Dune (2020) - Denis Villeneuve

[Scrutinize]

Just got back from seeing this.

Large screen 300 seat at our cinema. Maybe 50% booked out when I got my ticket but at most only 25-30 people in the screening.

Studio buying seats to boost opening weekend takings?

Great film though. Really good epic.

Quite slow but everything was meaningful.

Like Kingdom of Heaven (directors cut) in space. It's my kind of film though and a worthy update to the original.

Going to be a very marmite film for sure.

 

[pecnarf]

you also need to keep in mind that Jason Momoa stated while ago, is the first part is 2h 35m long and that there was enough unused footage to make a 4 - 5 hour long.

 

[ianh]

That's such a condescending way to say you think your a better film critic.

No it's a way of letting people who maybe expecting an MCU-style epic space battle type sci-fi that it isn't. Any unconscious bias you have towards what I wrote is purely in your head alone.

If you didn't like the film, well I don't really care as you aren't me and it's perfectly OK to have people dislike a film I like and the other way around as my opinion shouldn't effect your view of a film in the same way I ignore your opinion of a film i.e. who cares what we each think!

 

[eggyoke]

Loved it. It's the kind of movie experience that I've missed for SO long. It's just so nice to sit down and be impressed by an intelligently done movie by a guy (Villeneuve) who has a vision and the ability to realise it in a way that doesn't pander to a stupid audience.

My only problem with it is that there's no concrete date and plan for part 2. I know he's writing part 2 and wants to do it, but we could be waiting 3-4 years to see it. I wish they'd planned a fixed timetable to see the whole thing done.

 

[Street]

Saw it at noon, just 4 of us in the cinema so zero noise - perfect.

Spoiler Free review below -

As to the film, I absolutely loved it! There's no big epic space battles with lasers blasting everywhere, no "in your face" CGI etc, it was almost entirely character and story driven with just enough action & excitement in places to prevent it becoming too exposition heavy. The acting from literally everyone was fantastic, a genuine star cast doing a great job with (and this is a huge rarity in Hollywood) a fantastic story with a great script behind it.

There were a few sound mixing issues (loud music & quiet voice) and a few very "odd" editing choices where a completely random 10-15 sec section with zero relevance would appear, almost like an advert-break for your mind, allowing you time to absorb what you just saw before the next section. The score was fantastic, the CGI vs Practical effects was really well done with only 1 obvious "bad" CGI issue (water, it's always water!) and the sets were amazing!

However, I can see why people weened on MCU-type cinema won't enjoy this, there's so much narrative and not enough "bay-hem" for most people I would suggest, but for fans of a good story, good acting and who enjoy the visual style/aesthetic of Denis Villeneuve, this is a truly epic (in scale rather than action) film and I can't wait for part 2.

Pretty much sums up how I felt about it! It was absolutely epic, probably the best film I've seen in a long time. Hopefully it won't be too many years to wait for part two now.

 

[Jonny2284]

My only problem with it is that there's no concrete date and plan for part 2. I know he's writing part 2 and wants to do it, but we could be waiting 3-4 years to see it. I wish they'd planned a fixed timetable to see the whole thing done.

And that's if he gets to do part 2 at all, I'm still concerned that it won't do well enough to even get a part 2.

 

[SixTwoSix]

you also need to keep in mind that Jason Momoa stated while ago, is the first part is 2h 35m long and that there was enough unused footage to make a 4 - 5 hour long.

DV sort of shot down those rumours slightly afterwards, Momoa was caught up in the hype it seems.

“Jason is an exuberant being, larger than life in everything he does. He loves the movie, which he has seen four times so far. And every time he calls me to tell me how happy he is. It is true that if Joe [Joe Walker, the editor] and I had let go, we could have done a version of several hours because I filmed a lot. But the final version is really the one that ends up on the screen. I have never done a director's cut of any of my films."

https://screenrant.com/dune-2021-movie-directors-cut-denis-villeneuve-response/

And that's if he gets to do part 2 at all, I'm still concerned that it won't do well enough to even get a part 2.

I mentioned last night that WB have all but said Part 2 is happening, just found the actual quote...

Will we have a sequel to Dune? If you watch the movie you see how it ends. I think you pretty much know the answer to that.

It's WB though so take it with a huge pinch of salt.

https://screencrush.com/will-dune-2-happen/

 

[MikeTimbers]

Saw it last night with my Dad (86) and we're both huge fans of the book. We both loved it. I thought it nailed all the important scenes from the first half of the book and ended at an appropriate point. Given the need to make it into two films, and that point in the story being a great place to take the break, it's understandable how some of the film seems slow (Caladan particularly) but really all that I could see being cut are the things which are Villeneuve's trademark huge scene shots.

I loved it, will probably watch it again in the cinema and can't wait for part 2.

 

[SoliD]

Went last night to imax at Chichester, perhaps 20 empty seats at the most.

Went with my wife who didn't know anything about previous apart from the dodgy effects from the 80s but we both really enjoyed it. Had a good chat on the way home and I explained a bit more about spice to her which she said would have helped in the film to expand the story.

Overall I thought it looked amazing throughout, and the tech was rarely featured but when it was it wasn't in your face and worked well to give the impression you were viewing a future world without being so ott. as said above few bits suffered the Nolan issue of the score being too loud over the voice work, but this was only a few times.

Everyone involved acted their roles incredibly although some of the character story arc for baron/emperor side of things could have been done in more depth, but hope that comes in pt2. Which I'm really looking forward to and hoping it comes sooner rather than later.

 

[chroniclard]

Think Dune nerds are giving it a few extra points over those who dont really remember it/dont know it.

 

[DrToffnar]

Think Dune nerds are giving it a few extra points over those who dont really remember it/dont know it.

I don't think that's the case really. Me and a friend are big fans and didn't think that highly of it. I liked it well enough from a purely theatrical perspective but it really doesn't do the original story much justice.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Think Dune nerds are giving it a few extra points over those who dont really remember it/dont know it.

If I was nerding out, it would be 10/10 - I can see the faults and some minor mis-steps and as such, it's an 8/10 for me.

 

[chroniclard]

I think because I dont remember the story I felt let down it ended, possibly a good thing wanting more, but it annoyed me it ended and I dont know what happens. So loses marks because its a multi parter.

Gonna go read the books now.

 

[Steampunk]

Think Dune nerds are giving it a few extra points over those who dont really remember it/dont know it.

I think the real Dune nerds are going to complain that the books contain so much more that's been left out of the movies. They would be right and no different to the LoTR nerds who say the same, because it's true.

We should just be thankful for what we get, because a lot of those great novels are considered un-filmable for a good reason. The only way they can be translated to the screen is with a lot of compromise.

 

[DrToffnar]

I think the real Dune nerds are going to complain that the books contain so much more that's been left out of the movies. They would be right and no different to the LoTR nerds who say the same, because it's true.

We should just be thankful for what we get, because a lot of those great novels are considered un-filmable for a good reason. The only way they can be translated to the screen is with a lot of compromise.

Of course. I would never expect them to transcribe even half the detail that can be found in the book, especially considering that most of it is internal monologuing which would take interminable amounts of dull exposition on the films part to translate.

If anything I'd argue that the film doesn't cut ENOUGH of the original story or characters. That third act felt atrociously edited because it's trying to push so many strands of narrative towards a semi coherent conclusion and the film can't handle it.

The LoTR films work so well because the screenplays (particularly for Fellowship) did an astonishingly good job at knowing what to cut, picking the choicest character moments and allowing the central themes to really dictate the tone. I can't say this did any of that.

 

[Steampunk]

I think because I dont remember the story I felt let down it ended, possibly a good thing wanting more, but it annoyed me it ended and I dont know what happens. So loses marks because its a multi parter.

Gonna go read the books now.

The pacing of the film is going to be off, because it's multi-part. It stops just into act two of the book, so the arc that we should see over the course of the whole story is only shown in part. The film barely foreshadows the second act, so it's going to feel like the story stops dead and teases the next part.

 

[Steampunk]

Of course. I would never expect them to transcribe even half the detail that can be found in the book, especially considering that most of it is internal monologuing which would take interminable amounts of dull exposition on the films part to translate.

If anything I'd argue that the film doesn't cut ENOUGH of the original story or characters. That third act felt atrociously edited because it's trying to push so many strands of narrative towards a semi coherent conclusion and the film can't handle it.

Yes, because where the film finishes, it isn't a conclusion, it's just a pause to the next part of the story. I think if/when we get the rest of the movies, we'll see that ending in a much better context as the first part of the story, not just the ending of the first film.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I thought it was one of the most boring films I've ever seen, it's like nothing happened.

 

[Steampunk]

I thought it was one of the most boring films I've ever seen, it's like nothing happened.

It's thinky sci-fi with a lot of things to ponder. I can paraphrase one reviewer said "it's not a film you watch, it's an experience".

 

[chroniclard]

Its no more "thinky sci-fi" than anything else, there is nothing particularly deep here.