Release Date 22Oct2021
DUNE -or- Dune: Cliff notes *AKA* Dude, stop trying to turn this MF'n book into feature films!!!
DUNE, directed by DENIS VILLENEUVE, is the second cinematic adaption of FRANK HERBERT'S celebrated 1965 sci-fi novel "Dune", following the 1984 film by DAVID LYNCH.
The book, and in broad strokes the movies, is about generationally rich people squabbling over a planet with giant worms whose kids fart out a drug that makes you live longer, see the future, and fold space-time with your mind. All of this while sneaky, kung-fu, witch-women plot to create a super-being to help them control the fate of humanity.
I thought it was OK and think that the movie certainly does NOT deserve the "Masterpiece" label that some folks have slapped on it. A movie needs more than pretty pictures to warrant such a descriptor.
Make no mistake, the film is FILLED with gorgeous cinematography and visual effects, the presentation in that regard is sublime. However, it takes more than the image to make a film whole. A strange thing, the final film is a bit darker and more washed out than the colorful footage seen in the trailers.
This movie is essentially a mad rush through the major plot points of the book. A book famous for it's density. As such, for all the goings on, nearly ALL of the subtextual meat of the book is gone, characters simply appear without development (reduced to summaries), and as a result the film feels surprisingly empty and emotionless.
Shame, this could have been avoided if this story was presented as a long form series, instead of making the same mistake as the '84 film. It overcompensated for the massive info dumps of the OG film by seriously editing the story down.
THE GOOD: I saw this in an IMAX theater. The film was shot completely with IMAX cameras and is how this movie is meant to be watched. The visual presentation is worth a watch.
THE MEH: While everyone on screen does their level best, most of the characterization is lost in translation, resulting in an emotionally bereft movie. A few altered plot points annoyed the hell out of me, but- screw it, it's pretty. This is only the first half of the story, and any chance at it being resolved is dependent on the success of this one. You suck WB.
THE BAD: The famously dense and involved story is chopped to shite. I have read Dune at least once a year for 32 years, it's one of my favorite books. I have said over and over that Dune should never be a feature, but a series, to allow this story to breathe. Like '84, arrogance allows this story to be presented improperly to satisfy vanity. IT NEEDS TO BE A SERIES!
I am over HANS ZIMMER! This movie's "score" is what happens when you let someone's over-caffeinated, coked out, ADHD having kids into the studio. BBBWWWWAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Fuck you, Hans.
SEE IT!: It really is pretty and I'm glad I saw it in IMAX. If pretty yet empty shit tugs your boat, go for it.
DON'T: If you're not into Sci-Fi, have better things to do with 2 hrs and 35 mins, and don't care to see a great story prettied up, but dumbed down for a "General audience".
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