Dune (2021) Movie Review & Comments

Absolutely loved this. I’ve never seen Lynch’s version nor read the book so my opinion on it is purely based on what was presented on screen and I feel like I just watched the makings of a future classic - on a par with Star Wars or LOTR, though slightly narrower in scope with the focus only on a couple of key characters. Every character felt like they could have had an entire back story (and I’m guessing they do in the book), and it left me wishing this was made into a ten-part series so they could flesh out the characters even more. However what they shared on screen was pitch perfect in terms of introducing us to characters and though many had to be painted in broad strokes, they all felt believable and interesting.

The visuals and sound were absolutely incredible, I’m so glad I went to see it on the big screen. Villeneuve’s world-building and epic scale are second to none, and feel utterly authentic. Agree with those who mention that the bass effects at times drowned out quieter speech but I never felt I lost the thread of the story. I might try to find an IMAX showing and bring my kids. For me this was perfect cinema, transported me into a different world and the time flew by. Part 2 has to happen!

Is it too much to hope for what Band of Brothers was to Saving Private Ryan after the sequel? :)
 
Is it too much to hope for what Band of Brothers was to Saving Private Ryan after the sequel?

No and there have already been 2 excellent TV series of the continuation of DUNE called DUNE MESSIAH and CHILDREN OF DUNE, but I'd recommend watching David Lynch's film version first before diving in. The last time I checked they were all on Amazon.
 
I can't quite get a bead on my feelings for this one.

I loved the scope, the epic scale, the world building, the slow burn of the storytelling, the sheer beauty of the production design and cinematography and the obvious intelligence behind the entire piece. It also held my attention (I'd stop short of saying it gripped me) for the duration, despite my being very familiar with the source material and it was easily one of the best SF films of recent years.

Having said all that, I felt myself somewhat uninvolved and after the screening felt... well, I don't quite know what, exactly.

For my money, Villeneuve is a director that has never put a foot wrong and with 'Dune' I think that is still the case, but...

But what, I can't quite put my finger on just yet.

I think a second viewing is in order to properly marshal my thoughts.
 
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Here's a conundrum if spice is so important to interstellar travel, and impossible without it, how did ships travel to dune in the first place?
It’s been 25 years since I read the book, but the central concept of Dune is that it is set in a post-tech, post-conventional-sci-fi world. The year it’s set - 10191 AG is 10191 years after the formation of the Spacing Guild, not 10191 AD. Before that, but in our far future, Man develops faster than light travel, so although it takes a long time to cover interstellar/intergalactic distances, Arrakis is colonised by the forbears of the Fremen. (In the dim and distant past from the perspective of the main story).

Later, it is discovered that melange allows limited prescience/successful space-folding and thus instant travel over any distance. Since time is money, the owners of this technology can charge huge sums for their services and effectively have a monopoly on interplanetary trade. Since the spice is only found on Arrakis, the planet goes from being a dusty backwater to the source of the most valuable substance in the universe.

If this sounds vaguely familiar, Dune isn’t hard sci-fi, it’s allegorical of humans initially colonising the world on foot/horseback etc. (We all came from Africa, so indigenous peoples were colonists in pre-history). Later, after the development of mechanised transport/industrialisation, the stronger civilisations come in and compete for/exploit the natural resources eg oil of weaker ones. If you are unfortunate enough to live in one of these hotspots, you’re likely to be oppressed/exploited. Throw in the distrust of technology, a bit of genetic engineering, and the natural tendency for people to believe in and act in the name of unproven supernatural powers, and you can see where Herbert was coming from. Very clever, and still very relevant.
 
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No and there have already been 2 excellent TV series of the continuation of DUNE called DUNE MESSIAH and CHILDREN OF DUNE, but I'd recommend watching David Lynch's film version first before diving in. The last time I checked they were all on Amazon.
I actually think the long-form TV series is a better vehicle for Dune than movies. I enjoyed DV’s movie, but clearly he’s concentrating on the main story arc rather than the greater Dune mythos. The Sci-Fi Channel’s mini-series were a noble attempt at giving the story more breathing space, but an 8/10 parter with a decent budget and modern sfx would be better. The main plot really needs to be viewed in the context of the backstory, and movies just don’t have the spare viewing time to bombard the viewer with loads of exposition. Whether there’s an audience for that is another question.
 
Later, after the development of mechanised transport, the stronger civilisations come in and compete for/exploit the natural resources eg oil of weaker ones. If you are unfortunate enough to live in one of these hotspots, you’re likely to be oppressed/exploited. Throw in the distrust of technology, a bit of genetic engineering, and the natural tendency for people to believe in and act in the name of unproven supernatural powers, and you can see where Herbert was coming from. Very clever, and still very relevant.

Thats a beautiful analogy @robcat101 and spot on. Substitute the word Melange, commonly known as SPICE for the in the here and now reality of our own world's dwindling resources for the word OIL, Frank Herbert nailed it. Politics, greed, power, oppression, war, and even religion. Yes its a multi-layered book and I applaud both Lynch and Villeneuve for even attempting to put the book on screen which for years many thought wasn't possible.
 
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I actually think the long-form TV series is a better vehicle for Dune than movies.

Agreed. Much in the same way Apple TV have tackled FOUNDATION, which IS actually impossible to squeeze onto the big screen (forgive the pun). However where DUNE is concerned, neither of the TV series, as brilliant as they are, didn't have the impact or epic nature of the big screen adventure called cinema.

I'm still absorbing my cinema experience of DUNE 2021 but like @Mr Lime , am still pondering on it.

Is it beautiful? Yes. Is it dramatic? Yes. Is it gob-smackingly gorgeous? Yes. Is it epic? Oh most definitely so. Yet part 1 is just a set up and preparation for part 2 and in my opinion was deliberately designed so. Very clever from Mr V.

So for me the jury's out until 2 comes out. Which sadly will be at least 3 years. Boo hoo. :(
 
one more thought

LASERS - NONONONONONONONONONONONONONO .......

they are showing attacking craft and also using some type of beam laser to cut through the door - in DUNE world - no-one used lasers as their interactions with holtsman shields caused immediate nuclear explosion to both parties -
 
Agreed. Much in the same way Apple TV have tackled FOUNDATION, which IS actually impossible to squeeze onto the big screen (forgive the pun). However where DUNE is concerned, neither of the TV series, as brilliant as they are, didn't have the impact or epic nature of the big screen adventure called cinema.

I'm still absorbing my cinema experience of DUNE 2021 but like @Mr Lime , am still pondering on it.

Is it beautiful? Yes. Is it dramatic? Yes. Is it gob-smackingly gorgeous? Yes. Is it epic? Oh most definitely so. Yet part 1 is just a set up and preparation for part 2 and in my opinion was deliberately designed so. Very clever from Mr V.

So for me the jury's out until 2 comes out. Which sadly will be at least 3 years. Boo hoo. :(
Yes, I think DVs Dune will only be able to be judged as a whole after Pt 2, and even if they’ve done a lot of the pre-production, it’s not going to be any time soon.

It’s funny, in the new golden age of high budget TV, series can be quite epic and look very impressive. Game of Thrones is a good example as is Watchmen, American Gods, Good Omens, His Dark Materials, The Mandalorian etc. In this company, a big budget series of Dune is not so incongruous or ridiculous. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see yet another remake of Dune in long-form TV at some point, but in the meantime I’ll look forward to Pt 2 (and watch Dune 84 and the mini-series again)!
 
one more thought

LASERS - NONONONONONONONONONONONONONO .......

they are showing attacking craft and also using some type of beam laser to cut through the door - in DUNE world - no-one used lasers as their interactions with holtsman shields caused immediate nuclear explosion to both parties -

You know, your the first person to bring that up (which is a surprise) as I expected more queries.

'Why are they using swords and knives with such advanced technology?'

The attacking ships bombed the shit out of Arrakeen so it didn't matter. But using a laser on the door WAS a surprise and just didn't fit the narrative for the exact reason you gave.
 
one more thought

LASERS - NONONONONONONONONONONONONONO .......

they are showing attacking craft and also using some type of beam laser to cut through the door - in DUNE world - no-one used lasers as their interactions with holtsman shields caused immediate nuclear explosion to both parties -
I think DV took a bit of a liberty there, mainly for cinematic effect. The scenes with that are pretty impressive, but as you say it does kind of go against the Dune mythos (certainly the large scale example).

Herbert drew up quite a complicated/convoluted set of rules for how technology worked in the Dune universe, presumably to avoid the story becoming the usual space-battle/laser gun extravaganza. A lot of it is the self-imposed quasi-religious “rules” that the characters (largely) adhere to. The shields conveniently necessitate hand-to-hand combat over long-range artillery battles. Nuclear weapons exist, but their use is forbidden. I think there is also the implication that regardless of inter-House squabbles, trade (ie making money) must continue and the spice must flow, so full-scale war/mutually assured destruction is avoided, and wars fought locally/by proxy. (Again, does it sound familiar?).
 
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It was good but not great. 7/10. Visually excellent but strangely flat and failed to engage in ways that Lynch's version did.

While DV's film was truer to the book than Lynch's, in the sense that it included more from it and didn't make stuff up (looking at you, weirding modules), it failed in its efforts to capture the esoteric and ineffable qualities of the story that Lynch somehow managed so well.

DV's version also came across as a montage of sequences that didn't quite mesh together properly, and some of them didn't work at all, like the Harkonnen attack on Arrakeen and the woefully underdeveloped role of Dr Yueh, while Lynch created a much more believable and engaging narrative here.

Possibly when/if the second part is done and when seen as a complete work this view will change, but this leads to the next serious and possibly fatal flaw. It's one that we knew when going in, that this would only be a first half, but that doesn't temper the inevitable frustration of watching essentially half a film with no second half for several years, if at all.

The final scenes were very much designed as an 'end of part one..to be continued', but this approach is a double edged sword and he might have done better by balancing it more towards a story arc that would have allowed for a more satisfactory ending.

Ultimately I think that this film will fail to appeal to moviegoers who were not already Dune fans and consequently there is a distinct possibility that this film will not even spawn a second instalment, much less a multi-film franchise.

As a Dune fanboy (self confessed) I saw it again yesterday with SWMBO. She thoroughly enjoyed it and spoke at length (Ok, a bit) about the characters and their development.

SWMBO has never read the book and watched 30 mins of the DL one before deciding its "Meh".

I think that bodes well as SWMBO puts the T into tough crowd.

T1b
 
one more thought

LASERS - NONONONONONONONONONONONONONO .......

they are showing attacking craft and also using some type of beam laser to cut through the door - in DUNE world - no-one used lasers as their interactions with holtsman shields caused immediate nuclear explosion to both parties -
The Sardaukar were ultimately there to kill Paul and Jessica so whether this this was achieved by a nuclear explosion probably wasn’t a major concern. Also from the perspective of Paul and Jessica if your aware that a laser is being used you will shut your shield off pronto.
 
Saw it last night and I will have to be a detractor from the general consensus I think, I thought it was okay but not great.

I've avoided pretty much all the trailers so went into it without expectation, just hope, I dunno, it didn't feel epic.

The score didn't work to well for me, really didn't.

Oh and the Tibetan Throat Chanting just took me straight to The Big Bang Theory!

Cast were all good, but no better than the original apart from a couple of them, Gurney being one.

Far too many visions and the spice as a hallucinogenic was a bit odd to say the least. Oh and I didn't think Chani found Paul in the initial climb into the walls bit, I can't remember. Bit surprised we didn't see any water for the dead, fairly critical in bonding with the Fremen, maybe next part.

Unfortunately it will be a long wait for part 2 at a guess.
 
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I can't quite get a bead on my feelings for this one.

I loved the scope, the epic scale, the world building, the slow burn of the storytelling, the sheer beauty of the production design and cinematography and the obvious intelligence behind the entire piece. It also held my attention (I'd stop short of saying it gripped me) for the duration, despite my being very familiar with the source material and it was easily one of the best SF films of recent years.

Having said all that, I felt myself somewhat uninvolved and after the screening felt... well, I don't quite know what, exactly.

For my money, Villeneuve is a director that has never put a foot wrong and with 'Dune' I think that is still the case, but...

But what, I can't quite put my finger on just yet.

I think a second viewing is in order to properly marshal my thoughts.

100% mirrors my own feelings. But I'm optimistic about that second viewing.
 
I don't think there's any kind of consensus on this.
I've skimmed the two threads here and most seem quite positive, fair few in the 8+/10 region.

I'd seen your post and Mr. Lime and agreed.

The more I think about it the more I think it was the score that did the most damage for me.

Of course it didn't help that the Cineworld screen was dirty so when most of your screen is showing light sand and dust you really can see a mottled, stationary background.

I probably won't see it again at the cinema, if I had an unlimited card maybe.
 
I've skimmed the two threads here and most seem quite positive, fair few in the 8+/10 region.

I'd seen your post and Mr. Lime and agreed.

The more I think about it the more I think it was the score that did the most damage for me.

Of course it didn't help that the Cineworld screen was dirty so when most of your screen is showing light sand and dust you really can see a mottled, stationary background.

I probably won't see it again at the cinema, if I had an unlimited card maybe.

Funnily enough the IMAX screen in Chichester was pretty filthy almost to the point of distraction. Going again locally but I have unlimited card so will probably go a few times.
 
To anyone that has had to watch a dirty cinema screen just complain and they'll clean it and believe me they will. Otherwise arses will get kicked. But there is/should be a regular maintenance on these things.
 
It’s been 25 years since I read the book, but the central concept of Dune is that it is set in a post-tech, post-conventional-sci-fi world. The year it’s set - 10191 AG is 10191 years after the formation of the Spacing Guild, not 10191 AD. Before that, but in our far future, Man develops faster than light travel, so although it takes a long time to cover interstellar/intergalactic distances, Arrakis is colonised by the forbears of the Fremen. (In the dim and distant past from the perspective of the main story).

Later, it is discovered that melange allows limited prescience/successful space-folding and thus instant travel over any distance. Since time is money, the owners of this technology can charge huge sums for their services and effectively have a monopoly on interplanetary trade. Since the spice is only found on Arrakis, the planet goes from being a dusty backwater to the source of the most valuable substance in the universe.

If this sounds vaguely familiar, Dune isn’t hard sci-fi, it’s allegorical of humans initially colonising the world on foot/horseback etc. (We all came from Africa, so indigenous peoples were colonists in pre-history). Later, after the development of mechanised transport/industrialisation, the stronger civilisations come in and compete for/exploit the natural resources eg oil of weaker ones. If you are unfortunate enough to live in one of these hotspots, you’re likely to be oppressed/exploited. Throw in the distrust of technology, a bit of genetic engineering, and the natural tendency for people to believe in and act in the name of unproven supernatural powers, and you can see where Herbert was coming from. Very clever, and still very relevant.

Cool post dude.
I haven't read the book in years but watched a YouTube video dealing with the 30,000 years leading up to the movie. The Fremen descended from Egyptians apparently so similar to what you say about indigenous people bring colonists in pre history. The lads I saw it with all watched that video (and all read the books at some stage, they say) and was good for a bit of backstory, fleshing out things a little without spoiling it. I think the film could have been a little clearer about the guild dating. I'll post the video again.

 
I haven't read the book in years but watched a YouTube video dealing with the 30,000 years leading up to the movie.

I've tried listening to that QuestShield but its just too boring to bother.
 
The best cinema experience for me since 2014's interstellar, this rendition of Dune has become one of my fav movies! back to the cinema this week again!
 
Came across a Reddit post about the sound loudness to almost distortion levels - next time I go to IMAX I'll bring foam earplugs as recommended!
 

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