I watched Dune and felt nothing... | Video Essay

Get Surfshark VPN ➡️ Surfshark.deal... and enter promo code filmspeak for 83% off and 3 extra months for free! In this FIlmSpeak video essay I explain how I watched Dune and felt nothing...
Frank Herbert's Dune has often been considered unadaptable due how dense the source material is and how the previous adaptations have failed to properly capture essence of the Dune novel. With Dune (2021) or Denis Villeneuve Dune, Denis Villeneuve comes to the property as not only one of the finest filmmakers working today, but a lifelong fan of the material and someone who we can trust to make a truly great Dune movie...or so we hoped. While Villeneuve is undoubtedly a fan and has a genuine love for Herbert's novel, the new Dune movie feels like it barely scratches the surface when introducing us to the world and establishing the characters. For a book that is rich with detail, and for a film that is immaculately crafted and performed, it lacks the very texture that makes fantasy franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and even Star Wars stick. Is Dune a bad movie? No, it's fine, but it could've and should've been great, except for Hans Zimmer who's Dune soundtrack is arguably career best material. Dune is directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista and Stellen Skarsgard.In the far future of humanity, Duke Leto Atreides accepts the stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe, "melange" (known as "spice"), a drug that extends human life, provides superhuman levels of thought, and makes faster-than-light travel practical. Though Leto knows the opportunity is an intricate trap set by his enemies, he takes his Bene Gesserit concubine Lady Jessica, young son and heir Paul, and most trusted advisors to Arrakis. Leto takes control of the spice mining operation, which is made perilous by the presence of giant sandworms. A bitter betrayal leads Paul and Jessica to the Fremen, natives of Arrakis who live in the deep desert. The film covers roughly the first half of the book, through Paul's meeting with Chani and his victory in a Fremen ritual duel with Jamis, events that Paul had seen in previous visions representing the end of his life as Paul Atreides and the start of his life as "Paul Muad'Dib", the Fremen messiah. Griffin (@griffschiller) gives his Dune movie review or Dune (2021) movie review and explains why Dune is a disappointment and why I watched dune and felt nothing in this video essay!
#Dune #DuneReview #VideoEssay #DenisVilleneuve #HansZimmer #DuneMovieReview
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What did YOU think of Dune? Comment below and make sure to click the link and get Surfshark VPN ➡️ Surfshark.deals/filmspeak and enter promo code filmspeak for 83% off and 3 extra months for free!

[@chicoduran3609]

Completely disagree. Loved the movie!

[@thisistheway6806]

I disagree with everything you said. The book criticizes the role of the Messiah and shows its downsides. Paul is not the chosen one. Dune is the deconstruction of the hero myth. It is clear that this criticism and this deconstruction does not fit into one film. So we have to hope for part 2. But you absolutely have to read the book.

[@gregoryjohns3941]

Where did you get all of the Dune footage?

[@user78405]

i disagree what you said...there are more insider than outsider in this country that don't care anymore about small details or connections...IT JUST AMAZING GOOD MOVIE AND TRUMP SUPPORTERS WILL ALSO AGREE WITH ME AS WELL

[@Latinkon]

@@gregoryjohns3941 There's a HD copy of the movie floating around in the high seas right now.

[@bdpchamp]

This films fatal flaw is that it does absolutely nothing to make you care about or feel connected to these characters. For a 2 and a half hour film a lot of it felt just empty.

[@nicolasleroux5302]

Bingo. When Leto was betrayed, I felt nothing. When Paul and Jessica got shot down, I felt nothing. The only emotional moment where I actually felt something was when Paul lashed out at his mother for making him a freak. However, even this moment fails from a narrative perspective considering that House Atreides was betrayed due to politics- not because Paul was deemed a threat.

[@ggt47]

That is kind of the point even in the book.

[@Callistemon]

Because some scene were cut, the movie was too short

[@Kakarot7314]

They did it on purpose

[@eventplanner461]

@@Callistemon The movie was 2+hrs long. It wasn't too short. They should have cut the scenes of Zendaya staring into space. We needed one scene of that, and that was it.

[@waltdude]

Let me articulate it for you. Washed out color ,indecipherable dialog, long boring exposition . No emotional connection to any of the characters.

[@benjilovesfruit]

Tiktok brain…

[@moritzkersting7563]

What colour would you have used for the desert?🤔

[@Dave_of_Mordor]

@@moritzkersting7563 any other color but the one they used in the movie. no one is creative anymore

[@fairsaa7975]

​@@Dave_of_MordorDeserts aren't know for being colourful.

[@Dave_of_Mordor]

@@fairsaa7975 I don't know bro I've seen red, pink, blue, orange, yellow...there's a bunch

[@o.o1015]

3 hrs and I felt like I was waiting for the movie to start the entire time. Visually stunning and the score was phenomenal........but that was it. Different strokes for different folks but I just don't see it either. I wouldn't even call it good. I would call it incomplete.

[@Idk_bro12340]

u spoke my mind.

[@pimp_floyd5024]

Because you expected a full story with build up to a satisfying ending with characters you care about learning from their experiences and growing from them. That’s not what this is. This is setting up something HUGE and you’ve only been given a taste of what there is to see. And now that we have all the world building out of the way we can get straight into all the crazy shit in the next films

[@bassinblue]

@@pimp_floyd5024 You're telling me they spent $165 fucking million dollars for 'setting up something HUGE'??? Are you not listening to yourself? This movie was dog shit and people are falling for the fake hype, which only hurts true movie making and allows hollywood to create more pretentious garbage like this.

[@Ppuserman]

I agree but I still like it because there will be a Part 2, so maybe it’s supposed to make you feel incomplete about it to make you excited for the next movie.

[@onjohns1]

I’ve never felt like a movie would never end like I did in Dune. I loved the first half. By 3/4 through, I was ready for it to be over. By the end, I felt like I had been in the theater for months.

[@onjohns1]

I’ve seen a few comments from people who liked it a lot more on a second viewing. I can’t imagine ever sitting through this movie again.

[@techwithrg45]

@@onjohns1 Yup I liked the movie even more on my second watch. On my first watch, I too was feeling the movie lacks emotions

[@webberthehedgehog]

I like this review because it gives the perspective of someone who went into this knowing nothing about the books. The film is beautifully made, but you shouldn't have to have context about what's going to happen from the books to justify why the characters feel empty in this film.

[@MrAnonymous-qq7jt]

Haven't read the books myself and I ended up giving it the hook about 30minutes in. Seem like unless you know who the characters are & what the story is beforehand you will be lost. I'll probably give it a try again but from the lil bit that I did watch I wasn't impressed.

[@gs8494]

@@MrAnonymous-qq7jt Nailed it tbh, I've read the book and it sequels a number of times and it falls short in adaptation, meaning it will leave a lot of people confused and put off, at the moment everyone is caught up in the hype and proclaiming it's the second coming, once the honeymoon period is over maybe you will get more rational opinions, I'm not surprised that someone like yourself would give up because it just doesn't do a good enough job of introducing the characters, it's a shame becuase it has some great characters, especially the protagonists, the Baron for one, even Paul who seems like a cardboard cut out in this movie is such a great character it's a shame it doesn't pull more people in. Fair play, you didn't let the visuals and scale disguise the fact that it's wide as an ocean and as deep as a puddle, you're in the minority there.

[@PhysifistEngineering]

My thoughts exactly, people are only in awe of the visuals, but if you haven't read the book then this movie has no context. It's just not a good movie. It's a homage piece for people who have read the book.

[@electricant55]

Never read the books and didn't have much problem following either the plot or character motivations, so...

[@PhysifistEngineering]

@@electricant55 if you'd read the book you'd get what we're talking about....

[@ishanbajpai6940]

You say Star wars and other sci-fi took lessons from Dune atleast regarding the Hero Paul atreides but anyone who has read the book would know that they took all the wrong lessons. Seeing Paul as the Hero is what is hindering your experience probably. He is not, there is none. The Archetype of the Chosen one existed before Paul in 1965 and Paul was written as a critique of that, he is the problem with being a Messiah not a Messiah.

[@lukeGGlee]

so he’s Darth Vader

[@mystchevious1129]

@@lukeGGlee Closer. Dune is a warning against charismatic leadership. It's a deconstruction of what so much of what we come to accept and understand and yet it is what inspires us to make the very thing the book warns against. There are so many layers within layers within layers. Who is the chosen one when when the prophets invent the religion? When the chosen one tells you that everything you know is a lie?

[@ryacalico7648]

@@lukeGGlee Not really. Vader is a tragic hero who redeems his failures. Paul is… you’ll just have to read it.

[@christiananderson4909]

Thank you. I really like Star Wars, but I'm so tired of people comparing it to Dune.

[@kensuke0]

Yet Star Wars is more successful and engaging and captivating.

[@kossemoore3342]

the criticism of paul being the chosen one messiah hero type is kind of an issue. Without spoiling anything i can say that its understandable that paul comes off this way. For all intents purposes he is s supposed to right now. Im afraid people will write off paul and dune because he probably does seem "generic". but i have to say it is understandable to see him this way but its wrong. The problem is you really dont get to see that until a future title. This is part of why dune is hard to adapt audience expectations getting to people to stick around until we can see an adaptation of book 2 which is when frank herberts most important message of dune shines through. charosmatic leaders should come with warning labels. I will say this now. paul is not a messiah and he is not a chosen one.

[@Captainlegendary01]

As someone who is yet to read the book (I will now start to) the film doesn’t give that yet. For all extensive purposes for someone who has just seen the film Paul fits exactly into the role of Choosen One. It hints softly that maybe he isn’t but he fits it sadly. Although I am very excited to hopefully see a second film in the future and to finally read the book, the film unfortunately doesn’t do enough for me. But hey that’s just me and as I say I hope it gets a 2nd cause a lot of people seem to love it!

[@Muerinho]

You saw his visions though

[@ac5849]

@@Captainlegendary01 rewatch the scene where Paul has a vision in the tent and listen to what he says when he seems hysterical, since it strongly foreshadows the events to come in the subsequent installments.

[@jackgraham3]

Personally, I think the real topic is the craft and manufacturing of prophecies and religions. Something that Paul has a great issue with. Which makes him an unusual messiah (if you can call him that at all). It's like the Sisterhood set up a long series of dominoes, and sets a group of people at it's end, telling them that these last dominoes WILL fall and calling it magic. And that bothers Paul. It's a deep lesson.

[@logiknotlogic6586]

m8 I think paul's son in the future is The One. Paul isnt The One. But Denis confuses the audience to think so

[@artbreeze8286]

I literally had the EXACT same feeling/thoughts watching dune, there was something missing that wanted to make me deeply link to the characters

[@666chapelofblood]

A soul, unfortunately most people lack one too so they enjoyed consooming this since it fills the void they have where a soul should be. So of course the mindless NPCs will love it and call those who dislike it a heretic.

[@AFestiveDude]

It’s intentional. Dune is written to be similar to a historical documentation than like a book where you’re supposed to be connected to the characters.

[@juvesidc5960]

Drew Jaydin it’s intentional that the characters are bland? That’s just an excuse for bad writing, not an intended masterful decision

[@patrick-aka-patski]

@@AFestiveDude No way. I loved the books. They're clever, entertaining, personal. Told by Herbert, things are constantly happening in this world. You'll connect to the characters because of their personality. Even the Dune tv mini series somehow achieved that. The boring "documentation" element is just a trademark of Villeneuve.

[@AFestiveDude]

@@patrick-aka-patski Yeah. I agree with you, but compared to most other series I've read I have definitely noticed some disconnect with the characters. Paul is somewhat cold throughout the book. That's not to say that he isn't without self doubt. He's CONSTANTLY worried about the inevitability of the Jihad. I don't know. Just from what I've seen from other people, they can't seem to find these moments sufficient to connect with the characters.

[@chadnine3432]

Flat is how I'd describe it. It's a treat to watch, but aside from a few performances, most of it is flat. And the ecological message is a bit muddled. The harvesting doesn't create the desert environment, Arrakis' natural state is a desert, which is a story thread in the sequel novels.

[@ni9274]

No arrakis natural state is not a desert

[@ni9274]

There is no ecological message you just miss the point of the movie

[@Indienads]

@@ni9274 Have you read the books? Of course there is an ecological message.

[@ni9274]

@@Indienads the worms caused the planet to transform into a desert not the human

[@dnw009]

@@ni9274 The scene where they explained that during changing the ecosystem of the planet they discovered the spice and stopped the terraforming of the planet from desert to a more life friendly ecosystem? Did you even watch the film or read the book?

[@nickdevillers2453]

Thanks for putting into words everything I felt about this movie. It was majestic, but hollow. I wanted so bad to connect with and know more about these people, but none of them were human, just walking story beats.

[@creativename6126]

It bothers me nobody talks about the complete lack of exposition. Yeah whatever exposition dumps are bad but I’d rather have one of those than just not know next to nothing about the world

[@elliott8175]

@@creativename6126 I think the biggest issue - which Nick seems to being saying as well - is the lack of connection to the _characters._ I think you can get away with the rest being confusing, or needing a rewatch, but hollow characters makes for a hollow film.

[@bluewavesoverfuji]

@@elliott8175 AS the late great Bruce Lee once said...Emotional Content!!!!

[@foxesofautumn]

This. It’s like the film was saying “these characters matter enough to be here but not enough to, you know, identify so have your best guess. Or don’t. We don’t care.

[@bluewavesoverfuji]

@@foxesofautumn Some have said its a little too close to the source material. Perhaps giving too much respect to the source material is actually a problem. The director has to make creative decisions and make the project his/her own. I guess its a bit of a mine field for these artists and something such as Dune has heaps of attention. During the making of it the trolls came out online and demanded what they wanted the film to be or not be. Perhaps we should still support the movie regardless as other scifi novels are being adapted and we might get more daring takes down the road. I still love Denis as a film maker and just not in love with the new Dune. Many others seem to be so..

[@V_i_vi_an]

Paul being "the chosen one" is exactly the point: There's no chosen one, there's no big destiny, the Benne Gesserit literally created those prophecies as a big scheme for their political agenda and Paul is taking advantage of this. The whole point of Dune is not believing in false messiahs. People are so used to "chosen ones" narratives that can't concieve a story is actually subverting that trope, even if the fucking movie itself is telling you that there's no chosen one. Not everything is a hero's journey my dude, sometimes there's just a boy who seeks revenge and ends up being the worst version of himself.

[@drchowder4605]

It’s also important to note (and this is a spoiler that’s only alluded to in the movie, so be warned. It will likely be a much larger part of the second movie whenever it’s *hopefully* made) that Paul's entire heroic arc revolves around the fact that he knows that if he wins, most of the universe will die. The original Dune book inspired an insane number of sci-if novels with its heroic arc.

[@yemo34]

I liked that Paul himself brought that up in the film.

[@V_i_vi_an]

@@yemo34 exactly. So I don't know why some reviewers keep saying this is a chosen one story. It's the opposite of that. And the movie is blatantly telling you this information.

[@natediaz1863]

@@V_i_vi_an because, as much as I liked the movie, it did a bad job of explaining the missionaria protectiva.

[@kiendn]

I hadn't read the books or watched the 84 movie but I thought there was plenty of clues to know he wasn't all rainbow and sunshine, especially with his visions of all the deaths and destruction and him being in the center of it all

[@MsPoliteRants]

Wow, the dislike ratio. I’m with you. I knew nothing of the books, my husband is a huge Dune nerd, and neither of us felt satisfied or enthralled in the movie. I don’t understand how it has such high praise from 93% of the audience. For elaboration: 1. the music WAS the biggest character in that it was the loudest and constantly telling me to feel something that the scene didn’t match. There was too much tell and not enough show. I wished I was not at the theatre simply so I could mute the damn movie. It sounded like Blade Runner but without any of the impact of Blade Runner. 2. The movie literally opens with Zendaya narrating how the outsiders “mine the spice during the night” cause when the sun is up it’s too hot, yet the scene is literally in the day time, and they never maintain that rule because they fly out to watch spice harvest in the middle of the day. From hubby: it’s the opposite in the books: the outsiders do stuff during the day like a bunch of idiots while the natives go out at night when it’s cool. So the movie didn’t even know which rule to maintain. 3. They spent too much time TELLING me that the planet is desolate and you can’t survive more than a few hours without those special suits… yet they didn’t even have eye protection while out, and mostly didn’t even wear the damn mask part of the suit while walking in the hot wind and sun. 4. Speaking of the suits: they’re such a specialized, highly valuable necessity that you’d think the end fighting scene to the death would demand they fight naked so the loser’s suit can be taken and used instead of it getting damaged or destroyed. If you’re going to world-build, stick to the rules you built. 5. I felt mostly confusion with the magical society of women (see, I don’t even remember the name because I hardly care), because there wasn’t enough introduction for me to care. I saw a cloaked woman at the signing of the emperor’s decree and then suddenly Jessica is cowering and bowing to a ship as a bunch of these women storm out of it. I can see Jessica is panicked and nervous but I don’t see why I should also be. There was no tension because I know nothing about this secret society of mages or whatever. So I literally didn’t care when they wanted to meet with Paul. The tension wasn’t there. 6. There wasn’t enough of the Politics. It wasn’t until post-movie discussions with hubby that I learned there are dozens of family houses and that the story is like the feudal era but in space. I also didn’t understand that there was a lifelong feud between Atreides and Harkonnen-I literally thought the latter was just mad they got Arrakis taken away from them. There was soooo much left out. 7. The spice being a hallucinogenic (in the film) makes it even more maddening that nobody wears the damn masks outside. Hubby was mad that they even made it a hallucinogen at all because it’s not in the books. 8. Paul was shown to be a decent but not extraordinary swordsman in the beginning, and then we are told that the Fremen are incredible warriors… so the fight scene at the end should have been much more intense, yet Paul won against that Fremen way too easily IMO. How did he suddenly become such a great swordsman? Well as hubby said: “That’s just it though: he’s supposed to be an EXCELLENT swordsmen.” I’m sure I could go on, but I’ll stop. Hubby says the mini series was the best screen adaptation so I’m sure we’ll be watching that soon. I hope it’s less disappointing.

[@blueswordlily2104]

I absolutely agree with you. I did not read the books or had any contact with the dune "universe" before this movie, and I thought a lot of things did not make sense... for example, how does this matriarchal magic society coexist with these obviously patriarchal family "clans" that seemed to have a colonial rule of some sort, with basically no women around except for Jessica (who also doesn't really seem to have much political power)? Does not make sense in my opinion... Also, if they can literally control other people's minds and actions, there is no reason for that last fight between Paul and that other guy to happen. In my opinion, I also didn't see any hint of subversion of any archetype in that movie (which people seem to keep mentioning)... Instead, I just see a bunch of already known concepts and clichees, portrayed in the same way like they have been in so many other movies before. Invasion of a planet for power and money, destruction and violence nonstop with some ear-shattering sound effects, meaningless dialogue about pain/spice/magic stuff/whatever and some weird space ships. All seen and done before.

[@MsPoliteRants]

@@blueswordlily2104 I have since watched the whole miniseries from 2000 and while it is not perfect, its part one explains WAYYYYYY more than the new part one. I highly recommend it. It is made clear that Jessica is not the wife, but a concubine, and the reason they didn’t get married. I had no idea what was going on in the new one when Leto just says to her in the bedroom “I should have married you”. I literally went, “Huh?” Aloud in the theatre and my husband had to lean over and whisper “concubine”. The new movie was not for people unfamiliar with the story, for sure.

[@RS-mb6nn]

Yes, I most definitely agree with you. I am also absolutely astonished that there are so many glowing reviews of this new Dune movie. In my opinion this new version was lame compared to the books! Villeneuve's Dune was highly disappointing and missed the mark to say the least. If you don't know what I'm talking about go back and read the book. Way way too much missing in Villeneuve's Dune compared to the book. Absolutely boring is what I must say about Villeneuve's Dune!

[@mss11235]

Just like you, I did not read any of the novels: 1. It is widely accepted that the book has always been hard to adapt; therefore, you need EVERY piece of storytelling available to be firing on all cylinders to tell your story. The most "triggering" or, alternatively, most "historically useful" device for telling stories is via music. The first thing we encounter in the film, before any credits, is a black screen and some quasi-musical chant in a completely foreign language and with a completely alien timbre. Music during scenes is often what pushes me to physically smirk, laugh, or cry in a scene rather than, without music, just processing a scene as being pleasing, funny, or tragic. The music is a character in the sense that EVERYTHING we experience in a film is a minor or major character. - Can you really blame Dune for utilizing a truly gripping score and sound design to force the audience to fill in gaps that would have taken many pages of the novel to provoke you emotionally? 2. Zendaya is CLEARLY narrating from a time when the only outsiders she had encountered were those obsessed with the ruthless production of spice, which was from the 80 years of Haarkonens (spelling?) and before the Atreides (spelling?). The Atreides, arguably and understandably, were not yet ready or accustomed to a noctural production lifestyle yet and were not in power long enough to adapt to a more "climate-adopted efficiency" lifestyle. It is understandable that the only scene of the Atreides spice harvesting we experience is during the day to be a convenience for when the royal family and its council would be awake to observe production practices in the daylight... 3. Whenever I saw characters roaming the desert while NOT in conversation, they were wearing masks. During COVID, while I was with family yet out and about, we would wear masks but would slip them down to exchange info if appropriately far enough away from the rest of the population. Of course we see them slip there masks down when in conversation, because, presumably, this makes it easier to communicate and we often only see characters when they communicate. Yet, we still saw enough scenes during the day that implied that people were wearing masks IF their activities were obviously going to imply that they would be out there awhile. This is one of your more bizarre gripes... 4. You are implying that the Fremen group, who are patrolling outdoors and away from their underground Seeches, are doing so NOT for the purpose of DEFENDING their land and therefore NOT have proper supplies to patch up a maximum of a couple of blade slices?! You also do not think these Seeches are not obviously underground cities that the patrol group returns to often enough to repair and restrengthen?! The hell? 5. You literally describe enough events for the average audience member to gather enough information to get the gist of the "female group whose name you cannot recall." How can you NOT care?! There are literally MULTIPLE scenes which demonstrate the painful moral dilemma Lady Jessica struggles with that is doing what's right for her religious order VERSUS what's right for her son: reporting her son's dreams to the "lady pope" knowing it would prompt a life-threatening test; her objectification of her own son in building him into a potential Messiah versus get obvious affection for him throughout the film; her conflicted answering Paul's father's questioning on whether she and her order would take care of her Paul if shit hits the fan. I would argue there is plenty of wonderful scenes that illustrate this element of the story. 6. This is your point I most closely empathize with; however, I would argue that this is where the clarity from rewatching (which is certainly not necessarily a negative critique of a film as many great film makers pack a LOT into their folks almost requiring rewatching or discussing to lend appropriate) or the flexibility when adapting (again, not unheard of in famous adaptations) is appropriate. This is the first I am hearing that there are dozens of houses, but, upon a second rewatch, I think most audience members (certainly including those who write 8-point essays on KZbin videos) can piece together like me the "basic" politics. Films rarely need "more politics" because politics is so basic at its core: people desire power. Haarkies gain whealth of which eclipses the Emperor's own whealth. Emperor switches up stewardship in order to prompt Haarkies to want it back. Emperor secretly makes deal, for money, to help Haarkies start a war and assist in a one-sided first battle for control of Dune. Atreides was chosen as the main opponent because they are the most battle hardened and skillful outside of imperial soldiers (important to realize the Atreides battle reputation (which was cited in the film) because it explains Paul's presumably extraordinary battle skill at the end of the film (he was trained by Duncan Idaho, the greatest warrior in the house of the greatest warriors...)). All of this war is being orchestrated or at least exacerbated by the "lady religious cult we cannot remember the name of" because presumably they understand that their Messiah is close and a chaotic war would be able to help lubricate the mechanisms to develop the Messiah. 7. Spice is a psychoactive drug that helps the greatest minds bridge the gaps of time and space necessary for INTERSTELLAR travel. It is not a hallucinogen in the film or the novel. The only time we see shots that appear to a naive audience as hallucinations are when Paul sees possible, theoretical, and/or metaphorical futures. If one desires interstellar space travel, theoretical physics LITERALLY implies that one has an understanding of the higher dimensional reasoning necessary to travel light-years via the extraordinary esoteric, fantastical relationship between time and space. Paul's combination of being bred by the "hooded lady order" and his exposure to spice is allowing his mind to "see the future" essentially implying that he could develop the ability to, indeed, transcend time and space. Spice is NEVER implied to be a hallucinogen for users UNLESS you consider that its psychoactive properties allowing its SPECIAL users to understand the relationship between time and space manifesting itself in dream-like sequences as being "hallucinations." 8. I kind of answered 8 above in 6.

[@unwweyrich4661]

@@mss11235 damn I'm late but that was brutal. As someone who read the book afterwards I completely agree with you

[@Curt_Randall]

I just saw it yesterday in imax. I was never familiar with Dune so I went in knowing nothing and had no real expectations. Sadly I also felt nothing. It just did not connect with me. It had some good scenes but overall is forgettable. And Hans Zimmers' score is also forgettable. Whereas if I compare this film to something like the Lord of the Rings trilogy (which I also knew nothing about beforehand back in 2001 and did not read the books), connected immediately with me and will be forever memorable cinematic experience, including the story, characters, and score. Still, I am now minimally invested now that I have seen it and will watch the next part if it ever gets made.

[@Cogniche]

Read the book brother, the movies context was absolute trash compared to the novel. The effects were cool but that was all.

[@CybeargPlays]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@heinerb.3549]

Same here.

[@ghostofsilence2697]

same, I walked out of the theater wondering what I had just watched

[@Shlogger]

I thought the score was actually pretty awesome if not completely memorable but the thing about scores is they're innately connected with the viewing experience so even if the score is beautiful if there's nothing particularly memorable happening on screen or involving a character we care about, then the score just gets lost in mix which is a shame cause this one was pretty cool at times. Maybe a little overbearing at times but still pretty cool.

[@avationmusic]

I watched this last night with my girlfriend in the imax too. We are both huge geeks. She loved it, but I said exactly what you said. “It was good, but the world building didn’t immerse me enough. I felt like everything that happened only happened to advance the plot. It missed detail.” Glad to see someone shares my opinion. But, the acting was brilliant (especially Chalamet’s scene screaming at his mom) and Zimmer really knocked it out of the park with the score. There were even a few moment where I audibly said “woah” during some of the more impressive camera shots. Overall, good, but not what it could/should have been.

[@Revilkappa]

exactly what I thought, there is no context outside the focal point

[@Awesomesauce35]

I don't think just because world building is tied to plot makes it bad. The movie is already 2.5 hrs long, would it really make sense to slow down the movie and show things that aren't relevant to the story just to make it "immersive"? Besides, there are all sorts of details in the movie not directly tied to plot that do this. All the cultures are diverse and distinct, we get exposition on the planet's fauna and the scene with desert mice, the scene with the sacred palm trees. The movie is already packed to the brim with information, what more do you need? Only thing I can think of is that it would have been cool to see what the city would have looked like inside.

[@Revilkappa]

@@Awesomesauce35 yes it would, that’s the point of cinema. A mouse clearly isn’t enough, what I mean is the movie is static, there’s nothing going on around it, even inside shots. For instance when he’s talking about the sacred palms, you see a giant space, there’s nothing there, no movement at all, no extras interacting around, not even wind, it just doesn’t seem alive. And you may say that’s because it’s the desert, ok, but the same thing happens in every single scene, even in their home planet

[@Awesomesauce35]

@@Revilkappa Yeah, the world feels stark and empty but you even explain why that is in your own post. We only see Paul's homeworld for 1/5 of the movie and it's through the lense of a noble who's about to leave the planet. They COULD have added some unnecessary scene of him walking through a nearby city but what would the point of that scene be? I guess they could have added more servants to scenes or something but that's really nit picking. I don't understand what people mean when they say it "doesn't feel alive". The different factions are more fleshed out and detailed in this one movie than the Empire has been throughout the entire Star Wars saga.

[@Revilkappa]

@@Awesomesauce35 thing is, it's not unnecessary... and I'm not talking about needlessly walking around, good world building contextualises without the need of bollocks

[@EvolvementEras]

I’m having a hard time with you claiming Paul is the “white savior“ if you ever listen to the story audiobook. No spoilers, but then you have to know that particular role is going to be subverted in away. Critiquing the movie by placing Paul in that role is hindering the movie because it’s only part one of a full story and the part you’re critiquing gets more development in the latter half of the book. It’s just frustrating because that’s exactly what Frank Herbert was trying to critique and avoid in his representation of Paul, which gets flushed out more in the second part of the book and then onto later novels.

[@FilmSpeak]

I don’t claim Paul is a “white savior.” He fills the messiah or chosen one archetype. I know he’s not a white savior.

[@travisgray8376]

@@FilmSpeak Dune deconstructs the the chosen one/heroes journey. N if U want a deep dive U gotta read the book bro can't fit everything in the film. Plus dune encyclopaedia is great for information

[@littlesaints91]

@@FilmSpeak He is not the Messiah or the Chosen, you just had to watch the movie to understand that he was not supposed to even be alive. The Bene gesserit said to his mother, in this movie, that she was just supposed to birth girls. Because the Chosen one, tha one the bene gesserit had cross bread to form over ages was not Paul Atreides but a generation after. He is also not a Messiah as what comes after that this movie also mentions is a intergalatic Jihad, an intergalatic war. Deaths in the millions. What Herbert have clearly stated, and something he was waaay ahead of his time with. Is that he dismantles the Messiah/Chosen one trope. I can't blame you for not reading the books. But you also forget this movie is part 1. So you are talking about things from this two part series that you know very little about.

[@cyrussmith4744]

@@FilmSpeak i think you should wait to consume the whole book to understand why it feels that way

[@ukiyoideas2215]

@@FilmSpeak still it seems you didn't catch that at all

[@SonOfSeth]

I kinda felt like watching a 3 hour perfume comercial. Visually captivating, audibly exquisite, yet...

[@madjuice2183]

Yes, I felt like watching a 2 hour long trail for a movie.

[@beavisjones1831]

Crap thats a good description i just watched it and it was terrible

[@BJforthelife]

Even though I loved the movie and I quite disagree the with the review.... I cant deny that the movie IS a 3 hour perfume ad you cant skip

[@SonOfSeth]

@@BJforthelife Nice!

[@galaxymoonlqght3732]

@@beavisjones1831 awh man. I didn’t expect it too go that far

[@arfarfington]

This is close to exactly my feelings about the film. I was disappointed. It felt soulless

[@JB-ue6lf]

Soulless is probably the best way to describe it. The film is as empty and void as the deserts of Dune

[@galaxymoonlqght3732]

That’s exactly what Dune is meant to be. Paul is a soulless character and so is most of them

[@galaxymoonlqght3732]

Bro you need to study Dune

[@arfarfington]

@@galaxymoonlqght3732 I have thought about this as well. It somewhat reflects the feeling I got from reading the books. But still I was left feeling the film was shallow. To me it lacks depth in characterization and world building. Feels like most of the focus went into the look and sound to create an awe inspiring experience.

[@galaxymoonlqght3732]

@@arfarfington you know what bro. I’m acting like an idiot right now, I should’ve let you have your opinion

[@johnabboud8116]

I really wanted to go into this movie without any expectations, so I never read or watched any reviews. But I remembered the title of this one from just scrolling around KZbin. So, when I finally watched the movie last night and we cut to black at the end, I remembered those words specifically: "I watched Dune and felt nothing." A lot of movies have that lack of heart, so we describe them as soulless. But I've been trying to figure out what specific story elements are missing. In my mine, Dune lacked dialogue and grounded "exposure" scenes. We never really got a dialogue scene in which characters discussed themes, concepts, or motivations. Whenever something interesting was said, the scene would just end (when Leto tells Jessica that he should've married her, for instance, we don't get to hear anything more about that - it just ends). In the book, there's this dinner scene where a bunch of Arrakeen businessmen and aristocrats dine with the Atreides, and we get to learn about the socio-economic character of Arrakis. I'd gladly have sacrificed 10 minutes of pretty much anything else in the movie just for that one scene. On the "exposure" scenes (hopefully there's a more technical term for it out there!), I just mean that, like you said, I wanted to live in the world for a little while, to be exposed to the detailed, intimate nature of life in the Dune universe. The fact that we never once saw Arrakeen's street life shocked me. The whole city - which represents the planet's culture to us - was faceless. We saw the religious pilgrims for a moment, but that was just a glimpse. Watching quite a few reviews, it seems like anyone who talks about that soullessness always ends the statement with, "But hopefully Denis gives that to us in Part Two." I don't believe that that's possible. If Part One's whole job was to set the stage for the next movie, it only succeeded in setting the plot. But I don't particularly care about Paul or his family - despite being very invested in the books. I'd argue that making us care about the characters is actually the only job an establishing movie has. So if it wasn't done here, it certainly won't be done in the more action-heavy second half. Don't get me wrong - I'm still excited for the next movie, but the films clearly aren't prioritizing what actually makes a story impactful.

[@sirfailalotful]

Exactly. It looks epic in scope, but misses those smaller yet essential details that attaches you to the characters.

[@grmgt]

THIS!!!

[@johnpapadopoulos4881]

I disagree with some of your points but I agree with your main point. I felt the same way in Blade Runner 2049. I feel Villeneuve films have a certain coldness about them, that makes you not really empathize with the characters. Add the Hans Zimmer epic scores, and you are even more reminded that what you see is supposed to make you feel in awe, but not intimate with it's characters or world. It's like meeting a really cool person in a professional environement that you wish to get you know better but you can't. I think a good counter example is Mad max: Fury Road, first 20 minutes. Nothing is told about the characters, yet the attention to detail and the brief lines the characters say paint a picture about their personalities and goals so effectively that you can't help but be immersed, despite the epic scale of the movie.

[@Xxx-y9d]

Yep Villenueves films are one note, dark, serious and brooding all the time it becomes a pastiche.

[@nathanliteroy9835]

Had same reaction as you. It was bloated with long camera spans, silences and not emotionally engaging enough. Glad people like it though, wasn't sure if they would be into such a minimal movie.

[@svtcontour]

Yup. I didnt even finish the movie because I didnt even care about the characters. It was creating an awesome world but did nothing for characters

[@leonthesleepy]

I left the cinema feeling the same way. That dread of knowing, "yeah i didnt love this movie and i know everyone is gonna dismiss my opinion"

[@sixtwentysix]

You’ll live

[@monharris28]

Agree

[@MedjayofFaiyum]

Same.

[@mochafrappawhat]

Same here. I didn't love it and was frustrated, but I'm scared of saying much bc fans will just dismiss you as a dummy that can't stand slow burn + plot intricacies

[@shawnjones7295]

Yeah I’ve never seen such a toxic fan base form overnight😂

[@gsimon123]

16:08 "Show us what makes Paul such a complex and compelling archetype, one which modern sci fi has based its protagonists around" You see it is this quote where you have your misunderstanding. Frodo and Neo etc. are all the archetype you are referring to but they are not based on Paul... Paul is the antithesis of that archetype. Keep in mind, Lord of the Rings was written before Dune. The savior/messiah archetype was around far longer than Dune. Herbert wrote Paul as a counterpoint to it. Bringing up characters just started to get interesting is correct: they don't go where you think they will... clearly.

[@shauntaylor9888]

Good point! I hadn't realised this, but it's so true. All the characters think Paul is the messiah, but he's troubled by the whole thing and he knows he's going to unleash destruction on the universe. In a way, he's more of a Darth Vader, except we're introduced to him at the point when he seems to be a hero so we see him from that perspective.

[@Xxx-y9d]

Denis Villenueves films are one note; all imo, all angst, all foreboding, all brooding, all serious, all the time! It stands out in story telling because this doesn't reflect the real world. Even in serious stories and situations there is levity, irony etc which reflects the full range of human emotions. His films are so serious that they start to feel pretensious.

[@fredraputznik2313]

I totally agree with this review. I didn't feel much of anything while watching this, about from wonder at the spectacle and cast. A little disappointing.

[@turma8eac]

The characters also were quite flat imo

[@Defco3d]

@@turma8eac and they could have cut 30 mins of pretty pointless dreams and spaceship landings/going up scenes. Maybe cool in the 80s but not in 2020.

[@luckiller019]

"Dune, how i learned to stop worrying and love the jihad"

[@ricardocastillo5485]

that sums up Muad'Dib in Dune Messiah.

[@igustibagusananda7706]

lol

[@chadia25]

Exactly. That was also my feeling after reading the first book. I liked it, but that ending didn't really push me into reading more... 😕

[@jeffgrasso5587]

I'm sad to see the like to dislike ratio on this video because your take is spot on. All the details that make the books come to life are glossed over or left out entirely. I spent half the movie's run-time filling in the the giant holes in the world building for my friends who haven't read the books. Even though this movie was a perfect visual realization of the book with flawless cinematography, the script was extremely lacking and all I could think after leaving the theater was that I wished they had taken the risk of making this a three hour movie.

[@Patrick-tt3ig]

do you remember what it was by any chance? KZbin has removed the dislikes now

[@hrvojebutkovic]

@@Patrick-tt3ig The current ratio is 3.2k likes vs 3k dislikes.

[@river.m2010]

Same with me I had to fill my family in. With the original one you don’t have to because it LITTERALY TELLS YOU THE ENTIRE SITUATION at the start but this one spends the ENTIRE film telling you so you just realise you’ve waited three useful hours of your life

[@ArturSand]

I had a similar feeling. Technically beautiful, and probably the best CGI ever. But it all felt like one sad tone the whole time.

[@maccimusprime]

It feels like the people who made this movie completely missed the point of what the book was doing because this movie just ends up coming out super surface level where it feels as if the director and writers had no connection to the story, characters and world. Movie puts the spectacle first at the expense of the actual story and its characters but then still manages to remain lazy trying to trick you with it's big sharp expensive shots instead of actually using the camera to not just convey very much needed cinematic language through movement, refraiming and shots as a lot of the plot and story plays out internally but no one was smart enough for some close ups of eyes and what they are observing. So many important scenes are removed for no other reason than being lazy and not understanding the source material especially on a cinematic scope. An example is in the book we have a plot of the Harkonnens trying to cause division within House Atredies by plantning suspisons of a traitor to divert the attention away from Dr Yueh. Jessica enters Paul's room in search for him but is met with Yueh standing by the window. As they talk Yueh is trying to be very carful on the words he uses and how they sound all while how he looks while speaking so he isn't found out to be the traitor. Jessica notices certain elements in his speach especially how he talks to her here compared to before being broken by the Harkonnens and Jessica begins to evaluate that something deeper is hidden behind this man and he is holding it back. We never really get to dive into the internal layers of the story and I don't think we should of gotten the internal dialouge voice overs but the people who worked on this film just seemed to of refuse to even give a go at using things like body language and movement mixed in with specific cinematography to allow these aspects to make their way into the story and performance. Another example is quite literally right before this scene when Jessica meets Mapes for the first time and recieves the knife but must past a test first and before Jessica finishes her setence which she would of gotten wrong Mapes cuts her off excited by hearing the words "The Maker". Sure we get to see Rebecca Furgusson begin to mouth "of death" but if we got the seqeuence of Jessica leaving the room with the knife now going over things in her head seeing the expression on her face as she just brushed past violence and makes way for Pauls room it would help us dive deeper into the story and emotional connection. A big theme about this story is control and especially control over the ones body and mind yet we really only get this element during the box scene (which I find to be very poorly sequenced and edited) I still don't know why this simple scene with Yueh was cut because we need to establish the list of people who could be traitors and pick up on the signs with Jessica and Paul as we go along cause then we get to make bets as we watch along like was it Hawat? Was it Jessica? Or was it Yueh? But the movie constantly refuses to connect to its charcaters at every chance it gets and it just makes me wonder how long had they been in the script writing and invisioning stage leading up to this movie and how can this movie turn out so barren and bare when the source material is right there and this movie stays pretty faithfull to the book. Im not saying the movie has to be exactly like the book because thats what makes adaptations so good because we get to see it through a different lens and perspective but just to complelty erase needed plot to really emphasis the situations our charcaters are in. Especially using this scene with Yueh could of been implemented so easy because as we get there one of the first thing Yueh brings up is the palm trees and just from having common sense this scene could of been tied with Paul going to the palm trees. We get the information from the man watering the palms that the trees are sacred and what not and then we can get the other side of the coin of how the natives despise the trees from how much water it takes to sustain them. Easy as Jessica leaving Mapes then we cut to Skinnothy outside at the trees then when that scene is done we now can cut to Jessica entering Pauls room and finding Yueh there. In the book this scene has Paul pretending to be asleep in his bed and then when everyone leaves is attacked by the hunter seeker but can you see how these scene can be so easily implemented to flow especially with changes from the book (which arent a bad thing) This movie just relys way to heavily on cuts instead of obvious remfraiming and the shots either stay way to fucking still or stay way too wide and still when the camera should be getting in there taking us on this massive intergalatic game of thrones action adventure oddessey to imerse us in this world and story and one great example of this is towards the end when the movie feels as if its losing its budget and equiptment and Skinnothy and Mother Fergusson are running from the sandworm but we just get all these supser wide shots that make the action look less suspensful and ruins the cohesivness of the scene as its just always chopping back and forth to all these bad shots. We literally get a front on medium close up of Paul running then he falls and tell me why the actual fuck does it proceed to cut mid fall to another front on mid close up but now just leveled lower to the ground? Why are there so many of these horrid moments through the movies editing where two shots cant even be thrown together well? We need to stop cutting to all those wide shots cause it slows down the momentum and the camera isnt sweeping in and around its just sitting over in the distance. Give us a shot from behind timmy elevated a bit and he keeps looking over his right shoulder while running and the when he falls the camera continues moving on its forward path moving around his right side while keeping the camera looking at him as we now leave him in the sand. When we get onto the rock we get a great shot from behind and under Timmy and the worm towering over him but then it just keeps cutting back to this god forsaken wide shot that keeps taking us out of the moment and you might argue its to show the size but it's like we already have that info so why not keep us in that situation with our character and then when the thumper is set of we watch the worm fuck off over pauls shoulder and then can be in the scene as the sand waves crash up onto the rock and then the camera is moving backwards while facing down on Paul as hes climbing up the rocks away from the sand waves. I just think my main issue with this movie is just not really paying attention to detail and how the movie was filmed, written and edited. I don't think Denis was ever in a million years the right person to be directing this movie whatsoever but I do think he should of been a producer of some sorts becasue he does bring such a great realistic element to this version of dune which I like but I just don't think he has the creative capability for a project of this size but then again he probably didn't write the script and was just hired by the studio to do with whatever he was given. The movie just ends up coming off devoid of any life or passion and feels stale but I do wanna be back in the world and cant wait for part 2 which I do have alot more faith in but I really hope if they continue to finish the series by turning the other books into movies they get new directors to breath life into each project like how Alfonso Cuaron came in for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and decided to just go complete god mode

[@invanorm]

The movie really needed something more dynamic, expressive, and subtle than the bombastic Zimmer score we got. It was almost a constant nuisance and it dragged the beautiful expansive visuals down into a feeling of claustrophobia. It probably also contributed to the pacing feeling both slow and rushed simultaneously.

[@JB-ue6lf]

“Claustrophobia” some of you guys in the comments are hitting the nail right on the head with these descriptions of the movie. “Soulless” claustrophobic” exactly what it feels like watching this is a dark room.

[@philippkittmann4752]

With the bits of shallow dialogue and scenes that didn't feel prepared the movie seemed to me like a long music video to the new Hans Zimmer album with epic visuals...

[@jpharrahill7655]

There was no heart...I just could not connect to the characters in a human way which led me to not care what happens to them

[@deniss.6205]

Agree, I am also hearing this mostly from people who have not read the book ( which should never be compulsory for watching a movie )

[@dendoc8260]

As a Dune fan I thought the movie was great visually, but in terms of the movie’s story in general I thought something was missing and some of the major characters were just not fleshed out enough. I was especially disappointed that the dinner party scene at Arrakeen was not filmed. I was also disappointed that the plot point and repercussions of the Harkonnen’s feeding Hawat false clues that make him suspect Jessica instead of Dr. Yueh as the one person close to Leto who may be a traitor was not filmed. Those two scenes would have created great dramatic effect within the movie. The not filmed Atreides military raid on Giedi Prime to destroy the Harkonnen spice hoards would have been nice touch also.

[@DragNetJoe]

And yet they spent 10 minutes of an ornithopter flying through a sandstorm....

[@canonjean-mignon4985]

@@DragNetJoe I got so mad at this scene. I was already pissed at how they escaped earlier, but that helicopter scene was a disaster.

[@alexgriffin1726]

I have to agree with you. I have read almost every Dune book out there over the last year and a half when I finally got introduced to the books. The movie pacing was wrong, I feel like we did not get a chance to know the characters (well other than Paul). I was disappointed and have not wanted to watch it again.

[@shauntaylor9888]

I feel like it could have been three films, and they could have put the political intrigue bits into the first. All the bits where they're all having dinner and subtly dissing each other. Not sure the blockbuster audience would have been into that though. Maybe they could have done a supplimentary film for us nerds haha.

[@jefry8393]

but u can't deny it gives u the craving to watching part 2 and future sequels right

[@alexgriffin1726]

@@jefry8393 lol oh im gonna watch em all!! Lol

[@safy907]

I was so ready to completly love this movie, and yet... I didn't. I felt frustration, I wanted to have felt more then I did. I didn't completely care for them. The final scene when Paul kills should've been great, but was just meah. For me the overall movie is a visual and auditive masterpiece, but the characters are weak. In squid game the marbles game was soul wrenching. I wanted my soul to be ripped appart. I wanted to feel more. There were two scenes that I really liked, when Paul placed his hand in box and when he fought with his mother, saying she made him that way. But, before, I never saw him not liking to be that way, so... Something was missing in this movie.

[@proto245]

I'll tell you what. The meat and potatoes of it because the source material has this problem in the first half due to the exposition-heavy nature of it. I heard from fans of the book that the second half will make everything worth it as it picks up very rapidly. I hope that is the case when part 2 comes around.

[@Contractor48]

I hope there is a director version with all the cut scenes.

[@IPH-1212]

well it is a part one and given that the Dune universe is so massive they had to give a lot of exposition and couldn't just dive right in. Maybe that's why it feels empty to you

[@WapitalismandWreedom]

missing. like part 2?

[@foxesofautumn]

@@IPH-1212 since many of the characters are dead I don't see their storylines getting any more meaty though.

[@NewZeroland]

I felt the exact same way about this one. Nothing made sense and I didn't connect to any of the characters. Thanks for helping me understand why!

[@TheCheapBastard]

Denis is a hack. The only tone he sets is a combination of boredom and complete and utter anger in every scene

[@Moeller750]

I agree with everything you said! I missed the feeling of "living" in the world. I wish we could have followed Duncan Idaho into the Freman dwellings or seen the city beyond the palace. And one thing I have to say, that may feel a bit spoiled to point out: Lady Jessica didn't stick the landing with me. She's such an interesting, skilled, powerful and flawed character. But I feel like the movie was constantly focusing on her being nervous, scared and wringing her hands, to make Paul seem more messiahsy

[@chrispekel5709]

They were trying to create tension by having her scared for Paul

[@darkoale3299]

@@chrispekel5709 They failed. She's much better in the book.

[@roshanramsa794]

This is just the starting tho

[@lepotato135]

@@roshanramsa794 Yes, but that's honestly why it was kinda important for people to get a better feel of the world. Like a first impression. Especially for those who haven't read the books yet. Personally, the visual effects and the cool characters were enough to have me invested in what's to come next, and interested in the books themselves. But I will say that I was a little disappointed for the same reasons as Maria and Film Speak. I wish I got a better feel of the world and the characters. After watching the film, it didn't really leave an impression on me unfortunately. I still like it though.

[@helloneighbour2408]

@@darkoale3299 wrong, shes amazing in the movie

[@Sharpe1502]

I 100% agree. I felt sad at the end because I didn’t love this movie and didn’t even think it was that good. I really felt nothing after it ended. I just kind of went, “Oh, that’s it?” It was fine and beautiful but it was incomplete and I was left thinking, “I’ll wait to witness the full picture before making a judgement.” If a second film isn’t green lit, 3/5 stars.

[@maurice2572]

A hundred-percent agreed with your critique. This movie was just a very long - yet beautiful - moving illustration that's as hollow as it is expensive

[@ramsaybolton9151]

I feel the same way. It looked beautiful but felt like it had no soul. They pacing of the important stuff was way too fast but they spent so long on pointless stuff. I prefer the 80's move to this one. I also really disliked the casting. I think it could be good but if I'm honest this just felt like it was " Episode 1" of a series, not a movie.

[@clarkethedark]

Exactly. Im a pretty big fan, read some books and saw the old movie and the mini series and this really made me feel nothing. Few days after I can't even recall I went to see the movie. It's empty af. A big flash expensive nothing...sadly....:/

[@pjlights164]

I love the book at give it a 5/5. This movie though, while the visuals are absolutely stunning, the characters are all underdeveloped. I never felt emotionally connected to any of the characters. I was also disappointed. I think Dune either needs to be a trilogy or a GoT style show. 6/10 for the movie.

[@Wolf-Spirit_Alpha-Sigma]

6/10 from me too. I've read the six books and I they are my favorite sci-fi saga. I also watched the 1984 movie about 40 times in the last 20 years and I can happily give it 8/10, despite the fact that it is not 100% faithful to the book and feels too rushed - but it at least manages to capture the essence of the book and the joy of immersing yourself in the Dune world.

[@rinner2801]

Yup maybe a 6.5-7/10. I am glad other people are finding it to be a "Masterpiece" though, everyone needs "that" movie.

[@jackgraham3]

@@Wolf-Spirit_Alpha-Sigma Ew.

[@jackgraham3]

Expectations are a bitch.

[@sg1slate]

@@Wolf-Spirit_Alpha-Sigma 8/10 for the '84 movie? I'd give it a 'Milking the cat' / 10

[@sandrarivera1262]

So I have read the first four books, and I have two thoughts: 1. Herbert doesn't really do a lot of character or setting details. It's sparse when he tells you what color a character's shirt it or what is in a room. This is what makes it hard for directors to make something kind of on their own 2. The biggest part of the prose is dialogue. You can't fit all of it into a 3hr film unless you did in episodes like GoT. So much got cut out and you kind of need to fill in your own blanks

[@caleb3909]

Late to the party here, but it would have benefited heavily from a limited/mini series format. This would give ample time to build the characters up before the attack but limit the overall commitment to the project, lowering risk of the creators losing interest or changing careers (GoT)

[@christiansather8438]

If it could be a 3.5-4 hour movie it would have landed for me. The best point you made was how the characters are dwarfed by the scale of the cinematography. Some more character development would have been amazing. More Thufir Hawat, more build up to the betrayal of house Atreides by Yueh, more Pieter,and the Dinner scene.

[@foxesofautumn]

Haha I think you just listed all the things I went in for.

[@jankrnac3535]

I really don‘t think so that movie need a 4 hours for a characters writing, really a lot of scenes was empty without dialogues, also good writer can do a basic dialogs where characters feel life like with the past and not like his mom that feel like tabular noble that only goal is increasing a power, like there was any scene where I felt like she see her son as human being.

[@IAMNOTRANA]

Pacing was really dumpster fire. I don't even know why anyone even like this movie.

[@blakeunboxes]

I felt the same way as someone who deeply loves Frank Herbert's original 6 books. There are SO MANY details missing that left me wanting. All the technical aspects of the film are a masterpiece of moviemaking. I think that this project really should have been produced for HBO as a television series to really capture the heart of the books. Specifically in relation to conversations regarding politics, religion, and ecology.

[@jemappellecaro3934]

Right! I was thinking the same thing!! Although I have never read the books or even heard of dune before now. I liked the movie, it was really good!! But just keep waiting for more, and it's beautiful. The work on this is amazing and I have nothing but praises. But I left the theater thinking this would work better as a series and not a movie.

[@davidkoch3758]

Agreed, with the level of detail Herbert gives us, this should have been a Series, allowing them to properly explain every beautiful thing we see. It is as if the director assumes people have already read the books as much as he has.

[@blakeunboxes]

@@davidkoch3758 Can you imagine if they tried to bring God Emperor to the big screen? That's my personal favorite, but I'll be honest, I can't imagine WB greenlighting a movie about a giant worm-man talking about being "the ultimate predator," for 2 1/2 hours. Too many Harvey Weinstein flashbacks... However, the Fish Speakers (an all female army) would be a welcome edition and fine reflection of our times, not something that felt forced like the gender swap of Dr Kynes.

[@braxxian]

It didn't surprise me. Villeneuve's Bladerunner 2049 was exactly the same. A beautiful looking movie filled with low energy, to be honest bland performances from established actors. I wasn't engaged with Bladerunner or Dune.

[@r.morris5589]

I did not know it was a two parter. They could have tighten it up for one film. After the attack and Paul ends up in the desert it seemed to be repeating itself. And I feel I am missing something when Paul looks at the ocean then we are in teh sky and at Dune. Where was the guild Navigator? 1984 Dune was better.

[@RuneAnimations22]

felt like a dry sand sandwich.

[@bitterbold]

This movie is so overhyped. Dialogs: mediocre. Pacing: super boring. Story depth: not there. Story: mehhh It has very good visuals etc. but that's about it.

[@DrShivPOV]

This is exactly what I felt too. I seriously couldn't relate to this world of Dune. Even though I haven't read the books of GOT, LOTR, HP I could easily be dragged into their world in the first movie itself. The tone, the theme I felt all of em right pretty soon in those film/tv adaptations. And like never before, I actually learnt some terminologies and read some things to know articles before actually watching dune. And it was really fun to see them on screen. And when the movie finished, I felt numb and little anxious over how soon it had ended.

[@RCC_1]

Agreed. Not only is the movie massively overrated, but the script is pretty bad and the movie overall is LIFELESS.

[@feliperibeiro463]

Truth be told this movie is boring as shit. I feel like most of the people who claim to like this movie are the ones trying too hard to look intelectual.

[@solfolgarait3745]

As someone who came into the movie blind, I was too amazed by the world and too worried to understand it that I only realized when it ended that I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters (or at least any character that made it to the end, rip Duncan). Watching a 2h30m movie and I still having no idea who the main character is (motivations, beliefs, personality traits, etc) was kind of hard as a viewer (apart from the fact that the story wasn't resolved and I was in need of that "closure", but I don't blame the movie for that). I watched it with my family who had even less information about the movie than I did and they just couldn't keep up. I just hope that the second part has a clearer storyline and maybe more development towards Paul. It's just my opinion as a regular viewer, no hate towards Dune

[@somekindofflower2024]

I became interested in seeing this movie since they first announced it, but I always read reviews before reading or watching anything. Ofc it might be way different when you're gonna actually read the book or watch the movie, but from what I know so far, I've frequently encountered people complaining about the characters' lack of being human. From those that praised or criticized the story, I can mostly conclude that Dune is mostly about humanity that the human, and the characters are carried by the story and the message, rather than them carrying the story and delivering the message. But I might be wrong, that's just my impression.

[@solfolgarait3745]

@@somekindofflower2024 good to know! definitely smth that will become more aparent as the movies continue

[@XavierJAlexander]

I didn’t read the books, completely understood every point it’s amazing and the character motivations are obvious.

[@solfolgarait3745]

@@XavierJAlexander good 4 u

[@LooksByNaheemah]

This take on the movie was exactly how I felt after watching it. I am looking forward to the 2nd one as I think I’d really like the two of them together

[@ronvansover]

WELL WELL WELL…

[@FilmSpeak]

😏😏

[@toecutter303]

I would say it another way, it was boring and I liked the lighthouse so, slow burns are my thing. This was just soulless.

[@machaolesplendide]

There's only two people in the lighthouse but you want to see what will happen to them. In dune, you don't care about anyone

[@toecutter303]

@@machaolesplendide thanks for that explanation. I didn't quite understand what I ment when I wrote that.

[@churchguy8325]

I felt this movie was like an history book or reading a Wikipedia article, i loved it but without part 2 (or a whole saga) this film will be trash, for now i give it an 8/10 just for te visuals and world building, but the lack of character development is sad but understandable.

[@666chapelofblood]

"I will give it an 8/10 just for visuals" and that is exactly why the audience's opinions are worth as much as paid critic shills.

[@josh4kicks]

I disagree about the score. I love Zimmer, but this sounds like every other desert epic in film, TV, and video games. I don't think the average person could hum the theme off the top of their head or even recognize it without seeing images from the film at the same time. Idk, maybe it's just me. Can't wait for part 2

[@jameyburnett2699]

I don't even remember the music.

[@P22-h6t]

I found many scenes were so quick cut that the music didnt have chance to make an impression.

[@jeevangopal482]

Agreed. Hans been doing the same stuff for a while now. I watched No Time To Die and thought the score was alright, except two scenes that stood out. So I wanted to see why he chose this project over Tenet and hear the new masterpiece. I gotta say I was disappointed, like it wasn't nothing I hadn't heard before. Meh I feel the same way about this movie too

[@lepotato135]

@@cSTEPHEN855 I kinda agree with this. Personally, I've grown to enjoy the score more after watching the movie, but at the same time while I was watching the movie, my head space kinda left what was going on whenever I heard the music because I was expecting something a little more different other than the common trope. Like this isn't just one scene of the desert, the desert itself is the world so it has to make a more unique and larger impression. Then again I think I'm just being nit picky by saying this lol. Once again it doesn't mean I didn't like it. I also agree with P22. I think sometimes the score cut off a little too quickly to leave an impression. That might be due to the editing. Like idk if that makes sense. There were times when it could've just stayed there a little longer lol.

[@itshansi4926]

I respectfully disagree. I do not really like Hans Zimmer, but I really loved the score for dune. It's stuck in my head and I hum it all the time :D

[@gpanthony]

Thank you for articulating my issues with the characters so well, it's been a little difficult for me to pinpoint what I felt was lacking in the film; which I did feel as a whole was much more interesting than I thought it'd be. But, at the end of the film, I didn't really understand what made Paul as special as he was supposed to be besides the prophecy saying "he's special."

[@Needler13]

congrats, you got it. He isn't special. That's the point of the story. The story is all about false messiahs and using politics to push an agenda for your own gain. Paul does become powerful but he isn't the "chosen one" and the "chosen one" comes later and he only becomes the "chosen one" because Paul doesn't want to do what has to be done to save humanity.

[@gpanthony]

@@Needler13 Interesting! That actually makes me much more enthusiastic about seeing how this all plays out in the next films. Ideally, I'll try to make some time to read the books before hand though.

[@bait5257]

Congratulations, you played yourself. Joking, btw as the other comment said The point is that he isn't special

[@richlisola1]

Paul isn’t all that special, he isn’t the chosen one. That’s the point.

[@Gum_Cuzzler]

It’s kind of like that in the book too. It’s got some super interesting sci fi concepts and world building but I never once felt invested in the story because the characters were mostly flat and lifeless.

[@eoris12]

the issue I hve with the movie was the lack of time spent in Arrakis as a place and a people beyond the advencement of the plot. The people of dune, the climate, the lack of water, the economies of water and the dinner scene are great ways to see what life is like in the city (which is hard enough), let alone what it's like in the desert. Also, the parrt of jessica being framed for murder is super important in establishing the love Leto bears her and how trustworthy the family is to each other. Duncan's drunken stupor and shame, thuffir's music, the mentats, both atreides and harkonnen, all super important and brushed aside. That was a shame. those scenes would make the movie so much better, just because they would humanise the conflict and present Arrakis as what it is.

[@rudsnr]

I actually think this "blandness" of the characters could be solved if the film would've ended right after Paul and Jessica escape on an ornithopter and Paul realizes who he is. When I read the book this moment really stood out to me, and felt like a breaking point for the character. It solidified him as the chosen one, and also showed how much pain it is going to bring to him. It also would've given the first movie an opportunity to establish the characters more, as most of them kinda die an hour after we meet them. I am especially disappointed that they didn't show Jessica and Leto relationship, and how some characters were suspicious of her, and Leto had to act as if he was too. Also Liet's ending.

[@thomasray]

He's not the chosen one...

[@rudsnr]

@@thomasray Well, sorta. Fremen call him Mahdi/Lisan al-Gaib, and in their prophecies, he is "The One Who Will Lead Us to Paradise". So talking from Fremen religion perspective, he is indeed "the chosen one".

[@valeriepowell6891]

I was incredibly disappointed by this movie- the dialogue was embarrassing and some of the characters were too! Poor acting from many of the cast. Can’t believe it got such good reviews.

[@loki.odinson]

Director, writer, and producer (1 of 19), Denis Villeneuve is very much in love with his sets, his special effects, and his box-office-draw cast. You can tell because the viewer's time is wasted again and again either watching Zendaya‘s feet walk in sandals in the sand, or being forced to watch Timothée Chalamet brood …and brood yet some more, seemingly throughout this entire picture. Say what you will about the grotesque approach that David Lynch took to telling the story in the 1984 film, but it made you want to pick up the novel and read it from cover to cover. Even with all the modern day editing, special effects, cinematography and set design at Villeneuve‘s disposal here in the twenty first century, he falls short of presenting a more compelling story than Lynch managed to do decades prior. Comparing this film to Star Wars is ludicrous. Here's why: George Lucas managed to take a cast of virtual unknowns and through special effects, a killer soundtrack, and legendary editors, tell an original story that we're still talking about to this day. As one of -again, get this- nineteen producers, Villeneuve is focused more on scenery than story. The pacing is slow; the soundtrack is loud and obnoxious, and the actors can't convey anything convincingly. Chalamet's fight scenes especially aren't believable. As an actor he's too willowy and wispy and has to wear loose clothing to hide his bony frame. Even as a training fight, you can't tell me Josh Brolin‘s character wouldn't have wiped the floor with him, let alone a seasoned Fremen outside his own Sietch on Arrakis. Even Alec Newman was more convincing in the 2000 miniseries. With a budget of $165 million, Warner Bros. took an awfully big risk trying to make a blockbuster film that now unfortunately requires a sequel. Sadly they chose celebrity over talent, and let's hope they eventually learn from their mistakes.

[@sillylittlesheepjax6009]

I agree with many of your points but i would not call the star cast not talented. They work with what the give them. Whole part one has so little deep interactions between different characters. It is mostly epic shot after epic shot and dramatic closeups of main cast. They could cut so much poinbtless stuff from there and add much more dialogues

[@helloneighbour2408]

Imagine being this much of a contrarian. You waste the readers time with this much lies in your critique.

[@henaresadlier]

Ok

[@motor4X4kombat]

Fuck star wars

[@motor4X4kombat]

And his toxic fanbade too

[@mamatrain100]

They shorted the characters, they spent so much time on non essential parts and we lost the who, what and why. The cast brilliant, score amazing, the effects incredible. What is a mentant, who is the guild, why is the spice so powerful and how is it used.......why was Paul born, why does he dream of chani.

[@shirothr5384]

You sure we watched the same movie? Didn't they explicitly say that Spice powers space ships?

[@mamatrain100]

@@shirothr5384 the spice didnt power the ships. It gave the navigator the vision to direct the ships safely through space. The spice mutated the navigators but expanded their dimensional vision.

[@michaelmayo]

Finally watched the movie and wanted to come back with something that struck me that no one's commented on yet, and that is that D's Dune is a very Earthbound film. In a lot of ways, it's D's version of his beloved "Lawrence of Arabia." I was struck in the film by how they completely ignore the Spacing Guild and the Navigators - the very reason why Spice is so valuable, or that D simply cuts from them leaving Caladan to arriving on Arrakis. I asked myself, Why? Then I went back and watched the Leaving Caladan/Folding Space sequence in Lynch's film, which, dated spfx aside, really captures how fantastic and near-mystical space travel is in that age. Lynch had to create the opening Navigator scene for his film to quick-fill the plot, but it also quickly established these strange creatures and that they're the real power in the universe. D's Dune has no interest in the vastness of space, or folding space, or what Spice can do to a human other than give you gauzy visions of Zendaya. It made me realize that even though it's got some spectacular design, it's really a very flattened version of the story comprised of people looking blankly at the camera or blowing stuff up real good. Zimmer's score sucks too. It's just sonic wash with no emotion compared to his work say, on Pirates or Chris Nolan's films. I can't call D's Dune a failure, but there's nothing memorable about it. There's tons of scenes in Lynch's film that I can remember vividly with ease; but other than the cool ornathopters and maybe Skarsgard doing his Fat Brando impersoniation, nothing. They really need to stop giving budgets to this guy. All he ever makes is warm milk that grows room temperature quickly.

[@VictorNewman201]

Well said. I feel like people bash Lynch for not creating "realistic" enough space mutants, etc, when he actually succeeded in showing a future that seems alien yet familiar at the same time. Just like if humans from 10,000 years in the past could see us, our emotions would appear familiar, but our societies would appear so surreal.

[@daveeol1987]

Ya it was abit too on the nose with the fireman / Arab comparison. Is it Arabia or a planet 10000 years in the future

[@matthewcharlton9649]

You and I felt the same about this film but to say that the man who made Sicario, Blade Runner 2049 and Incendies shouldn't get big budgets goes a little too far. My main problem with this was the screenplay wasn't fleshed out and lacked likeable or relatable characters. They had an opportunity to create real people and relationships but chose awe over connection. Villeneuve usually makes good "cold" films, but this was sub zero. The result is that I have now learned to respect the bravery of Lynch's ambitious mess.

[@michaelmayo]

@@matthewcharlton9649 Well, regarding budgets, he's going to spend well over 200 mil on 2, and if he gets "Messiah," tack on another 200 mil or so. That's a lotta spice that I think could be better spent on other projects. As to the lack of characterization, it's curious. I've watched YT videos from people who said they read drafts that had more of it and now screenshot leaks are coming out of deleted scenes which apparently helped flesh out some of the characters but were apparently cut so he could add palm tree shots. (The Fronds Must Grow). So I'm in the curious position of thinking a longer cut might actually be better. I doubt we'd get it on DVD, but since Discovery/Warners/HBO Max is in for a lot of money, maybe one day we'll get "Dune - the complete saga" and they'll edit it "Godfather" style into an Everything-cut cut and then we'll finally get a full done "Dune." (Me, I just want to see "Godzilla vs Sandworms.")

[@MisterBobGoodDeal]

I personally felt MUCH more on my second viewing of Dune. I had more emotion, noticed many subtle details, enjoyed the soundtrack more and had a far better experience overall! Since I was also initially disappointed, I highly encourage you to revisit the movie :)

[@FilmSpeak]

I’ve seen it twice already 😭 I’m going for a third hoping something will click more. We’ll see!

[@atwunz]

I don't think that would happen.

[@atwunz]

Coming into subtle details, which subtle details are you referring?

[@searchingforufos3102]

Watch the 1984 version, much better. That creature mutated by the spice, meeting the emperor. The spice creature centuries old telling the most powerful man in the known universe what to do and to be careful. With plans within plans

[@長谷川恒男]

@@searchingforufos3102 That "creature" is a person and doesn't even appear in the first book, Lynch just made up that scene.

[@samfromthorne]

You’ve articulated perfectly why I didn’t like it. It was gorgeous, true. But it had no soul. Plus the guy who plays Paul was so blank faced that I just didn’t care about him.

[@acarnivorouscat4549]

uh have you had the chance to read the book?

[@samfromthorne]

@@acarnivorouscat4549 no. Good movies shouldn’t rely on homework.

[@Galeanthropist]

I think 'no soul' is the best description I've heard. Dune is a vibrant universe, and they did a huge disservice to those who haven't read the books. (I personally think they did an even worse to the ones that did, but that's just me.) The rich lore and machinations that occur are not revealed in the slightest. They spend far to long focusing on the inconsequential parts, and not enough focus on what you need to understand, or even care about the characters. I really didn't need what felt like an hour of wistful shots of Mary Jane.

[@joaquimsilva6081]

In the books Paul is even more of a blank face. Actually, 90% of the characters in Dune are soulless, the books and the movie are about boring so called "space politics", and even though this movie has more action than the book I think it portrayed the grayness and starkness of the situation very well, while still making it a spectacle

[@helloneighbour2408]

uh, not the SOVL meme again. This movie had soul, and its a good movie that didnt rely on the homework. More of a you problem

[@swiggityswag6748]

The aesthetics are amazing, the visuals are wonderful, it was immersive, the sounds incredible. The only unfortunate part was that it needed to be alot longer and needs sequels. It ended so abruptly it felt like a chapter of a book and not a movie.

[@SinNombreYQueWea]

Well, Dune cannot be told in one movie. Part 2 is coming.

[@miguelrosado6348]

Exactly! That's why it's good. It feels like a book.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

I wonder if Dune could've worked as an anime. Something like Attack on Titan, for example? Dune 2021 did actually get a manga-style promo poster from Posuka Demizu. :P

[@colefisher4010]

Yeah weird ending. This movie could've focused on the fall of the Atreides and Jessica and Paul's escape in the thopter and ended with them in the storm. That would've felt better IMO Bad pacing.

[@miguelrosado6348]

@@colefisher4010 That's what people said of Empire Strikes Back ending when it first came out...

[@laserwolf65]

I'm watching the movie in two parts, because it got late last night and it wasn't doing anything for me. My impression of the movie so far is basically: Character: "He might be the Quidditch Badnersnatch!" Me: "Huh?" Character: "Here they believe in Lisa's in a gib" CAMERA ZOOMS IN ON PAUL Me: "Oh. Ok, he's Space Jesus to two different factions. Got it." Character: "How did you know how to put on that suit? There's something super special about you, Paul." Me: "Yeah, he's Space Jesus. I got that. Is he gonna get it sometime soon?" Paul: "While tripping balls on space fuel I saw myself as a badass warrior fighting aside Zendaya." Me: "Well, if you say so. You're 90 lbs sopping wet, so I find the idea of you as a badass warrior suspect, but ok. You are Space Jesus after all. Is this where you realize this?" Paul: "I wonder what the vision means..." Me: "ARGH."

[@rcud1]

Recall though that Paul has been learning to fight from probably the top 2 instructors in the universe so he could fight. And he has had visions that has given him some pre-knowledge.

[@CATDHD]

​ There are several concerns for me with Dune, none of which caught me off guard , for I have watched all of Villeneuve movies , so was expecting something like that. I liked the movie and D.V. is the guy to have made it , but I think he had too much freedom and producers didn't do their job properly. First off, VIlleneuve was never good with working with actors. Never. His characters in every movie are docile, sleepy, meditative and boring at times. Secondly, V. said once that for him cinema is poetry with images. That explains a lot to me. Unjustifiably slow takes on , granted - beautiful, settings, being "in the moment" are his trademark. Almost three hours and no character is remembered by those who haven't read the books. There is just simply not enough story happening in 3 hours. Had he gone with risky 4 hour cut, ending the movie with Water of Life, then probably the first 2 hours were meaningful. Hire Margaret Sixel, start taking your audience with seriousness and respect its intelligence and godspeed, Denis VIlleneuve.

[@brightonlund]

One thing for me too was that I found myself rooting for the main characters and wanting them to succeed, but I also didn't care if they failed. It felt like a two and a half hour movie trailer where I would get excited about what they could do and underwhelmed by what they actually did.

[@jonathankenton2502]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@Longingneat2525]

Yes! That’s how I felt to. I kept waiting for the “real” movie to start

[@tbaby0307]

This is the perfect statement! Felt the same way.

[@brightonlund]

@@Longingneat2525 I left wanting more from it. Although, like he said in the video, it didn't feel like a long movie at all. I think that if all the setup from this one pays off in the next movie, it may make this one way better watching them together.

[@RJTheCerealGuy]

I may disagree with you on a lot of your opinions regarding other films but damn it’s good to finally agree, I literally felt not an ounce of emotion with dune I to,d my friend who adored it and I just couldn’t explain it, it was just like watching a series of short impressive clips, the direction and sound was amazing especially in imax but there was no sustenance, like eating a whole rib eye and it phasing through you my favorite character who I actually connected to died immediately but that’s my opinion.

[@mariusmioc3045]

I have read the books and I have seen David Lynch's Dune... and the miniseries too. And honestly, beyond special effects and soundtrack, I liked David Lynch's version more, despite being mutilated by bad editing. The plot is absolutely neglected and the viewers are left in the dark regarding the dynamics of power in the empire as well as with regards to the importance of the spice. I watched the movie with people who didn't read the book and at the end most of them had no idea what they had just watched. What is the spice? Why is it so important? Who are the Harkonens? Why did they attack the Atreides? Why did the doctor betray the Atreides? Are just a few of the many questions I was asked after the film, meaning they weren't properly explained.

[@Mr-ri8nv]

Bruh the porn game explains the plot better than the movie did that should tell you something

[@snackpup]

I think the special effects in the 1984 dune make it feel otherworldly and fantastical. Different. Unique.

[@Robertbuccellatobooks]

The thing that does it for me is the last forty minutes. The scene in the tent when he is having a meltdown from the spice. He foresees what will happen if he stays, then is choice to stay against his mothers wishes is like a silent thunderbolt. It’s all in her face, she has lost her son, he’s not going to be a hero. He isn’t a hero in the book, he is a showcase on people not putting their faith in a “hero”. He unleashes a tide wave of violence and hatred out of revenge. It’s tragic and beautiful. He silently chooses the path of destruction

[@FindingGreenOS]

As someone who has read the book six times this movie was spectacular but boring.

[@SamDavies94]

Beautifully shot, composed, lighting, cinematography, stunning Sci fi visuals. Excellent sound design, audio mix, effects. The story is simple and a little intriguing, but there was almost no life to the characters, the conflict seemed unnecessary and overblown. It feels empty despite its excellent filmmaking spectacle. This review is very accurate to my thoughts.

[@BertzTriscut]

The empire felt threatened by the rising popularity of the Atreides and the Harkonnens wanted their money back. The political stability of the known universe was at stake. Much larger wars have started over less than that. So in what way was the conflict empty and unnecessary and overblown?

[@webbeveep2243]

@@BertzTriscut Because it was contrived and not fluid in conveying what it intended to convey. The movie does not feel full, it feels empty beyond the visual and audibles. The only apt way I could put it is that the movie was a commercial product, and not a means to tell a story.

[@BertzTriscut]

@@webbeveep2243 I'm not seeing the contrivance. What part about it seems contrived?

[@sachemofboston3649]

@@webbeveep2243 but the story it told so far was pretty amazing so I don’t see your point.

[@webbeveep2243]

@@BertzTriscut The entire movie and how it was put together. If you don't see it you don't see it.

[@Zerbijan]

And i still say that… Denis had to cut the shit out of this movie… You know mf @ WB is all about runtime! I hope he will release a Directors cut (3.5h or longer) on Blu-ray

[@rinner2801]

5 Hours+ ... that's what It's going to take let's be honest.

[@Zerbijan]

@@rinner2801 5plus sounds good to me🤙

[@lepotato135]

@@Zerbijan Same. I think more directors have to understand that they are allowed take advantage of what Zack Snyder did. More movie watchers today are open to watching films for long hours. Then again I don't know if that would mean that they'd have to double the price of the movie ticket or something since for them this would be the equivalent of 2 films I guess. Then again I feel like a series would've been an easier option as a whole. I don't know honestly.

[@colefisher4010]

In an interview he said this is the director's cut. I hope he's joshin.

[@DarkSpartan062]

I could be wrong but I think he already said that this is his cut. This is what he intended.

[@humbleopulence]

It all comes down to pacing. If everything happens monotonously and with a consistently slow pace to make way for spaceships landing and people walking through hallways or staring at each other intensely - you can't tell an actual story. The only thing you can realistically do is set up tone and atmosphere - which is all the film does. Both films do. Because theyre not films - theyre IMAX rides - Vignettes of Dune - but thats about it.

[@grantdillon3420]

You hit the nail on the head completely! Dune the movie tries to touch very superficially on everything in the novel, but consequently kind of misses the hardcore heart of the novel. I also thought that much of the narrative feels too insular and you don't get a sense of the context of this being an Intergalactic civilization where in there are likely hundreds of thousands of people living on arrakeen and probably trillions in the known universe. Unfortunately, oftentimes I found chalamet to be wooden, cardboard, and forced. Like he kind of half whisperes half exhales his lines through half clenched teeth in this kind of awkward sounding raspy voice reminding me someone of Hayden as Anakin.

[@r.morris5589]

I like the production design of Dune 1984 better.

[@romanium365]

Dude, ignore any hate comments. I legit felt the SAME EXACT WAY you did. It felt like it was.. full but scarred. The surface was jarred and jagged, while the center was awesome.

[@sloppnbiscuiitz]

*“As wide as an ocean but the depth of a puddle”* *-angryjoe*

[@kostishasopoulos9816]

and the cinematography of a child playing with a toy camera

[@Konarali]

I'm 90% into the book. Saw the film anyway... They did well with quality. To me, they focused on plot over character. The balance was off, But they gave it a good shot. For part 2 to land well we will need to care about the characters and not just the good guys. Just my view. I agree with this review but I get why others don't.

[@simonduran9376]

I mean, the book doesn't focus that much on the characters outside of Paul and Jessica either. Dune's characters are actually one of the weaker points of the books, at least compared to other stories which are heavily character-focused (like ASoIaF).

[@Konarali]

@@simonduran9376 agreed that Jessica and Paul a decent amount of focus, though the other characters do get enough exposure for you to have a decent feel of them which is less so in the film.

[@CbazzDX]

When the camera panned over arakeen and I saw how lifeless the city looked I could tell we weren’t going to get much world building beyond a few lines here and there.

[@ASWE15]

most people live under ground so it made sense , plus they said in the movie that the city was very quite then applied that it was very odd thing and worrying

[@couqueza4169]

I mean no one lives out in the sun, can't expect much..

[@oranjmusemeyer968]

@@couqueza4169 but the city is heavily populated and we should have seen some night sequences.

[@couqueza4169]

@@oranjmusemeyer968 I mean sure, but how would that have made sense? No highborn characters would really go walk around in the city market

[@kamilgregor]

Arakeen was one of the best aspects of the movie for me - I love how it's not a city with streets and houses but basically one massive structure. Makes total sense on a planet where people can't really survive outside. Overall I love that in this movie, Dune actually feels like a different planet and they totally sell you on the idea that it's barely habitable. In all of the other adaptations, it looked like it might as well be filmmed on a beach.

[@XavierKatzone]

Dark, dull, depressing, and dumb. One word? "Glacial"! Sat through it once -- NEVER AGAIN!

[@shanecle]

Agreed. The film needed more narrative and exposition.

[@elamriti]

i gave up after 30min movie is super boring

[@CybeargPlays]

Thanks so much for voicing my own thoughts after seeing Dune. I knew it was a big deal in Sci-Fi, but nothing more. Unfortunately by the last half hour to 45 minutes I was disconnected and itching to be done. I didn’t think the setting held up enough to keep my interest, because it was mostly big ships in a gray-brown desert. I’ve seen a lot of deserts in film, and in movies like Mad Max:Fury Road, the desert looks far more colorful and beautiful. So since I wasn’t super impressed by the visuals, and I was hit by a ton of names I didn’t recognize or care about, I was left just noticing all the cliche tropes and archetypes which Dune pioneered but others have since used to death. With no particularly enjoyable protagonist to follow and with the plot being smack-your-face obvious Middle East exploitation allegory, I just found myself bored.

[@DarkSpartan062]

Thank you! It was just ships in a dessert. I keep scratching my head as if maybe I went blind for time because the “visuals” were nothing revolutionary.

[@doctorsleep7455]

It's a desert bro what were you expecting 🤣

[@princesseuphemia1007]

@@doctorsleep7455 I live in a desert and yes deserts are much more colorful than was shown in the film. The entire thing had a very grey filter over everything. Also when you build cities in the desert they can be made even more colorful. I don't know why such an advanced civilization would opt for nothing but buildings the exact same color as all the sand dunes around. On a more tangential note I had to chuckle at the scene with the loudspeaker warning it would be 120 degrees outside in 10 minutes. We get 120 degree days during the summer all the time here. :P

[@Jessica-uo4qk]

As a huge fan of the book, I have to admit whilst watching the movie I was a little disappointed to see so much of the political intrigue and religious corruption that contributes to the fall of Arakeen cut, not to mention all the reduced and missing characters. At the same time I loved the visuals, soundtrack and performances so it was a very mixed bag. I understand the challenge Dennis faced and have a lot of respect for him for taking on this project, I'm still hopeful for part 2, but I just wish we were getting an extended cut like LotR to fill in those pivotal gaps.

[@spacepope87]

A Directors Cut would be awesome!

[@BertzTriscut]

There were A LOT of scenes cut from the film for time, so it's possible if not likely. You probably won't get the full novel, it's still a movie, but that's better than not getting it at all, right?

[@Jessica-uo4qk]

@@BertzTriscut Yeah of course, as I said there were aspects I really enjoyed and I'm happy to hear part 2 has now been confirmed. I just wish Dennis would change his mind about never making extended or director's cuts of his films as Dune needs the longer running time to capture more of what makes the novel so special imho, obviously there will always have to be cuts when adapting such a long book, I just wasn't expecting so much to be cut.

[@captainhowlerwilson508]

Your problems with the movie are the ones I can understand the most out of any problem. I understand that people would find something missing in this movie, as it doesn't explore this universe in full detail, and saves it for the sequels. What I never understood was the complaint that these characters were cardboard cutouts or just hard to get invested in. I think the characters were fleshed out enough to make you care about what happened to them and acted in ways that made sense for what they were going through.

[@LionCapitalMotivation]

Honestly, I just didn’t feel it. The visuals A+, acting A+, but it felt empty

[@abrahamshajan1387]

I felt like the acting was also not that good

[@darthbaggins007]

This movie wowed me on a technical level but I just could not get into the story or characters.

[@rinner2801]

Looked great. But it's just another movie, nothing more. It wasn't anything near what I had hoped for.

[@Kaufaudio]

felt exactly the same way. No political depth. No character depth. All flash and surface beauty. Still enjoyed the spectacle, but not a great film at all. Probably needed to be at least 10 - 12 episodes to cover the whole book, not a couple films.

[@StevenMelin]

This sums up my thoughts perfectly. Thanks for articulating what I was thinking but didn’t have words to express. Everyone around me is gushing over how amazing this film is - it’s nice to hear a grounded critique (and praise of what does work well here).

[@RCSDominoToppling]

Totally agree. It's honestly kinda frustrating how it feels like everyone only talks about how great the spectacle is. Which it is! I saw the movie in theaters twice just to experience the spectacle again... But that doesn't make it a masterpiece. I haven't read the book, but just from the film, the characters and themes felt pretty half-baked, even for just a part 1. I'm frustrated by this movie because it keeps getting worse the more I think about it. And I really wanted to love it.

[@StevenMelin]

@@RCSDominoToppling well said!

[@AnHeC]

XD so you're saying most people won't be able to understand what this film is trying to accomplish? That they are capable of watching only simple, archetypical stories of heroes and anything else will confuse them? That's... Sad. But you're probably right.

[@psyifinotic]

i didn’t feel much my first watch then rewatched it and fell so deeply in love.

[@ChefSandwichboy]

I mean, these are valid issues...but there's only so much one can fit into even a 2.5 hr film that's STILL just the first half of a monumentally dense story. Also, one of the issues I personally had a problem with when I first read the book (aside from the constant and distracting head-hopping POVs) was how little we really get to know about the setting until much later in the series, so the fact that that's a problem with the film is hardly surprising. As for Paul seeming archaically cliched as the chosen one...that's kind of the point as it gets completely subverted later on. Much of this is going to hinge on whatever Denis does with part 2. If anything, the one major complaint I can level at this film is that it REALLY feels like the first half of a story, which is doubly frustrating when we don't even know if we're getting a part 2 yet.

[@Ganbarizer]

Yeah, criticizing a film for not covering the expanse of a huge novel like Dune before the rest of the films are done is going overboard.

[@gs8494]

@@Ganbarizer That's a bit of a generalisation to be fair, I've read the book and it sequels a number of times and while I enjoyed the visuals and the scale of Villeneuves effort I found it lacking as an adaptation even considering how much of the book it covers, yeah it's a lot to fit into 2.5 hours, but if I'm honest the Lynch movie from 1984 did a better job with some of the characters and ideas even with the creative liberties it took, and there were a few. Also worth remembering that the Lynch movie tells the complete story as well. I felt that the visuals were doing a lot of the heavy lifting, I enjoyed it as a spectacle but not as an adaptation, but I wasn't expecting it to be a great adaptation, the best will in the world is going to struggle to get everything in the book across especially in this day and age where it has to have broad appeal to get box office, even with this in mind it is lacking and yet it has to please the fans of the books, none fans of the books that like sci fi in general, and then people who are curious but fans of neither, with what we got I suspect that initially fans will like it for the most part for it's visuals but over time once the hype dies down and it gets more scutiny they will see it simply isn't a very good adaptation, as for sci fi fans that haven't read the book they will also enjoy the spectacle and most of them wil get the gist, and for the curious much the same. My hope is that Villeneuve probably had a lot of restrictions placed on him when it came to run time, with this in mind I believe there is a far better version that got left in the editing suite but we wont see it, Villeneuve is not a fan of extended or directors cuts and has said the films you see after hes edited is the films he wants you to see. If it makes box office, fingers crossed it will, then he might be given more control over the next movie and give us a better adaptation as people will already be invested in the story and be willing to pay to see the sequel regardless, but the rub is this, the longer the movie, the less times it can be shown in a day, the less times it can be shown, the less money it makes in a day. When you're on someone elses payroll thsi is always going to be an issue. For me I'd rather he made a long format TV show of the book, the 2001 SYFY channel mini series of Dune is far and away the best adaptation to date, both Lynch and Villeneuve don't even come close in comparrison, that said the production values were not the best, and that's being kind.

[@peterp2153]

Makes one wonder if the idea that Dune is an unfilmable book is ultimately true. It may be something that could only be captured as a huge serialized show. Like a 10-part miniseries.

[@goblin8557]

PART 2 IS CONFIRMED! I hope it's not fake news XD

[@helloneighbour2408]

@@gs8494 well you're wrong because it adapted pretty much everything super well and faithfully

[@spydey2k]

I watched this last night because I've heard so many good things, and the sequel is getting all the praise.... and I f-ing hated it.

[@asall727]

I can see how some might not like it because it's slower than most action thrillers. But I gotta say this movie fascinated me. The politics and different families and advancements in technology. Even the powers and abilities of Paul and others. It's all really interesting and I'm sad I have to wait possibly another year for a sequel. Also another thing I gotta say is the sound design and effects were amazing. Love the voices of some characters and the soundtrack to the entire film. This movie was different than most out rn and I appreciate the unique style.