen. Dan raises critical points of plot and philosophy that bring the core of the story into focus. As he says, this is very much NOT the story of a hero or a white savior. It’s deeper, darker, and far more meaningful than those tropes. The director understands this and has made a film that shows it in an overwhelming way. Unlike with all those recent Disney and Marvel force-fed “Message”-laden forgettable movies, he does not insult the audience’s intelligence or waste their time with flash-bang drivel. Dune (1 and 2) will need to be seen more than once and discussed, and its impact will be lasting. It’s funny to me that the movie that this story reminds me of is Monty Python’s Life of Brian - except that Paul himself transitions into a powerful world-changing ruler while poor Brian ends up crucified. In his story, the power and world changing come after him in future centuries, when the people who still use his name for their own purposes found a religion and rise in power.
While I found both movies incredibly technically competent - Cinematography, Sound, Music, VFX - Most of the action pieces were excellent and tension filled - for the most part (Ending battle WAS definitely a bit odd), they (Both parts) just felt very "flat" for Me (Possibly some of the character portrayals): In particular NONE of the female characters are likeable, the Emperor never feels like the Emperor - more like someone getting ready for bed time - He might be Emperor of the known universe with a giant sphere ship, but his throne room looks like its something from a one man play. But perhaps it is in the editing that there seems to have some odd choices - focusing on meaningless or made up moments at the expense of a few more important missing moments (I believe that some were filmed but did not make the final edit). Still, DUNE part 1 & part 2 are definitely considerably better than most recent attempts at sci-fi epics (And most other movies for that matter). When part 2 finished at My theater, there was some sporadic clapping and that was about it.
*TBPH:* People are *_SO_*_ easily _*_PLEASED_* these days, what with the absolute cavalcade of *_Dreck & Dross_* passing for TV-&-Film that's been rolled out over the past 2+ years. (* i.e. this ƒilm, while indeed _good:_ is *_not_*_ without it's _*_problems_* )
I was kind of glad they cut Aliyah's showdown with the Baron, it would have been very hard to have that scene take place in a serious movie, just look at the original 1984 film, having an actual child who's that powerful just doesnt work on the screen. And to cut it they cut her birth and subsequently Leto's birth as the timeline wouldn't have worked.
To me personally, i have zero complains about dune part 2… saw it on dolby and wow, just every scene, from small to big… what an experience, one of my favorite movies of all time dun part 1 and 2
I think the idea of dune being a white savior story is brought on by the 1984 adaptation, which basically is because paul is actually a divine being who brings rain to the planet upon his ascension to the throne.
Great video as always Dan only 1 correction, Feyd was never going to beat Paul and kill him, Paul had already seen the single future path with which he could ascend the throne. This is expanded more in the books of course, but the only person who could've killed Paul was count Fenring (Margot's husband) who was also prescient but couldn't pass his genetics as he was born a Eunuch. He refuses to be the emperors champion though so that fate never comes to pass. Fenring is Paul's only equal at this time, Feyd (who doesn't have prescience) serves only as a sort of foil running parallel to him. Also Feyd and Irulan's child would not bring about the KH, only a Harkonen and Atriedes offspring would lead to that in the next generation. Paul's death would significantly slow down the process.
I just commented on this as well. I mention that Paul was given a verbal kill switch to shut down Feyd Rautha, but he chooses not to use it. I don't know why Dan left this out, given that he's said that he's reading/listening to the books. He seems to be trying too hard to play devils advocate here.
@@Lamont580 yup that too! I felt my comment was already running too long to include that haha. But yeah there's so many little details in the book that clarify that Paul was just better than Feyd (seeing his hidden poisoned needle just by gauging his movements)
@@SuperStella1111 I completely agree with the choice for the film, especially because they left out the character of Count Fenring (Margot's husband). Count Fenring was the real threat to Paul in the novel. I don't take issue with the changes needed to adapt such a dense novel to the screen, and I think that DV does an amazing job. My point is that Dan's interpretation contradicts what we know about the narrative. At 23:20, Dan says that Paul betrayed Chani, which we know is not true. The film implies that Chani feels betrayed by Paul, but it shows no evidence that Paul has actually betrayed her in any way. Marrying Irulan is a purely political move, with incredible historical precedent. Paul refuses to produce heirs with Irulan, later having two children with Chani. Implying that Chani is so hurt by this move suggests that she is either too short-sighted or emotional to address her concerns to Paul. It does an incredible disservice to a strong female character, who we know to have the strength and patience to handle the situation without storming off like a petulant teenager. (I understand that the director is setting up the third movie with this change, but it still changes the narrative in a way that undermines an important, loving relationship.) At 22:03, Dan says that Paul "subjugates" the Fremen. Paul works with the Fremen to their mutual benefit, giving them the one thing that they want most, which is control over their home planet. Many Fremen are given elevated positions throughout the empire. This is not subjugation. Several books later, it is the Fremen who destroy Paul for not being sufficiently fanatical. To his credit, I think Dan tries very hard to be fair in his reviews, but some of these interpretations are stated as fact. Where the film leaves questions open, I think that we need to defer to the novel as source material. Does Paul ultimately subjugate the Fremen? No. Does Paul ultimately betray Chani? No. Was there any chance that Feyd Rautha would assume the throne? No.
THANK YOU for mentioning Weapon of Choice in the casting of Walken. When it hit me what Villeneuve had done with that bit of casting, I was just like, "That is next level." I am Certain he did that on purpose as a special wink.
That popcorn bucket haunts my dreams. I'm a few days late cause I wanted to catch it in IMAX and couldn't until this past weekend. I really loved what was done with this movie. It was epic but still character-focused. I love the commentary on the Chosen One and White Savior narratives that dominate science fiction. The visuals were overwhelmingly gorgeous. I can't wait to see Dune again.
This movie absolutely floored me. So many epic and memorable scenes, and really did the source material justice (while standing as its own adaptation). Sci-fi mastery.
I think “stunned” is the best way to describe how this movie impacts those who see it. The way he describes the ending of his screening is very similar to how mine ended.
The battle being over so quick is actually true to the novel. The battle is over in no time. Its not important to the story HOW the Fremen win the battle because Paul has already foreseen the victory.
This is my favorite review thus far. Excellent job. This is such a complex film and you covered all bases. I can't see why Denis would not do Dune Messiah. He is making a KILLING on these films and introducing characters such as his sister without more would be a crime.
600 people at the Lincoln Square IMAX in NYC sat entranced for 246 minutes today, barely making a sound. It reminded me being at the same theater at the end of Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity” and hearing someone say, “that movie was so good I forgot to eat my popcorn!”
Someone like Charles Dance would've been interesting as The Emperor. Wish a few more (not necessarily all) Blockbusters felt as grounded & tactile like both Dune movies. It's a good thing Dune 2 & Oppenheimer aren't going up against each other @Oscars. Hoping for an $80m+ domestic opening wkend 🤞 Its 95% RT Audience Score (4.7/5) is a promising sign!
You are pretty close with the prophecy but it’s even more direct in book. The myths the Fremen have are spread by the Bene Gesserit around most worlds, adapting it as needed, to basically allow them to manipulate any population should one ever be in danger, as well as priming them for rule by the kwisatz haderach(so essentially rule by them). Aspects are added by Fremen to match their own religion and locality, but that gets twisted by the Sisterhood to meld with theirs and make it vague enough and in line with abilities of Bene Gesserit and their kids to allow any that needed refuge to survive. Jessica fully knows this and exploits it to go beyond the original intent to try to keep Paul and Alia alive, as she wants Paul to be the KH. It would be like if the X-men were deliberately spreading myths about their genetic powers and a high level telepath so if any got trapped among humans they could twist it to protect them, while also trying to create professor X themselves via eugenics.
Dan I loved your review after I watched the movie I needed this sort of analysis to process what I saw and this only enhanced my experience and I plan to watch again. I agree with almost every point you made including the part of where Paul drinks the water of life. It was a little rushed and it could have been fleshed out more. But the movie is incredible. My theater was almost 100% packed and the attention to the movie by the audience was palpable and very emotional.
First off, loved the movie - both Dune Part 1 and 2 are two of my favorite movies ever! However, I’m one of the people that are not all that excited for Dune Messiah. I think this movie struck the perfect balance of realizing that Paul’s journey is not going to end in a clearly positive moral victory and having all the complexity that comes with that, while also still being able to root for him as the hero of this story. Dune Messiah essentially tears down Paul completely as a hero, and I personally didn’t care for that, and I think it is the type of story most people don’t care for (I mean Dune Messiah is possibly the most polarizing sequel to a beloved book of all time). Additionally, Dune Messiah isn’t exactly the most exciting book, so I just feel like it would make for a pretty stark contracts to Dune Part 1 and 2. Unless Denis completely changes Dune Messiah, which I don’t think he will, I think I’ll personally view this more as an incredible two movie adaptation of Dune than a great trilogy.
Bro the world isn’t ready for child Alia. It would have been just too weird and completely thrown the audience off. I’m glad Denis wisely decided to skip that part. 😅
@@dfchang813 yes, it was so hard to deal with in Lynches film and the TV series. We're so not ready to see it done slightly better. Super difficult to pull off. No, he didn't make a wise decision, he gutted the book for no reason and weakened it.
@@dfchang813agreed. It would have felt like a distraction from the main drive of the story. Some things don't quite so easily translate from one medium to another, and I think he did the best decision he could have even if it wasn't quite what purists wanted. I did appreciate that his use of baby Alia was very evocative of the 2001 star child, though. That was probably the single best parallel that people kind if already have their heads wrapped around that would have made Alia work in this story. Different, yes, but very inspired imo. Still, I don't think there's a wring answer for which you prefer. Valid arguments exist for both.
Excellent break down Dan, I do agree these movies are both a great adaptation of a great book I'd be very curious to see what a Dune Messiah adaptation would look like.
17:07 Thank you for making that point about Watchmen. That was a total thematic change. I walked out the theater when I first saw it. I'm still upset 😂
Agree with everything here. Quick question: does anyone remember what video it was where Dan explained the different types of imax? I wish that was its own video!
Urm..not specifically, but it was only a couple of weeks ago or so. It was a question from the mint mobile line, - so if in doubt, just go back a few vids and skip to those parts and you'll find it
10:19 I couldn’t agree more with Austin Butler’s Stellan Sarsgaard. At first, I was distracted. “Austin butler be Austin butlerin.” But after a while, it won me over entirely.
I heartily concur! Genius Denis and Brilliant Zendaya and Timothee should be remembered at OSCAR Time. As should Javier, Rebecca, and Austin. Greig (Cinematography), and the Sound technicians should get to take a bow as well. And the two films work in tandem to create a seamless duet of exposition and action. My entire family thoroughly enjoyed fantastic PART ONE and we were Thrilled by the exponential excellence of PART TWO.
One gaffe: Raban yells "Muad'Dib must die!" Or something to that effect. How did he know about Pauls chosen middle name when the Harkkonens had had 0 contact with any fremen? Did the Harkkonen BG tell them his name? They knew the desert mouse name, but had 0 idea it was Paul Atreides, and the Baron had no idea his daughter (Born with hair and rejected,) had been with Leto 1 and that Paul was his Grandson? Baron seemed to have intimate intel on everything with the help of the BJ and Empire.
Great perspective. I too loved the movie. With that, I would cut half the slow motion shots and half of Paul’s trip dreams and gave the ending more time. Plus, Paul and Chani’s baby should have been in the story. It pulls all my emotions within the book.
Just remember Dan, even though it was a loooong time ago (1991), “The Silence of the Lambs” won the best picture Oscar despite having been released in February (during Valentine’s weekend ) and having grossed around $130.
You don’t have to go back that far. It happened last year with Everything Everywhere All at Once, which was released a year before its win. I still worry that people may forget it
@@DanMurrellMovies That’s right; I forgot. I worry too. I think Dune 2 is an exceptional film and already one of the better sci-fi films of all time. I also just hope that with today’s cinema landscape, Dune 2 will stand out during Oscars voting.
As qn aspiring actress/thespian and HUGE movie lover/fanatic the Dune movies make me proud of my future line of work. Dune 2 is a masterpiece and I enjoyed it even more than the first one. I'm excited for Dune 3! ❤❤❤❤
“It’s a white savior narrative” god I hate it when people fundamentally misread a text, and then proceed to get triggered and outraged over their own misreading… Please, just take the time to try to understand and reflect on this very dense 20th century literature classic before whipping yourself into a book-burning frenzy.
I didn’t mind that Denis skipped Alia but I did miss the lack of the space guild - both visually but more importantly as a key element in the plot regarding Paul’s hold over the Spice and it’s implications for the space guild and inter-planetary travel & commerce.
![Cody Johnson - I'm Gonna Love You (with Carrie Underwood) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yy9PuYMU29g/mqdefault.jpg)
The black and white gladiator arena sequence on Giedi Prime alone was worthy of 5 stars
It was gorgeous!
Agree
@@Noirlore What doctor?
@@tronam the last one that that stood a chance. Its such a strange way to show how string Feyd is. Two drugged artreides members (purposeful to show how they are corrupted) and an old guy doesn't necessarily scream that Feyd is an excellent fighter. Its just a weak first glance at an audience standpoint
@@marcochen9117 I see what you mean, but what makes you think he was a doctor?
Stilgar is the most tragic character to me. Even in the book there is a good line where Paul realised that Stilgar was no longer a friend, but a follower. The later books really show the damage the Atreides do to the Fremen
Very true, heartbreaking
Yes. There are several character adaptations in this movie that differ from the first book, but I get what they are doing and I like it, because I think it is going to bridge their future character arcs better than the books do, where some of the personalities become different very abruptly from one book to the next.
He called him an animal iirc
I saw DUNE 2 on Sunday and I have been relentlessly watching Dune content ever since. This film truly has awaken my passion for this world.
Welcome, there is plenty of room 😊 and years of material to catch up on 👍
Wait 'til you read the original novel, which is where it ALL comes from! 😁
The lore is actually much more rich and complex and satisfying than you can imagine!! ❤
Frank Herbert was a creative genius, which is why the movie is so good! 😊
Got a few pointers?
You’re better off listening to the Islamic lectures about Mahdi and the anti christ and Jesus’s return. Dune took Islamic belief and made it into some fairy tale but Mahdi was mentioned by the prophet Muhammad.
Same here. After seeing it on Sunday, I texted two friends to have a 3 way conversation on the movies. I'm going to go see it again on Wednesday. I am totally engrossed in the hype and the movie.
It is so epic, that Paul kills Feyd-Rautha in a similar way, that Gurney showed him in the training sequence from the first movie.
And that feyd’s last words are the same thing he says in the arena fight
@@idawg7332 what was it again?
@@CinemaRescored You fought well atreides
@@CinemaRescoredwell fought attreides
And the smile in Gurney's face said that he thought the same.
What's in the popcorn bucket?
Pain.
Underrated comment 😂
If next video comes, it means he is alive, it means he is the one
As Written 👐🏻
That's awesome
Great comment 😂
Lovely Naruto reference
Dune 2 is cinema , I wanted to shed tears after watching this movie. Science fiction has reached pinnacle
Seing 3 times this week-end in 3 formats.
I definitely cried. It was incredible!
I did shed tears, Im gonna go watch it again in imax dolby atmos soon
Just saw it. It was incredible! Probably going to see it again.
Make more of these movies
I think the book explains it that it wouldnt matter if he lost or won. The damage was done, he created a messiah for the fremen and the holy war was innevitable at that point.
No lol. The Freeman only wanted independence from off-world rule. However, they just so happen to sit on the most valuable commodity in the universe. They were content with letting off-worlders pillage the spice as long as they did not interfere with freeman dealings. Infact the movie NEVER really explains why the Harkonnen were so cruel towards the Freeman causing friction between the two. I guess the Harkonnen just viewed Freeman as vermin fit for extermination.
Paul exploited the freeman to his own avail because he truly believes he was the Kwisatz Haderach and thus to save mankind from extinction needs to put it onto the Golden Path. The Jihad was one of the only paths he could see to do so, but will learn later he made a miscalculation with his prescience vision.
The Reverend Mother makes that abundantly clear when she telepathically told Jessica that "you of all people should know there are no sides." The Bene Jesserit had so many irons in so many different sides that they were playing both sides against the middle. Both Paul and Feyd-Rautha had potential to suit the Bene Jesserit's goals.
In the movie itself Princess Irulan says the same. A dead Messiah makes him even more powerful. If he'd have died there, none of the emperor's goons including himself would have lived
POWER. The 3 atomics then the sandworms.. jaw dropping. Then when Paul storms into the emperor's with complete power is so visceral
Favorite scene in the film was him storming into the throne room and just stabbing the Baron in the throat while everyone watches knowing they can't do a damn thing.
@@zeroThreeSixHD yea same. There was something about his inevitable power that just made it so bad ass. Like, they took down the empire in a flash and that momentum was fire
That was a great scene. But my favorite has to be Paul’s riding his 1st sand worm to be accepted by the people.
@Ann-vi5ns that was it for me too. When it cut to them all cheering, omg, the smile on my face!
After he dranked the worm piss and woke up and took control, all prophet like, my fav 🔥
The gini prime scenes in black and white there were filmed in infrared, which is crazy since Denis said that there’s no color version of this.
As an IR photographer it was wonderful to find out this was the case. IR has a unique look when it comes to how it interacts with different materials. The scene where the BG walk out side and it transitions from color to IR was insane to see.
Were they now, interesting 🤔 I’ve done some IR B&W photography myself. It’s particularly dramatic for landscapes, where the sky comes out black and foliage white. I took a photo at St. James park near Buckingham Palace, and because there was so much green foliage and grass, the photo looked like everything was snow covered. A really cool effect!
Supposedly the lore explanation was that the sunlight on their planet takes away colour, which is why in the night scenes and indoor scenes it still looks like regular colour. I think there's a shot where the Baron emerges from indoors out into the arena grandstand and you can actually see the transition from colour to monochrome in real time on his body
Ask AI if there is/will be one!
The Harkonens may have been changed from the book, but it's another example of changes in adaptation that serve the story and honor the spirit of the original work. It's yet another perfect showcase of how one's environment influences the development of culture, worldview, and societal attitudes.
A lot of small things from part 1 paid off in this movie in satisfying ways. For example, in part 1 it’s mentioned to the duke that the airfield is one of arakreen’s two weak points. Paul using this information to ambush the emperor at the airfield in dune part 2 was sooooo satisfying having seen the first movie just prior
They should have mentioned Chani being Liet Kynes' daugter, because teal ribbon she wears is sign of mourning. And when she puts it back on in the end, she's mournig loss of Paul she knew. It was a great moment that you wold probably miss if you didn't know her parentage, or rhe significance of the ribbon from the book.
The ribbon seemed obviously significant, at least, and related to her no longer trusting Paul, but it's nice to hear the history behind it.
@@SimonBuchanNz Yeah, and obviously it in was in the script and cut during the edit.
Another book easter egg - Feyd's daggers, one black and one white - one was poisoned, but the one that was usually not. Like, traditionally, black would be coated, but he would coat white, so his oponents would be more wary of the wrong hand.
What what? That changes the whole character arc. I wondered why they didn't they give any indication of who her parents were.
I loved how Paul did a mixture of the Atreides salute and the Fremen "may thy knife chip and shatter" as he began to fight Feyd.
I liked the way Alia was handled in this adaptation.
Though not ‘book accurate’ the spirit of her Bene Gesserit knowledge is conveyed through Jessica and Paul’s dialogue
There was some applause at the IMAX screening I attended, but the conversation in the hallway afterwards was extremely positive. This is definitely the kind of movie that people will go see multiple times.
I’ve already seen it twice haha
My screening on imax was awesome, the people was so hyped, one guy screamed out “yeah!” on one of the scenes (I won’t spoil which one) and there was laughs during the Stilgar parts. There was alot of applause at the end as well. I loved this film, I want to watch it again.
I saw it in IMAX, by the time the movie started, just before the WB logo, I was a bit shocked by the Sandworm sound effect that I could feel it in my seat
We don't applaud here because there are no actors to hear it. So it's simply unnecessary. But we talk after, yeah.
Hope so. It deserves it. So far, it seems like it won't be quite as big of a success as people were hoping, but I hope that it nonetheless continues to have legs. I will definitely be seeing this at least one more time. I saw it first with family. Might find friends to go with next, and maybe if I find I have nothing better to do down the line, I might see it by myself (the difference between seeing a movie in a theater by yourself and with a group is significant).
If paul loses the fight he becomes martyred, as soon as he embraces the legend the empire's fate is sealed. If paul loses then stilgar and the feydakin would massacre the emperor, his daughter, and feyd before going out on their interstellar jihad.
Yes.Fremens were always meant to go to war no matter what happens.The only way that it wouldn't happen is if the other houses have excepted Paul as the new Emperor,which could never hsppen because of Bene Geseret.They were actually the ones who were running the whole empire .
The ending is definitely meant to be understood as a tragedy, but I get why he came to conclusion that the only way to come out the other side with the best outcome in a bad situation is to be the one to take the reins and at least have one hand on the wheel.
How is a race of desert people suddenly master of inter planetary space travel and nuclear weapons
@@_Amit_Sunilspace travel is a common thing in Dune's universe. That's how humans got to Arrakis in the first place. Things get more complicated with interstellar travel (you need the Spacing Guild for that), but the attack that begins at the end of the movie is directed towards ships orbiting Arrakis. Nuclear missiles are extremely old technology, less sophisticated than some of the other weapons the Fremen used. Atomic weapons are quite common, but very rarely used because of a very strict rule: if a Great House uses atomics against human targets, all the other Great Houses will use their atomics to retaliate. Paul used his atomics against the Shield Wall, a geographical barrier that protected the city from storms and worms, so he dodged that prohibition.
One of my favorite details in the movie is how Paul wins the duel with Feyd.
He uses the move that Gurney teaches him in the first movie, a stab from below when all the action is up top.
Was a really cool detail but in the book it was described that Paul stabbed feyd in through the bottom of his jaw and out the top of his head and compared to that the movies scene is a little lackluster
I honestly haven't felt so entranced by a film in a long time. Even leaving the theater, I was still thinking about it and wanting to watch it again! I don't remember the last movie that gave me the same feeling!
Well said. Felt the exact same. Made me sad in a way the experience was over
Yeah!! I'm still feeling it 3 days later! :D It was and is glorious. I almost felt the Fremens religious ferver. Crazy!!
I wish the trailers didn't spoil the scene of the sand worms coming through the dust cloud in the final battle. That would've been a cool thing to see for the first time during the movie.
Yup! :/
I saw the teaser and avoided all other trailers… so the worms were a wonderful, stunning surprise!!
This is why you never, ever ever watch trailers to movies that you know you're going to see. Even one glimpse of something from the trailer could ruin an amazing moment on the big screen. I'm glad I didn't watch the trailers
I would have minded it less if there was actually more to the final battle than what we saw in the trailers. The worms coming out of the storm is basically a third of the battle and lasts for a few seconds.
The first movie box office suffered from going straight to streaming. I think the studio wanted to go balls to the wall with marketing for this one.
As a super fan of the book I approve of what they left out and sped through, because they spent the time to show they understood what Frank Herbert was saying about messiah figures.
Same. I've read the original novel about five times since I was a child, and have read all the other novels, including the ones published by Herbert's son and editor from his rich source material after his death. College courses have actually been taught upon DUNE.
It is a wonder of creative writing. At first I was a bit mad at what Villeneuve chose to leave out, but I saw how well he captured the overall flow and essence of the novel.
It works for people who adore the novel, and for people who never even knew about the novel, & my hope is that people will want to explore the DUNE universe more by reading the novel! ❤😊
As a lover of the book I actually enjoyed the movies more. Think of it this way, "Jaws" was a good book but the movie was better. I think Denis understood the book and given the tools he had at his disposal he made great choices. I can't wait for the third film knowing what happens in the next two books.
Yeah the book was written in the 60s and after the first book, shit starts getting WEIRD. I hope Denis nails the last movie and stops because he knows Children and God Emperor the shit goes off the rails. 😅😅
I knew nothing of the books, and I thought Dune 2 was not good, but was great.
Masterpiece. Good is not a good enough term to describe this movie.
It’s an excellent film not doubt, but I really think it misses some of the crazier/abstract psychedelic stuff from their visions and even Guild Navigators going through space. It’s a little too clean and not weird enough imo.
@@dfchang813GOED would be a crazzzzzyyyyy movie
@@dfchang813I could see him try to borrow elements of Children of Dune for Dune Messiah, but if thry continue to make this a franchise, the really weird stuff might be better suited as a miniseries.
5:20 after reading the book, Im thankful we got as much as we did, the book doesnt really speed run it, they kinda skip it, i know its not the point of everything, but the spectacle was awesome
One of the things I love about this director is his respect for who came before. nothing says this more than the scene of the ants crawling on the ear of the baron after he is cast out in the desert. this is an incredible wink to David Lynch, and one of the most subtle things I've seen in a movie in a long time. 2049 also had quite a few of these.
Wow. You just gave me the chills.
I thought the same thing. Shades of Blue Velvet.
17:42 In think with Chalamet’s performance and all the build up (i.e. showing his reluctance to go south and talking about losing Chani), it’s pretty clear the water of life changed him into a different person. I appreciate Denis didn’t handheld the audience and just show what was needed to get the point across. It’s also more effective this way because it’s shown through the characters instead of explaining the lore. Lore is for the appendix in a book, and can and should be cut from the movie.
If the 3rd movie is as good, the Dune trilogy would be up there with the LOTR and Star Wars trilogy. A must see in IMAX.
Haha... well we'll see how people receive it... Dune Messiah is a hard left turn for fans who think Paul is the hero...
Though I have no doubt the quality and the story telling will be superb!
@@charlottegerken4477I have a feeling Dune: Messiah will focus less on the weird stuff with the ghola and the Tleilaxu and more on the economic and emotional cost of the holy war, the plotting against him will of course be there but I think it will be more of a great houses last stand against Paul, Alia and the Fremen with the end setting up the children to continue the dynasty.
Almost felt like this could’ve been two movies since this one moves faster
Paul's transformation was not rushed. The vast majority of the movie was about his transformation. When he first arrived among the Fremen, he was intending to "fulfill prophecy"...he told Jessica the Bene Gesserit propaganda was taking hold but there were many who would need convincing. He started backing away from that as he got to know them and his focused shifted more to becoming one of them. Eventually he realized there was no other real option (Gurney's alternative wasn't feasible). So he decided to go forward with the "messiah" path. But the Water of Life DOES result in a sudden transformation. Just as what happened with Jessica - because (1) he now has the memories of all reverend mothers of the past and (2) the spice melange gave him clear vision so that he could see only one path forward. He said as much. So, no, the transformation made sense. What I felt was a bit rushed was the speed with which the movie moved toward the final battle and how quickly it was over. That did seem a bit rushed. It was still incredible and masterful, though.
Really well put.
Agreed. I agree with his point that maybe they should have explored what actually happened to Paul a little more. That and the final battle should have lasted a little longer. I also could have used another scene with Feyd and the Baron scheming alongside Princess Irulan and the Padashah Emperor. The problem is that idk what you could have cut instead.
You haven’t even seen anything. Wait until Paul becomes blind, gets exiled from the fremen, Duncan becomes Ghola, and Paul merges with a worm to be immortal
Agreed. I was really hoping for a two towers type of battle scene (45 min long)
@@An_Enraged_Pig Whoa! Watch the spoilers! I've read them but many haven't and those are VERY big moments that you've just undermined
I can't wait for Dune 3, but they can take all the time that they need. I just hope that it's not a "Return of the Jedi" situation.
Far from it. Read Dune Messiah. Paul is basically hilter
script is all but done, just waiting on the green light. although denis did say he wouldn’t mind waiting 5 or so years before he begins filming
@@kellennyikos6238 Well, considering it takes place 12 years later, waiting for the actors to age a little might be good...
Definitely not. This story is a tragedy if nothing else. The Star Wars prequels definitely take even more inspiration from Dune than the original trilogy did in that respect.
I think Villenueve is taking a break to do a smaller movie first before going full swing into Dune Messiah or Dune part 3 or whatever they're calling it. Personally, I'm kinda sick of being "part 1" etc in movies even if it does work well here. I would have preferred part 1 ajd 2 to have been called Dune, Dune Prophet, and Dune Messiah. It would just seem kinda weird ti call the trilogy Dune part 1, Dune part 2, and Dune Messiah, and it might feel off to call the third Dune part 3.
Dan, you have the best spoiler review I've seen so far. Really appreciate your perspective on this movie and in general.
I feel like the only thing that this adaptation missed is a plotline about whether Jessica is a traitor or not? It was my favourite part of the story and the conversation between Jessica and Thuvir is my favourite part of the book.
I wish the first movie had that plot line and more of the environmental themes, like at the dinner party. That would also have setup more of the politics we see in the second movie.
I think it is possible it was filmed but edited out unfortunately.
To the Atredies? She's certainly a traitor to the empire and at least somewhat to the Bene Gesserit - though it's pretty tough to tell what they count as betrayal, the squirrelly bints.
@@SimonBuchanNzin the book and the first movie there’s a plot line where the baron causing some in fighting between the Atreides. In order the successfully infiltrate they must distract the atreides mentat, because he so good at his job, so they mislead him into thinking Jessica is a traitor
Dan, I just want to say I subscribed to your channel because of videos like these where you do a fantastic job of taking the layers of films and discussing each part. It just feeds the fire of my love of cinema. I'm not saying every film deserves this but there are films like this, where my friends and I sat in the theater while the credits were rolling to talk about the film. There are movies where you watch it and say, "That was fun" and you go home and then there's ones where you sit and peel the layers. So, I really appreciate this. Thank you, and keep up the great content!
As always, you put out the best reviews on RUclips. You're someone who understands the movie and the book and are very articulate to put those thoughts forward. Thank you for this review! 😊
I have read all six of the Frank Herbert Dune books several times which I love very much and I think that the only thing that was left out was some of the inner monologue of Paul and Lady Jessica when they drank the water of life. Outside of that I think that Denis made the story better because Frank didn't kill his darlings around Leto II and maybe the times where women were meant to stay behind. I loved the changes in this version.
The city where i stay in India, the hooting, cheering and screaming happens during big moments in a movie. But Dune 2 was the first movie where the entire packed hall sat in rapt attention and clapped at the very end. Its a proper sign of respect towards a movie
I totally wish we had more detail while watching it. I really had that "ride of the rohirrim" feeling seeing the worms coming in for the first time. However, the ending fight between Baronboi and Paul made me completely forget about it until you mentioned it. One of the best knife fights I've seen in cinema - I was clutching my pearls!
Anyone who says the story is promoting the white saviour complex has clearly never read the books nor watched this film with any attention to detail
Exactly. Paul is not a savior. He is a destroyer.
Even he knows it.
@@honorsilverthorne7227that’s the point.
I clocked the visual of the Fremen torching a pile of Harkonnen bodies near the end, an exact reflection of Hark torching Atreides bodies at the beginning of this movie (and/or the end of the last movie?). A direct message to the audience: The Cycle Continues.
The sad part is that Leto saw the Fremen as their own people and if he had survived might have helped them recognise their strength. Paul starts in P1 with the same intent but revenge and power in P2 push him back to the Bene Gesserit way and the ones that will lose in the end are the Fremen
Game of thrones, Star Wars and the Bible had a baby. So amazing
YES. Pure gold. 😂😂😂
Two of those actually were inspired by Dune, so you know. Life is a circle.
@@rafaelyamano2661 I know
Denis Villeneuve explained in an interview that he filmed the sequence of Giedi Prime using infrared cameras to create those “black sun” haunting images.
An absolute Masterpiece.
There are movies and there are experiences.
For me The Dune Experience is just another level.
Cinematography: Hand him an Oscar.
Sound/Editing: Hand them an Oscar.
Timothy Chalemet: Give me best actor.
Thank you for the intelligent book versus movie perspective. Many of the other RUclips reviews spend too much time obsessing over what was changed and not truly appreciating the movie.
Perfect review, you clearly know the themes of the books and it shows, well done!
As someone who has read all 6 books numerous times the whole saga of the Atreides dynasty becomes a cautionary tale of power and manipulation, that by the end you begin to question was any of it really worth the cost.
My girlfriend hates sci-fi and is not generally intruiged by large scale stories like LOTR, GOT, Star Wars, Dune etc. When we watched Dune 1 she was just curious, and then watched Dune part 2 in IMAX and her eyes were glued on the large screen.
Now, I rewatch my favorite movies with her and she just gives shrugs and 2 sentence answers when I ask her opinions regarding the movie.
Bruh, after we walked out the cinema we talked for 3 hours about the film. She was asking me questions about the lore of the Dune universe, she gave her own opinions about the characters, the visuals, I was even shocked that she appreciated the score of the movie (she never mentions the music in movies we watched), and she said she got goosebumps at some points of the film which she said never happend to her while watching a movie.
hope we get a longer version
Chani's role in the movie is both the best and most troubling for me as an avid long time fan of the Dune novels. I love that, in the film, she shows us why Paul isnt a messiah but more akin to Hitler whipping an avid, religious fundamentalist xenophobes into a devastating war. She is directly an in-universe stand-in for the viewer pointing out why Paul is NOT the hero... but in the novels it is clear that Chani and Paul will always be together. Irulan gets to be the wife for political convenience, but she we never share his bed, bear his children, Chani will always be Paul's true wife regardless of political alliance and she understands and accepts that. the friction between Paul, Chani and Jessica over this is such a core piece of the novel that the way Chani is painted as a jilted jealous lover at the end feels terrible to me. Still, a relatively small complaint for as wonderful as the adaptation was overall.
Chani from the end of this movie to the Chani trying to get pregnant so she can give Paul an heir in Messiah is a huge jump. I don’t know how Denis is going to write it in a believable way but he has earned my trust.
Agreed. I wanted some nod to “they shall call us wives” but instead the last shots of the movie are Chani storming off in a huff to catch the next worm back home.
@@TrekBeatTK that was hilarious. Catch the next worm home. 😅😅
Yup. He borked that one quite severely. I'm not convinced it's a better series of mistakes than Lynch and the original producers made. Needed to be three films or a TV series and completely faithful to the books. None of this fluffy. Good films, still waiting for a faithful adaptation.
No, I don't think Chani is being portrayed as a jealous lover. She feels betrayed. What I think the movie is doing cinematically and character wise, is set up Irulan and Chani as contrasting figures, which is a book thing. This movie did a bunch of that already. Part 1 started with Chani's narration. Part 2 goes with Irulan's voice. These two women have very different roles in Paul's life and the future. I want to see what Villeneuve does with that going forward.
My general thoughts - 1. this was way better than the first 2. I can't wait for the third, I wanted it to keep going. 3. i think Walken was miscast. 4. Stars Wars really took a lot from Dune, and looks like a way watered down version. I don't think I can go back to SW again
Watched it last night broadly agree with most of your points but for me it boiled down to just being a cool ass movie. Like, for source material that can drag a lot, this movie kept me engaged the whole time
One blooper I noticed. When Paul is running to jump on the sandworm, he’s not wearing his goggles and then they magically appear on his face when he catches it after he jumps on it.
There's a whole part of him covered in dust and sand where he can put it on though.
This is the best Dune review I’ve seen. Dan raises critical points of plot and philosophy that bring the core of the story into focus. As he says, this is very much NOT the story of a hero or a white savior. It’s deeper, darker, and far more meaningful than those tropes. The director understands this and has made a film that shows it in an overwhelming way. Unlike with all those recent Disney and Marvel force-fed “Message”-laden forgettable movies, he does not insult the audience’s intelligence or waste their time with flash-bang drivel. Dune (1 and 2) will need to be seen more than once and discussed, and its impact will be lasting.
It’s funny to me that the movie that this story reminds me of is Monty Python’s Life of Brian - except that Paul himself transitions into a powerful world-changing ruler while poor Brian ends up crucified. In his story, the power and world changing come after him in future centuries, when the people who still use his name for their own purposes found a religion and rise in power.
While I found both movies incredibly technically competent - Cinematography, Sound, Music, VFX - Most of the action pieces were excellent and tension filled - for the most part (Ending battle WAS definitely a bit odd), they (Both parts) just felt very "flat" for Me (Possibly some of the character portrayals):
In particular NONE of the female characters are likeable, the Emperor never feels like the Emperor - more like someone getting ready for bed time - He might be Emperor of the known universe with a giant sphere ship, but his throne room looks like its something from a one man play.
But perhaps it is in the editing that there seems to have some odd choices - focusing on meaningless or made up moments at the expense of a few more important missing moments (I believe that some were filmed but did not make the final edit).
Still, DUNE part 1 & part 2 are definitely considerably better than most recent attempts at sci-fi epics (And most other movies for that matter).
When part 2 finished at My theater, there was some sporadic clapping and that was about it.
the black and white sequence was filmed in InfraRed.. 🤯🤯🤯
So glad I came across your channel. Great stuff!!
*TBPH:* People are *_SO_*_ easily _*_PLEASED_* these days, what with the absolute cavalcade of *_Dreck & Dross_* passing for TV-&-Film that's been rolled out over the past 2+ years.
(* i.e. this ƒilm, while indeed _good:_ is *_not_*_ without it's _*_problems_* )
OR maybe you just didn’t like it as much as a lot of people? This sounds pretty snobbish, TBH.
3 hours went by in a flash, I was so sad when the end came!
If Butler did a Skarsgard impression, Pugh should've done a Walkin impression 🤣
I was kind of glad they cut Aliyah's showdown with the Baron, it would have been very hard to have that scene take place in a serious movie, just look at the original 1984 film, having an actual child who's that powerful just doesnt work on the screen. And to cut it they cut her birth and subsequently Leto's birth as the timeline wouldn't have worked.
Those popcorns are spiced
To me personally, i have zero complains about dune part 2… saw it on dolby and wow, just every scene, from small to big… what an experience, one of my favorite movies of all time dun part 1 and 2
I think the idea of dune being a white savior story is brought on by the 1984 adaptation, which basically is because paul is actually a divine being who brings rain to the planet upon his ascension to the throne.
Which would kill all of the sandworms. David Lynch was on some good stuff
Great video as always Dan only 1 correction, Feyd was never going to beat Paul and kill him, Paul had already seen the single future path with which he could ascend the throne. This is expanded more in the books of course, but the only person who could've killed Paul was count Fenring (Margot's husband) who was also prescient but couldn't pass his genetics as he was born a Eunuch. He refuses to be the emperors champion though so that fate never comes to pass. Fenring is Paul's only equal at this time, Feyd (who doesn't have prescience) serves only as a sort of foil running parallel to him.
Also Feyd and Irulan's child would not bring about the KH, only a Harkonen and Atriedes offspring would lead to that in the next generation. Paul's death would significantly slow down the process.
I just commented on this as well. I mention that Paul was given a verbal kill switch to shut down Feyd Rautha, but he chooses not to use it.
I don't know why Dan left this out, given that he's said that he's reading/listening to the books. He seems to be trying too hard to play devils advocate here.
@@Lamont580 yup that too! I felt my comment was already running too long to include that haha. But yeah there's so many little details in the book that clarify that Paul was just better than Feyd (seeing his hidden poisoned needle just by gauging his movements)
@@Lamont580 it makes the fight scarier. We know he’ll survive. Some watchers won’t be sure.
@@SuperStella1111 I completely agree with the choice for the film, especially because they left out the character of Count Fenring (Margot's husband). Count Fenring was the real threat to Paul in the novel. I don't take issue with the changes needed to adapt such a dense novel to the screen, and I think that DV does an amazing job. My point is that Dan's interpretation contradicts what we know about the narrative.
At 23:20, Dan says that Paul betrayed Chani, which we know is not true. The film implies that Chani feels betrayed by Paul, but it shows no evidence that Paul has actually betrayed her in any way. Marrying Irulan is a purely political move, with incredible historical precedent. Paul refuses to produce heirs with Irulan, later having two children with Chani. Implying that Chani is so hurt by this move suggests that she is either too short-sighted or emotional to address her concerns to Paul. It does an incredible disservice to a strong female character, who we know to have the strength and patience to handle the situation without storming off like a petulant teenager. (I understand that the director is setting up the third movie with this change, but it still changes the narrative in a way that undermines an important, loving relationship.)
At 22:03, Dan says that Paul "subjugates" the Fremen. Paul works with the Fremen to their mutual benefit, giving them the one thing that they want most, which is control over their home planet. Many Fremen are given elevated positions throughout the empire. This is not subjugation. Several books later, it is the Fremen who destroy Paul for not being sufficiently fanatical.
To his credit, I think Dan tries very hard to be fair in his reviews, but some of these interpretations are stated as fact. Where the film leaves questions open, I think that we need to defer to the novel as source material. Does Paul ultimately subjugate the Fremen? No. Does Paul ultimately betray Chani? No. Was there any chance that Feyd Rautha would assume the throne? No.
THANK YOU for mentioning Weapon of Choice in the casting of Walken. When it hit me what Villeneuve had done with that bit of casting, I was just like, "That is next level." I am Certain he did that on purpose as a special wink.
The black and white sequence is done with IR camera shooting as explained by Director on Colbert show.
That popcorn bucket haunts my dreams.
I'm a few days late cause I wanted to catch it in IMAX and couldn't until this past weekend. I really loved what was done with this movie. It was epic but still character-focused. I love the commentary on the Chosen One and White Savior narratives that dominate science fiction. The visuals were overwhelmingly gorgeous. I can't wait to see Dune again.
This movie absolutely floored me. So many epic and memorable scenes, and really did the source material justice (while standing as its own adaptation). Sci-fi mastery.
Dune. Like there are plans within plans, there are stories within stories, mysteries within mysteries.
I think “stunned” is the best way to describe how this movie impacts those who see it. The way he describes the ending of his screening is very similar to how mine ended.
The battle being over so quick is actually true to the novel. The battle is over in no time. Its not important to the story HOW the Fremen win the battle because Paul has already foreseen the victory.
This is my favorite review thus far. Excellent job. This is such a complex film and you covered all bases. I can't see why Denis would not do Dune Messiah. He is making a KILLING on these films and introducing characters such as his sister without more would be a crime.
Lol that intro
Gonna get demonetized
600 people at the Lincoln Square IMAX in NYC sat entranced for 246 minutes today, barely making a sound. It reminded me being at the same theater at the end of Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity” and hearing someone say, “that movie was so good I forgot to eat my popcorn!”
Someone like Charles Dance would've been interesting as The Emperor. Wish a few more (not necessarily all) Blockbusters felt as grounded & tactile like both Dune movies. It's a good thing Dune 2 & Oppenheimer aren't going up against each other @Oscars. Hoping for an $80m+ domestic opening wkend 🤞 Its 95% RT Audience Score (4.7/5) is a promising sign!
I agree that Walken seems very miscast here. Rare misstep for this otherwise epic film.
I think your review with analysis of the story was spot on in many ways. I agreed with most of what you said.
You are pretty close with the prophecy but it’s even more direct in book. The myths the Fremen have are spread by the Bene Gesserit around most worlds, adapting it as needed, to basically allow them to manipulate any population should one ever be in danger, as well as priming them for rule by the kwisatz haderach(so essentially rule by them).
Aspects are added by Fremen to match their own religion and locality, but that gets twisted by the Sisterhood to meld with theirs and make it vague enough and in line with abilities of Bene Gesserit and their kids to allow any that needed refuge to survive. Jessica fully knows this and exploits it to go beyond the original intent to try to keep Paul and Alia alive, as she wants Paul to be the KH.
It would be like if the X-men were deliberately spreading myths about their genetic powers and a high level telepath so if any got trapped among humans they could twist it to protect them, while also trying to create professor X themselves via eugenics.
Great review, very insightful! Thanks, Dan 👍🏽
Hey Dan. I would love more of your thoughts on adaptations and films. That was very fascinating.
Dan I loved your review after I watched the movie I needed this sort of analysis to process what I saw and this only enhanced my experience and I plan to watch again. I agree with almost every point you made including the part of where Paul drinks the water of life. It was a little rushed and it could have been fleshed out more. But the movie is incredible. My theater was almost 100% packed and the attention to the movie by the audience was palpable and very emotional.
First off, loved the movie - both Dune Part 1 and 2 are two of my favorite movies ever! However, I’m one of the people that are not all that excited for Dune Messiah. I think this movie struck the perfect balance of realizing that Paul’s journey is not going to end in a clearly positive moral victory and having all the complexity that comes with that, while also still being able to root for him as the hero of this story. Dune Messiah essentially tears down Paul completely as a hero, and I personally didn’t care for that, and I think it is the type of story most people don’t care for (I mean Dune Messiah is possibly the most polarizing sequel to a beloved book of all time). Additionally, Dune Messiah isn’t exactly the most exciting book, so I just feel like it would make for a pretty stark contracts to Dune Part 1 and 2. Unless Denis completely changes Dune Messiah, which I don’t think he will, I think I’ll personally view this more as an incredible two movie adaptation of Dune than a great trilogy.
4 things i didn't liked: Christopher Walken's character, Thufir Hafat and Tim Blake Nelson's characters scenes deleted, no child version of Alia!
Bro the world isn’t ready for child Alia. It would have been just too weird and completely thrown the audience off. I’m glad Denis wisely decided to skip that part. 😅
I was also looking super forward to weird child with Adult voice.. but I was happy to settle for weird talking foetus instead 😂
@@dfchang813 yes, it was so hard to deal with in Lynches film and the TV series. We're so not ready to see it done slightly better. Super difficult to pull off. No, he didn't make a wise decision, he gutted the book for no reason and weakened it.
@@dfchang813agreed. It would have felt like a distraction from the main drive of the story. Some things don't quite so easily translate from one medium to another, and I think he did the best decision he could have even if it wasn't quite what purists wanted. I did appreciate that his use of baby Alia was very evocative of the 2001 star child, though. That was probably the single best parallel that people kind if already have their heads wrapped around that would have made Alia work in this story. Different, yes, but very inspired imo. Still, I don't think there's a wring answer for which you prefer. Valid arguments exist for both.
Excellent break down Dan, I do agree these movies are both a great adaptation of a great book
I'd be very curious to see what a Dune Messiah adaptation would look like.
Dan great review and commentary!
17:07 Thank you for making that point about Watchmen. That was a total thematic change. I walked out the theater when I first saw it. I'm still upset 😂
Agree with everything here.
Quick question: does anyone remember what video it was where Dan explained the different types of imax? I wish that was its own video!
Urm..not specifically, but it was only a couple of weeks ago or so. It was a question from the mint mobile line, - so if in doubt, just go back a few vids and skip to those parts and you'll find it
Check Charts with Dan from February 6th. “Argyle Flops” is the title. The 20:10 mark.
10:19 I couldn’t agree more with Austin Butler’s Stellan Sarsgaard. At first, I was distracted. “Austin butler be Austin butlerin.” But after a while, it won me over entirely.
Beautiful to look at, but ultimately a shallow and indulgent experience. It reminded me of the final few episodes of Game of Thrones
I heartily concur! Genius Denis and Brilliant Zendaya and Timothee should be remembered at OSCAR Time. As should Javier, Rebecca, and Austin. Greig (Cinematography), and the Sound technicians should get to take a bow as well.
And the two films work in tandem to create a seamless duet of exposition and action. My entire family thoroughly enjoyed fantastic PART ONE and we were Thrilled by the exponential excellence of PART TWO.
Not sure why Dan isn’t the most watched reviewer. Always quality.
One gaffe: Raban yells "Muad'Dib must die!" Or something to that effect. How did he know about Pauls chosen middle name when the Harkkonens had had 0 contact with any fremen? Did the Harkkonen BG tell them his name? They knew the desert mouse name, but had 0 idea it was Paul Atreides, and the Baron had no idea his daughter (Born with hair and rejected,) had been with Leto 1 and that Paul was his Grandson? Baron seemed to have intimate intel on everything with the help of the BJ and Empire.
Great perspective. I too loved the movie. With that, I would cut half the slow motion shots and half of Paul’s trip dreams and gave the ending more time. Plus, Paul and Chani’s baby should have been in the story. It pulls all my emotions within the book.
Just remember Dan, even though it was a loooong time ago (1991), “The Silence of the Lambs” won the best picture Oscar despite having been released in February (during Valentine’s weekend ) and having grossed around $130.
You don’t have to go back that far. It happened last year with Everything Everywhere All at Once, which was released a year before its win. I still worry that people may forget it
@@DanMurrellMovies That’s right; I forgot. I worry too. I think Dune 2 is an exceptional film and already one of the better sci-fi films of all time. I also just hope that with today’s cinema landscape, Dune 2 will stand out during Oscars voting.
As qn aspiring actress/thespian and HUGE movie lover/fanatic the Dune movies make me proud of my future line of work. Dune 2 is a masterpiece and I enjoyed it even more than the first one. I'm excited for Dune 3! ❤❤❤❤
“It’s a white savior narrative”
god I hate it when people fundamentally misread a text, and then proceed to get triggered and outraged over their own misreading…
Please, just take the time to try to understand and reflect on this very dense 20th century literature classic before whipping yourself into a book-burning frenzy.
First time watching you, that was an informed and informative review! 😊
Dune part 2 isn't just the best movie of the year, it might be the best movie I've seen in my life
100%
'Chainy' is the pronunciation used by the Frank Herbert in interviews... And no one else since !!
I didn’t mind that Denis skipped Alia but I did miss the lack of the space guild - both visually but more importantly as a key element in the plot regarding Paul’s hold over the Spice and it’s implications for the space guild and inter-planetary travel & commerce.
Help! The bucket intro 😭😭
the Giedi Prime gladiator fight scene alone was worth the price of admission, holy shit the immensity in imax.
I thought the movie could have been 15-20 mins longer.
Great review it's really whomever designers the OG storyline and progress
"it's salted..."
Yes, that's the spice😆
Thanks you, for that intro. You service us all.