OT: Dune 2021
It was released! In the theater and on HBO. I watched it on IMAX. WOW, thought it they did a good job with such a dense book. I get that can't have everything in there. You could only really flesh it all out in a tv series. The mentats get very little time on how they function and their purpose.
I'd be shocked if it didn't get a Oscar of some sort. Probably for cinematography if I had a guess. I highly recommend it at the IMAX if you can swing it. Anyone else watch it? Thoughts? They better green light the second half!
October 24th, 2021 at 1:26 PM ^
Yeah, it's very good.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:27 PM ^
I'm a big Villineuve fan and have read the novels, albeit its been probably 15 years and I have probably forgotten a lot of it.
I have Imax ticket for a show next week and cannot wait. Reviews are pretty much 80-90% positive from what I can see...especially positive on the cinematography, sound and music...Some Dune fans wanted something 'weirder' or cover even more of the novel, but that would never work in a movie...
Hoping it gets enough eyeballs for WB to greenlight at least a part 2 so the entirety of the first book is covered off.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:27 PM ^
I thought it was whatever, but the genre isn't really my thing (I just went because my son wanted to see it). I found the use of Arabic terms and allusions to Arab/Islamic culture mildly amusing.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:38 PM ^
What the movie can't convey but is well understood in the books is all the people are descendent from this planet. Thus, the Fremen lineage is Arabic.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:46 PM ^
Oh, I didn't even realize it was set on another planet. I just thought that since it took place 7,000 years in the future, the world has gone through many upheavals and that earth is now a post-apocalyptic hellscape with a different name, lol.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:50 PM ^
Earth is like a myth almost. So long ago it's almost forgotten.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:50 PM ^
Oh, this is cool. I've only seen the movies so I didn't know. Does that mean that House Atreides understands that their name is a Homer reference?
October 24th, 2021 at 3:57 PM ^
Probably, by book 2 Paul can see the memories of all the past lives from his ancestors. All the way back to earth. He even references Hitler.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:59 PM ^
I love that you answered me in the most spoilerific way possible.
October 24th, 2021 at 4:12 PM ^
Oh sorry! Didn't even think about it. I will say that I'd be shocked if they made movies past book 2. If anyone ever tackles the whole series it would definitely have to be TV/HBO. My book rankings 1,3,5,4,2,6 but great ending in 6 imo
October 24th, 2021 at 4:28 PM ^
I would be shocked if they movies past book 1. The first book is really interesting, but after that things get really REALLY weird. As in "no way in hell would we try to make a movie out of this" weird.
And I'm not sure what you are referring to as the great ending in 6. Book 6 ends on a cliffhanger and the author died before writing book 7.
October 24th, 2021 at 5:09 PM ^
It's just the way I took the ending with the old couple. I think it can be taken in different ways. But you are right that things are left open. I read his son's book which is 7. It was ok, style is so different.
October 24th, 2021 at 5:47 PM ^
I was just about to ask if anybody thought they would be able to pull off making the rest of the books into movies. I never read the books. I saw the original at the theater with my dad. I rewatched the movie as an adult a couple of years ago. I remember thinking whoever directed this was obviously on some kind of dope. Considering everybody in LA was high in the 80s, I have to assume I’m right. They say in some of those spaghetti westerns, you see cocaine in the actor’s nose on the close up.
October 24th, 2021 at 8:11 PM ^
Dune was by far David Lynch's worst film. By far. Check out Mulholland Drive (his best, in my opinion), Blue Velvet, and Lost Highway. Then, if you've made it though those, watch Eraserhead. He also made the television show Twin Peaks.
The spaghetti westerns were made during the 1960s not the 80s by the way. They were produced by Italians and shot in Spain. When Franco was dictator. I'm not sure how much coke Italians in the film industry were during in the late-60s, but that anecdote seems wrong.
October 24th, 2021 at 5:22 PM ^
Haha, no worries. I wouldn't be on this thread if I actually cared that much about spoilers.
I haven't read the book or seen the old movie yet, but I will at some point. In fact I just bought my wife a copy of Dune so she can read it before she sees the movie. (I went with friends.) So I guess I'll read it when she's done.
October 24th, 2021 at 6:13 PM ^
I tried for years to get my wife to read it. After seeing the trailer a few months back she finally started reading it. She's half way through. She's loving it and regrets not reading it sooner.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:36 PM ^
It was awesome.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:41 PM ^
Enjoyed it. Thought most of the choices made to translate to the medium were understandable and in line with the book. Would probably lean towards rating the movie as excellent were it not for the soundtrack which is a distracting, over the top, clunker.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:02 PM ^
....agree on the soundtrack....Hans Zimmer always dreamed of moving away from musical instruments for a score and the producers let him for Dune. I enjoyed the film as a longtime fan of the book, but really don't understand why they feel the costumes, staging and music had to come across so dark. We have a Lynch version on film why repeat.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:51 PM ^
IDK if this is what you mean, but I thought the orchestral scoring was really distracting at certain points. Like, yes, I get that the music is saying that we should feel suspense, but you have to also put something suspenseful on the screen if you want us to feel it.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:45 PM ^
first movie that i will actually seek out to view at a movie theatre in probably 20 yrs. loved the books as a much younger person and was disappointed in the '80's version of the movie. i read one review that was very complimentary, and made some sense on how that very dense first book was/will be split into 2 parts as opposed to one or three. glad you here seem to corroborate that they've done a very good job putting it together. the trailers were certainly pretty cool and even though i hadn't read the books in, gosh, 35 years or so the trailers made sense to me.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
Really really good.
Chalomet was incredible in his role.
I do rather wish it was a 8-part TV series though; so much to explore.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:03 PM ^
Never read the book. Won't see the movie.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:16 PM ^
vlady, not kidding, you really might want to see this. maybe watch a trailer or two at least. take it from a guy who hasn't wanted to go to a movie in about 2 decades, i want to go see this one.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:21 PM ^
That’s the response I expected to see from a modern day Harkkonen. Putin and the Baron share their first name. Coincidence? I think not.
LONG LIVE THE FIGHTERS!
October 24th, 2021 at 4:25 PM ^
May thy knife chip and shatter.
October 24th, 2021 at 6:13 PM ^
Actually, we see eye-to-eye on this, Vladdy. I read the first book 50 years ago, found it mildly entertaining, and started the second book without finishing. The first movie was dreadful. There are better stories being told now.
October 24th, 2021 at 8:37 PM ^
Very useful comment Putin, thanks. This is like people who review places on yelp just to say "I've never been here." Not everything is about you, I assure you no one cares.
October 24th, 2021 at 8:38 PM ^
Then why comment at all?
October 24th, 2021 at 2:11 PM ^
Lots of style in this one. Beautiful style to be fair. I kind of enjoyed all the insider info from the 80s movie through internal dialogue (although Im probably alone). There is so much the general audience is probably missing. I cant imagine all the questions my wife would have in movie if we went to see this. Great job so far and I still have 45 minutes left to finish tonight.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:38 PM ^
I’ve been a Dune fan for decades now. I’ve read the books several times and seen all the versions I could find of the Lynch version. I like the Lynch version. It’s not perfect but it has a lot going for it. Especially the look Lynch created. I thought the inner dialogue helped fill knowledge gaps at certain points in the movie, like when Paul is being stalked by the hunter seeker. Barron Harkonnen was a bit over the top and Wierding Modules, really?
I also really enjoyed the Sc-Fi channel version too as I felt it was truer to the source material. Not as cool looking but more accurate overall. I loved seeing Leto II transform into the God Emperor.
Can’t wait to see the Villeneuve version. Looks like it might be the best one yet.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:52 PM ^
Ahhhh there's the spoiler.
October 24th, 2021 at 8:04 PM ^
Read them all, seen them all. This one is the best -- not even close.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
As a person who hasn't read the book, but likes sci-fi and epics, I give it a B+. Great visuals, very good acting across the board, nice action pieces, and I was able to follow the general story structure (though was confused on a few details, like what was the story with the guy who was like an android and could calculate like a computer in his head -- I had to look that up). Duncan Idaho is a ridiculous name, though.
I guarantee they'll make a Part 2. This movie is critically acclaimed, and will make a good amount (though not Marvel) money. WB angered certain key film makers when they put all their movies this year day & date with HBO Max, and they'll want to stay in the good graces of talents like Villeneuve, who I'm sure they'll want to direct a DC movie down the line.
October 24th, 2021 at 4:00 PM ^
Mentats, they are human thinking computers. All computers and AI are outlawed. Machines almost wiped out the human race is the reason. Thousands of years ago.
October 24th, 2021 at 4:30 PM ^
Hey HBO instead of the 5 minute wardrobe breakdown snippet videos why not more of this stuff. Give me 30 minute videos of the houses it can just be artwork and dialog. So often they add in all these fluff video and miss the opportunity to add in some great content.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
Am I the only one who liked the 80s version of the Dune?
October 24th, 2021 at 2:43 PM ^
The answers to that question are mixed
October 24th, 2021 at 3:01 PM ^
there were parts of it I liked....but there were definitely parts I hated
Not an easy book to adapt though...
October 24th, 2021 at 4:26 PM ^
All I remember from the 80's version was Sting's bombastic overacting as Feyd-Rautha, and Patrick Stewart playing a Chapman Stick...
October 24th, 2021 at 4:46 PM ^
I remember watching that one at the theater on South University. Just finished an Engineering final and my girlfriend treated me to Dune!! We knew we were in trouble when they handed us a sheet of paper with terminology and characters on it when we entered the theater. I fell asleep 20 minutes into the movie. My girlfriend was nice enough to let me enjoy my slumber and woke me at the Intermission. Crazy long movie but pretty cool effects for the day. Yes I married the girl - lucky guy!
October 24th, 2021 at 9:05 PM ^
I was 10 when it came out. It’s still one of my favorite movies. It is campy and absurd and profound and unsettling. David lynch hated the final product because it was no longer his. But I am still nostalgic about it. Sting as Feyd Rautha and David Bowie in Labyrinth are quintessential 80s.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:19 PM ^
Visually stunning. I agree with watching it on the biggest screen you can. Some parts needlessly dragged on. Diction was better in the original movie. It was bad enough that my wife and kids really wanted subtitles to know what was being said. Dialogue was mostly consistent with the original film. My family watched the original film immediately after this one and actually followed what was going on (they've been able to watch the original movie for years and have simply not been engaged watch it all the way through).
So, if anyone's wondering if they should watch the original before or after this one, I recommend after.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:55 PM ^
Aha, a benefit of seeing this in a foreign theater: there were subtitles! Not in English, but in a language I can read, so this didn't bother me at all. (I always watch with subtitles on at home.)
Fortunately I have gotten past the subtitling drawbacks of seeing movies in a foreign theater (namely, when characters speak a made up language and the translation for the viewer is not in a language I know).
October 24th, 2021 at 2:21 PM ^
I thought it was underwhelming.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
A+ for everything but the sound. I don’t understand why so many key pieces of dialogue are said while the sound is over the top loud.
I am going to rewatch at home with subtitles
October 24th, 2021 at 2:43 PM ^
This. Watched at home on HBO. TV was loud! Could hardly hear the dialogue and had to turn on subtitles while the other parts were as loud as I could reasonably tolerate (house shaking). Otherwise enjoyed it. Curious if the dialogue was also hard to hear in the theater.
I liked the score / sound but not this aspect.
October 24th, 2021 at 5:58 PM ^
Yes, it was hard to hear in the theater at times. I thought it was the theater I was in but guess not.
I would give it A- overall.
The soundtrack was a bit over the top and some of the dialogue was hard to hear but it was visually VERY good and the acting was solid. Can't say anything about the book because I didn't read it.