Dune spoilers

[AnakinFlair]

The visuals were great but overall I found the movie a bit underwhelming, never was emotionally invested in most of the characters enough to care what happened to them.

I think this would have worked better as a TV series.

I feel like it's a sin to admit as a self-proclaimed nerd but I've never read the books. I do know they're beloved and considered classics of the genre. I've also never seen the Sting movie. So with all of that said, I did not like this movie.

I felt no connection to any character, I felt no reason to side with one faction over another (even when one was clearly portrayed as "the bad guys"), I didn't enjoy the battle scenes, I'd heard about the worms and when seeing this version I said "meh", I could see/pick up that there was a good bit of lore behind all of this, but it felt like I was getting 1/4-1/2 the story and when they were bothering to explain anything at all it was completely uncompelling.

It felt like a bunch of things that were supposed to be exciting but weren't, mixed with long stretches of boredom and dialogue that was supposed to explain who the characters were and what the world/society was but came across as reading an instruction manual or a restaurant's menu.

Why should I root against the Empire? Why should I care about psychic lad and the prophecy? Why should I care about the desert-folk? Why should I care about spice, and aside from being told it's important why can't I be shown in a convincing manner (reminded me of "unobtainium", blech)? Was I supposed to buy that psychic lad and Aquaman were the best of friends and his death had meaning? Maybe if I'd cared about either character it'd be different.

Seemed like a movie that would have been better off as a TV series and with a much smaller budget so they had to rely on storytelling rather than CGI and fight choreography. Though that doesn't sell tickets. I did like the dragonfly planes/helicopters. And seeing things that were referenced/homaged in other things (assume most of Morrowind and the "Voice of the Emperor" power were nods in the Bethesda games) was neat. Feel like I should just bite the bullet and read at least the first book. Still don't imagine that'd make me enjoy this movie. Might make me dislike it more.

First- they did do a tv miniseries on the Sci-Fi network back in the early to mid 2000's, which I thought was very good and still rewatch every now and then. It is a bit odd- at times it felt like they were filming a stage play with some of their choices, but it worked.

And for the record, CSTowle- I think that miniseries had the same problem you mentioned. For instance, Duncan was even less developed in that mini-series; he became a larger part of the sequel, which was based off another book.

Having just watched it at home (I'll go to the theater next weekend), I did like it. The visuals were stunning, and the performances were very good. I actually felt sorry that I both saw the Sci-Fi miniseries back in the day, because I knew the fate of all of the characters, so there wasn't as much suspense for me (I read the book as well, but it's been over 20 years and I don't remember it that well).

One thing I don't like- we never saw the Emperor or his daughter, and we never got the dinner scene to set up a possible romance between Paul and the Daughter. We also never got any false leads that Jessica would betray Leto, which would lead to Gurney being suspicious of her. That becomes a point of tension later in the story, and as I recall, the Emperor's daughter had her own subplot navigating the politics her father put into play by siding with the Harkonnen. We also never saw the younger nephew of the Baron.

My biggest concern is that WB won't greenlight a sequel. I feel if I could see the whole story play out in two (or three) parts, I would like it more. But if it ends here, and we don't get to continue the story, it's only a very pretty movie that I wouldn't watch again.

[Scott Taylor]

Since the first Dune novel is purely set up, and most of the characters .... well, they aren't important in the long run ... I really thought it was a mistake to split the book over two movies. The first Dune novel is great but its more something you get over with quickly to get to the sequels where the real plot gets fully formed and plays out.

Can you imagine if Sorceror's Stone was the Harry Potter novel that was split over two movies? Its like that. Completely misplaced importance.

[BeastieRunner]

Since the first Dune novel is purely set up,

This ... is not accurate. The first novel is a complete story. In fact 5 of the first 6 books are.

and most of the characters .... well, they aren't important in the long run ...

Well ... Chani, Jessica, Stilgar, Gurney, Idaho, Paul, the Baron, his son, the Emperor's daughter and many others are central to the plot in Messiah.

Jessica, Stilgar, Gurney, Paul, Duncan, and others are still a major part of Children of Dune.

When the twins come aboard, sure, but there's a major time skip in the series after that.

I really thought it was a mistake to split the book over two movies. The first Dune novel is great but its more something you get over with quickly to get to the sequels where the real plot gets fully formed and plays out.

I agree for different reasons.

Part One of Dune the novel (the name is escaping me right now) but that section and Part Two, Muad'dib flow nicely into each other. Part Three, the Prophet, has a time skip and would be ideal for a separate movie. I think leaving the movie at the part when we get Muad'dib would've made more sense ... but enough people seem to disagree.

I would've condensed Part One & Two of the book into one film (call it Dune), Part three a separate movie (Dune Prophet), and given Messiah a full film treatment (Dune Messiah) because you get the whole rise & fall of Paul Muad'dib splitting it that way.

[Scott Taylor]

See, to me its about getting to Leto II Atreides, the God Emperor of Dune, and the whole Golden Path. My comment about the first book being set up isn't a knock, but most of the characters die and the next three books are tonally quite a bit different. At the end of Dune, the planet becomes autonomous, allowing the real saga to continue and take form.

[BeastieRunner]

And I think that would make a wonderful second series of films

Children of Dune
Emperor of Dune (dropping the god part might be a good idea)
Heretics of Dune

So you'd have a Dune Prophet Messiah trilogy and then a "of Dune" trilogy.

I've thought about this a lot. :O Too much, actually ...

[Scott Taylor]

I can dig it. Dune is one of, if not my most, favorite book series. At this point, I will take anything that gets more Dune on screen.

[CosmiComic]

Any explanation for why the actors cast as Paul Atreides' parents don't look that much older than he does?

[Frobisher]

Any explanation for why the actors cast as Paul Atreides' parents don't look that much older than he does?

Moisturiser.

[CosmiComic]

Moisturiser.

They'll need a lot more on Arrakis!

[Totoro Man]

Any explanation for why the actors cast as Paul Atreides' parents don't look that much older than he does?

the biggest factor is that Chalamet is 25. Ferguson is 38. Isaac is 42.

add make up, lighting, and the fact that all of them are considered conventionally attractive people and the age gap doesn't look quite as large as it should... based on the novel.

[Gray Lensman]

the biggest factor is that Chalamet is 25. Ferguson is 38. Isaac is 42.

add make up, lighting, and the fact that all of them are considered conventionally attractive people and the age gap doesn't look quite as large as it should... based on the novel.

That, and the side effect of Spice (which all the nobles of the Universe seem to use to some degree) is an extended lifespan.

[godisawesome]

This was a good adaptation given the limitations of a single-film runtime, even when made into part 1 or 2.

But… well, I’ve seen the miniseries, I know what happens in the book, and I think I know why I’ve never been as high on Dune as would be expected, given I love Star Wars and have loved the other inspirations for Star Wars: Dune falls firmly on the opposite side of the Sliding a scale: Romanticism Vs Enlightenment to Star Wars, and I’m just not as into that as other are.

Like, they can both be heroic, tragic, and dark… but Dune exists in a world where “spiritual truth” can be wholly manufactured with a kind of coldly calculated inevitability, and there’s just a greater dependency on a kind of vaguely Machiavellian moral scale for even the idealists.

[Scott Taylor]

Pretty much what separates the Jedi from the Sith is that they aren't quite as Machiavellian.

[BeastieRunner]

Dune: part one just scored WB's biggest opening of the pandemic.

CEO just soft confirmed part two.

I expect a formal announcement around Christmas.

[thwhtGuardian]

Dune: part one just scored WB's biggest opening of the pandemic.

CEO just soft confirmed part two.

I expect a formal announcement around Christmas.

Nice, I would have been seriously let down if we didn't get more.