Directed by:
Denis VilleneuveCinematography:
Greig FraserComposer:
Hans ZimmerCast:
Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey. Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence - a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential - only those who can conquer their fear will survive. (Warner Bros. US)
(more)Videos (5)
Reviews (22)
Look, let's say you don't need to see most films today in the cinema. Their visuals aren't interesting or sophisticated enough, they lack something that would give you that pleasant tingle in the back of your neck, they don’t motivate you to see them on the big screen, or it's just a dull colouring book for teenagers (oops, anyone heard of Marvel?), so you can get a big TV at home, or a monitor if you're a really undemanding viewer. But Villeneuve's Dune? My God! That's in a whole different league, that's the kind of film big halls and big screens are built for. There hasn't been a visual epic like this since ...... well, maybe since Nolan's Interstellar, and as for capturing the sheer genius loci of the desert, its magical dunes and scorching sand, there hasn't been anything like it for 60 years, when – as Steven Spielberg declared "the miracle of cinema" – Lean's Lawrence of Arabia premiered. And everything else in Dune is a triumph of cinematic design, a non-tactile architecture of spectacular proportions, an interior design that illustrates the fantastic visual compositions. Add to that the incredibly good cast – I was most excited about Chalamet, which is exactly how I imagined Paul Atreides. Other reasons why this is a film for the cinema: Zimmer's powerful, droning score (a quality audio set is a must) and then the simple fact that Villeneuve likes to shoot in the dark, at night, and much of the film is dark, with Villeneuve playing with light and shadows and ominous gloom. At home on the computer you’ll see fuck all. So I'll conclude with a nice little friendly jab at you – if you are judging a visual epic like this based on the aforementioned fuck all, you are an idiot (no smiley face).
()
Unprecedented in scale and richness, but unfortunately at least a step backward in everything else. I want to endlessly explore this brutally beautiful world with all its principles, but it is closer to me as a concept, maybe even as a metaphor. Definitely more than the story that takes place in it, no matter how much its characters experience emotions and twists. I want to get under the skin of characters other than Paul, and the most interesting ones unfortunately leave too quickly. 70% for the weakest of Denis Villeneuve's films, but the sequel might still be the event I was expecting the first time around.
()
Denis Villeneuve is certainly a director who has a lot to offer to the film industry, but unfortunately I wasn't enchanted by Dune. I don't know the book or the original film, so I didn't know what to expect, but I'm not too happy with the final result. At first glance Dune seemed attractive, it presents an interestingly imagined world, though it's definitely not another Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. more like another Star Wars, only more sophisticated. Visually, Dune was impressive until the action came along; unfortunately, but I've seen nothing worse in that regard. The fights looking like something out of The Power Rangers (those red and blue flashing shields on the characters was a heavily distracting element for me), making the already lackluster PG-13 action even more distracting. The second installment is supposed to promise a spectacular battle. Well, if it's going to flash like it did here, they'd better stick to the politics, because that was far more interesting. The Sand Worm looked nice, but considering that it took two years to make, I expected more than a 30-second shot. I have to praise the cast, even if there wasn't much left for the second part. The music didn't impress me much (did bagpipes play during the battle?), the pace is very slow, it drags awfully especially in the second half, the emotions are missing, the plot is not completely stupid, but it's almost impossible to pick up all the genders, names and titles without knowing the source material, and I won't watch Dune again voluntarily. I'm afraid this new world-building will pass me by, as there wasn't a single WOW scene that made me want to watch Dune again, and I don't even have much to show my friends. I'll stick with a neutral unenthusiastic 3 stars for the visuals and the actors who played their part. Story 4/5, Action 1/5, Humor 1/5, Violence 0/5, Fun 3/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 1/5, Actors 4/5. 6/10.
()
In terms of the book, Dune is such a comprehensive work that it is really difficult to convey all the author's ideas in a work like a film. Denis Villeneuve, however, did everything to make me leave the cinema in a good mood and with the feeling that I had seen something absolutely unique. Even though there are many ideas in the film that the viewer must either watch out for (if they know the book source) or figure out (if they don't know it). While reading, the book gave me the impression of conveying a whole series of ecological messages, which is not actually the case here. On the contrary, it is an artistic sci-fi piece with stunning visuals, a small amount of action, and epic music by Hans Zimmer. Although it is not as easy-listening as his now classic melodies, it is all the more emotional throughout the film. Especially in combination with stunning shots, each scene is a feast for the eyes. I hope the film will succeed, because a sequel would definitely deserve to be in a similar spirit.
()
Spaceships galore, but bringing a little water from Norway to the planet in gratitude for spices…just no! As a non-reader of the book, I enjoyed the second viewing more, at least the first half of the half-film. The second, “desert” half, however, was more drawn out in its dreaminess taken to the point of would-be profundity. A key question: If there were no books and only this screenplay existed, would there have been any reason at all to film it, especially in such an expensive production? Besides cool giant worms, what would it bring to today’s world of cinematic sci-fi? Furthermore, if visual splendour without emotion and with phrases having no connection to the philosophical questions of real human life is considered to be art today, I want to go back to 2001-2003, when spectacular cinematic journeys into fantasy worlds based on books could make me cry and fall in love with their characters. I’m giving this a purely IMAX fourth star for the excellent cast, for which this project had been waiting perhaps as much as for the creative visionary Villeneuve, for the display of costumes and make-up par excellence (Skarsgård!) and for the film’s breathtaking audio-visual immensity, boosted by the “heavier” Zimmer. After I listened to it in the car for the first time, I was sure it wouldn’t be the last. It wasn't, and I'm looking forward to hearing the track “Leaving Caladan” on Zimmer’s upcoming concert tour!
()
Ads