Dune (2020) by Dennis Villeneuve

[chrisstbh]

You are being subjective.

You must not have watched the first two LOTR movies then until the third came out.

I was 5 when Fellowship came out, so you’d be correct

Plus all 3 movies were filmed within the same year, no?

The point being, from what has been said, this was clearly designed to be a two part movie, with the second part being unconfirmed. They probably haven’t even started filming it. If the second part never gets made this’ll be nothing but a pretty looking spectacle.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I was 5 when Fellowship came out, so you’d be correct

Plus all 3 movies were filmed within the same year, no?

The point being, from what has been said, this was clearly designed to be a two part movie, with the second part being unconfirmed. They probably haven’t even started filming it. If the second part never gets made this’ll be nothing but a pretty looking spectacle.

I can't help your age.

I guess I just found your comment strange about not wanting to watch something if it never gets finished... only because for decades it seems the sequel mentality in Hollywood has almost guaranteed anything and everything to have a sequel or continuing stories, many movies made with the well-advertised knowledge that its the first part of a trilogy.

 

[ZE_501]

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.

 

[chrisstbh]

I can't help your age.

I guess I just found your comment strange about not wanting to watch something if it never gets finished... only because for decades it seems the sequel mentality in Hollywood has almost guaranteed anything and everything to have a sequel or continuing stories, many movies made with the well-advertised knowledge that its the first part of a trilogy.

I’m aware that many movies set up sequels though, but I’m only going by what I’ve been hearing from people and it’s that this movie basically relies on that second part being made.

Leaving a movie open for a sequel is different from banking on your movie getting a sequel.

A New Hope could have easily been a one and done movie. Fellowship could not.

 

[ZE_501]

Yikes, that's nuts!

Pretty scary too. Surely there's some sort of failsafe that should stop this from happening?

Like...at least 5 of them. In connection with the IATSE grievances being aired, I just heard a rumour that the armourer/weapons master who prepped the gun was non-union.

I was so hoping going into this that the political religious intrigue would captivate me unlike anything i’ve ever experienced before in cinema.

I don't think they'd have the time. You'd need an HBO series for that, which I actually may have preferred.

It was really on the nose corny levels of drama with some really poor acting at times especially Poe’s scene right after the assassination attempt on his son and what a silly assassination attempt it was we are talking AOTC levels of bad.

The assassination attempt was more or less as described in the novel.

The knife fights were all lame.

I wanted better fight choreo but I have a bigger problem with the military conflict between armies than the one-on-one stuff. I just didn't care about those military engagements the way I should have.

Please tell me the greatest literary sci-fi story ever created is more than this bubble gum intrigue, if not, yikes.

It needs a series to fit *everything* in.

The original Baron Harkonnen was also more interesting.

I really disagree there; I think this one is more menacing and realistic.

 

[greygoose]

A New Hope could have easily been a one and done movie. Fellowship could not.

LotR was filmed simultaneously so everyone knew of the three film release dates going into Fellowship.

I'm sure there's reasons why they didn't ($$$), but they should have filmed the Dune sequel simultaneously too.

 

[jye4ever]

Like...at least 5 of them. In connection with the IATSE grievances being aired, I just heard a rumour that the armourer/weapons master who prepped the gun was non-union.

I don't think they'd have the time. You'd need an HBO series for that, which I actually may have preferred.


The assassination attempt was more or less as described in the novel.

I wanted better fight choreo but I have a bigger problem with the military conflict between armies than the one-on-one stuff. I just didn't care about those military engagements the way I should have.



It needs a series to fit *everything* in.


I really disagree there; I think this one is more menacing and realistic.

Great point about the military conflict there was literally none in this movie!

I’ll add it to my list of failed expectations lol

 

[chrisstbh]

LotR was filmed simultaneously so everyone knew of the three film release dates going into Fellowship.

I'm sure there's reasons why ($$$) they didn't, but they should have filmed the Dune sequel simultaneously too.

Plus I’m not really itching to watch this anyway, it looks good, but I only really go to the cinema for Star Wars/Marvel related things these days.

By the time it’s on a streaming service here I’ll probably know if it’s getting a sequel or not and if it’s worth watching.

 

[Wor-Gar]

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 agree mostly.

Except it did not go by quickly for me... which is usually the kiss of death for me.

At the end of the day, for me, I never really attached myself to anyone. I wasn't rooting for anyone. I was more curious than invested. Again, that has everything to do with Villeneuve -- his detachment and minimalist emotional pallet -- and perhaps why he connects to the material (like Blade Runner and Dune).

 

[greygoose]

Plus I’m not really itching to watch this anyway, it looks good, but I only really go to the cinema for Star Wars/Marvel related things these days.

By the time it’s on a streaming service here I’ll probably know if it’s getting a sequel or not and if it’s worth watching.

I really need to go to the cinema more. The whole Covid thing forced us to watch at home - it's become a habit I'm very content with.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I can't imagine what a chore it must be to watch Dune on a phone or a small TV.

 

[matticus]

I can't imagine what a chore it must be to watch Dune on a phone or a small TV.

Does everyone get free screenings? Lol.

 

[matticus]

Great point about the military conflict there was literally none in this movie!

I’ll add it to my list of failed expectations lol

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

 

[Ropen]

Look, growing up in Central America I was never exposed to the first movie or the books, but I did play the **** out of the Sega Genesis game…

I have never seen the first Dune(1984) but as I watched this on HBO Max, I will for sure see it on IMAX ASAP opening weekend I owe that it much.

I loved the pacing, the sound editing, the visuals, it was gorgeous and just what I expected from Denis V to be honest.

Hanz Zimmer sounds to “Zach Snyderish“ from me in this movie though, I heard tones ranging from the Dark Knigth all the way to Army of dead.

Now I want to read the books and get into the mythology because OMG this movie was life altering! Now my friends are recommending I read Dune, Messiah and Children of Dune.

I mean i get it, if this movie was intent on making new fans, it worked for me I guess

 

[matticus]

All I know is that Sting better be in the next one.

 

[generalszabo]

Saw this today, it started off strong, loved the special effects and some of the casting, I agree that zendaya was just put in as she's the hot property at the moment, say no more. I like villenueve as he has a slow, pondering style and it gives some of the scenes an epic/ scary in a good way feel, he reminds me of Chris Nolan in a way.

The worm was breathtaking as was the big night attack, don't want to say too much in case people haven't seen it.

I too was disappointed that we need to wait for a second, if it does get the go ahead. If people want to skip it for now in case the sequel doesn't get made, that is a perfectly reasonable course of action. I personally don't start many series if there are only one season, for the same reason.

Also, you can't bank on there being a sequel to this - I think it is likely, but other similar properties like alita have fallen foul of less than stellar box office results mealning no sequel. At the end of the day, this isn't avatar. If they thought it would definitely be a success, they would have filmed both parts together.

I found some of the plot to be slow and honestly a little boring - and how many times have we seen that training sequence when the student seems to have bested the master, only to find that he has a knife pointed right at his throat/junk/chest? If I see that set up once more in a film I will scream lol

And yes I understand the books were written decades ago, I have read them. Doesn't mean that some aspects don't seem hackneyed in 2021 as so many works have followed. If I hadn't read the books I think I would have enjoyed it even less, it would have seemed a little confusing and unsatisfying past the superficial level. Anyway to mirror my first point, disappointed that I'll have to wait years to see Paul riding shai hulud, if at all, so it left me feeling somewhat empty

 

[jye4ever]

Not sure what you were expecting. You're not familiar with the source material so I'm not sure what you'd be missing exactly. The set-up is fairly straightforward but if the film had got into CHOAM shares and whatnot we'd be in Trade Dispute territory.



I didn't hate them but I would have liked better choreography.

LOLOLOLOL no.


Maybe I'm giving it a pass because I know the books well. What would you have preferred to see?

From what I remember (it's been a long time) Beast Rabban didn't do all that much in the book either.

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.

The nobility was majestic.

The religious angle was creepy good.

 

[jye4ever]

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

I like Toxic Avenger lol

 

[matticus]

I like Toxic Avenger lol

Did Thor grab Captain Marvel's ass?

 

[Wor-Gar]

I hate to say it, because I believe Villeneuve to be immensely talented, but he and Zach Snyder share many of the same problems in their filmmaking.

So get ready for...

Zach Snyder's... DUNE Part Deux

Epic length, desaturated, un-emotional, visually stunning, void of humanity, and unnecessarily long and bloated... and, to some, a masterpiece.