Dune (2020) by Dennis Villeneuve

[generalszabo]

So I just got back from seeing it. This will be a spoiler-free quick first impression:

• Overall I very much enjoyed it. I give it a B+
• Villeneuve has some nerve making a film like this in this day and age. He actually lets the characters talk to each other; to varying degrees of effect but still.
• I feel editing was weird somehow and missed the mark here and there.
• Chalamet is solid but in truth I've seen him play this role before.
• The sound mix reminds me of BR2049. It's off. The score is too loud.
• Fight choreography really needed to be better.
• Zendaya is a good actor but I didn't like her line delivery in this role. She may have been miscast.
• Nice work interpreting the shields and The Voice.
• Momoa is too Momoa for this role.
• I thought the film looked good overall but sure, maybe a little too monotone.
• I think they did a fine job of adapting some very difficult material to film without weighing it down with too much exposition or any voice-over.
• For the most part the film did transport me and went by quickly.

I too found the sound to be too loud to understand the dialogue at times, but wasn't sure if it was my theatre.

Fight choreography was the same as every action film ever

Zendaya did nothing to show her talent or the potential of the character

Momoa was good for the role IMO, but yeah he is very momoa on everything he does lol

It's a near impossible task to translate such a dense book into one or two films, so I get that some things will get lost. The ending dragged a bit for me honestly, and whilst the book is a perfect classic, some things possibly seem a little dated in this day and age, on the big screen

 

[generalszabo]

jye4ever said:
Well to be fair (to my point of view) i’ve been told ever since I was an adolescent that DUNE was the end all be all of dramatic intrigue.

This was romper room intrigue.

The betrayal was paper thin.

You were informed correctly, just read the book

 

[jye4ever]

You were informed correctly, just read the book

Read a book after cgi was invented are you crazy lol

 

[Wor-Gar]

The old Lynch Dune is on HBO. I haven't seen it in 30 years. I wonder if I'll be able to sit thru it? I'll give it a go. I'm certain it will seem childish compared to Villeneuve's version.

 

[jye4ever]

The old Lynch Dune is on HBO. I haven't seen it in 30 years. I wonder if I'll be able to sit thru it? I'll give it a go. I'm certain it will seem childish compared to Villeneuve's version.

OMG don’t it’s bad

But ZE is right this new one should’ve been a series on HBO Max.

 

[matticus]

I too found the sound to be too loud to understand the dialogue at times, but wasn't sure if it was my theatre.

Was wondering the same thing at home with my speakers. Ended up with music too loud after turning up the volume to hear certain dialogue. I hate that whispering dialogue like they think it is very Oscar winning delivery.

 

[Wor-Gar]

But ZE is right this new one should’ve been a series on HBO Max.

Yep, that's very true.

Maybe that's how they'll finish it off -- a 6 part miniseries.

Then move on to Children of Dune.

 

[matticus]

OMG don’t it’s bad

But ZE is right this new one should’ve been a series on HBO Max.

It played like a limited series.

 

[Rotfish]

Not as strong of an experience as 2049, but still very enjoyable and an excellent theater experience. I agree that the emotional resonance is lacking except a few scenes here and there. The world building is off to a decent start, but could be better. I only hope more emotional weight is woven into these characters and factions in the second film so that they compel as well as they intrigue. Maybe the characters coming into their own in the fallout of the first film's events will give them the opportunity to do so.

It's also really hard to evaluate the film knowing it's only half of the director's vision. The ending note wasn't as satisfying as I would've liked and I can only assume Villeneuve chose the best midpoint he could given the different constraints he had (artistic and commercial).

One thing's for sure. However the next film turns out, both parts will be strengthened by being viewed together.

It played like a limited series.

Can't say I disagree. A damn cool one, but yes.

 

[punisher1974]

I feel like your expectations are too high for any movie!

Not for Rise of Skywalker. JYE loves that one

 

[matticus]

Not for Rise of Skywalker. JYE loves that one

You'd think that those movies would end Abrams career, but he probably has more on his plate than ever for DC. DC = Dysfunctional Clowns.

 

[punisher1974]

You'd think that those movies would end Abrams career, but he probably has more on his plate than ever for DC. DC = Dysfunctional Clowns.

I like it. Name fits.

 

[Rotfish]

The entire premise relied on:

1. Caring about the Fremen
2. Caring about the fall of Atreides
3. Caring about Paul’s destiny

1 was boring
2 was shallow
3 was intriguing

But sorry no room for actual World Building.

I hope we'll get more of 1 when the second part comes out.

On the point about world building, I'm starting to agree. What's here is intriguing to me, but since I don't understand it (and the story doesn't require me to), it falls a bit flat. The film shows you a lot of cool-looking stuff, but very little of it matters to the core story -- and the core story isn't super deep either.

I've yet to read the books, but even as a complete newbie to the property, I get the sense that Villeneuve's version is extremely abridged. I still enjoyed watching it -- the visuals and atmospherics do an impressive job carrying the project -- but the lore nerd in me can't help but feel like he's missing out on a lot of substance.

Matticus made that comment about Dune feeling like a limited series and the more I sit with that, the more I believe an actual series would've been a better format.

At the moment, I'm feeling an 8/10 and it's mostly due to the look and sound of the thing. As high of a score as that is, it should've been higher. Maybe the second half will improve my perception of this one.


EDIT: Hell, at times this movie doesn't even feel like a first half, but a first third. Maybe WB are playing things conservatively and then they'll go balls-out with the second film. They pretty much have to if they want to wrap this up in two releases.

 

[Wor-Gar]

OMG don’t it’s bad

Wow -- just rewatched -- sped through -- David Lynch's masterpiece Dune.

And for the nostalgia-fans in here who think that's a decent movie -- or compares in any way to Villeneuve's work -- I need to write your names down and remember you. I now recall why I haven't watched that dreck in 30 years. Has to be on my Top 10 list of the worst movies ever made.

 

[ironwez20]

You'd think that those movies would end Abrams career, but he probably has more on his plate than ever for DC. DC = Dysfunctional Clowns.

I can see DC name int itself that someday to celebrate the joker. The name they have now is dumb as hell. Detective comics comics

 

[matticus]

Wow -- just rewatched -- sped through -- David Lynch's masterpiece Dune.

And for the nostalgia-fans in here who think that's a decent movie -- or compares in any way to Villeneuve's work -- I need to write your names down and remember you. I now recall why I haven't watched that dreck in 30 years. Has to be on my Top 10 list of the worst movies ever made.

I remember watching it and how it felt like some bad made for tv movie.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I remember watching it and how it felt like some bad made for tv movie.

Worse... so much worse. The writing, the acting, the blue screen, the FX, the voice-overs, the action staging, the insanity and weirdness... makes Waterworld look like a masterpiece.

 

[BeefEaster]

I feel like a more fitting name for this movie would have been Yawn instead of Dune.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

I don't think this film is going to make much money. I told people at work today that tomorrow I was watching DUNE!!! Nobody knew what I was talking about.

It's from the visionary director that made Blade Runner 2049!



The director of Prisoners?!!



He did Sicario with Benicio Del Toro!



Arrival?

 

[Asta]

Wow -- just rewatched -- sped through -- David Lynch's masterpiece Dune.

And for the nostalgia-fans in here who think that's a decent movie -- or compares in any way to Villeneuve's work -- I need to write your names down and remember you. I now recall why I haven't watched that dreck in 30 years. Has to be on my Top 10 list of the worst movies ever made.

It was always a C class SF movie in my mind. I don't have any nostalgia for it.

I have my A Class (e.g., Star Wars) and my B class (e.g., Spacehunter). Then there's things like Dune (1984) that I rarely have the urge to watch again.

Comparing it to the new Dune just illustrates how bland I thought the remake was, especially with its designs and colour palette, or colourful characters.

I've never read any of the books, but I did buy a guide to the Dune universe at a car boot sale long ago to learn about its technology and spice travel. The arrival of the Guild Navigator from the original is one of the things that stuck in my head, when he emerged from the orange cloud saying he'd folded space.