Hi everyone, how are you doing? Have you seen the new adaptation of DUNE yet? I watched it at my local cinema last Sunday and I loved it! It is a truly stunning cinematic experience with beautiful visuals and an incredible sound mix. I’m a big fan of the book. I reviewed it on here last year. I’m also a fan of David Lynch’s 1984 film version. I went to see it when it came out back in 1984 in Manchester. I was only 11 years old and I didn’t understand a lot of it. But I got completely pulled into the film and Lynch’s bizarre world. It remains a really good memory for me.
I tried my first livestream on YouTube today. I reviewed DUNE (2021) and also talked about the Lynch movie as well as the original Frank Herbert novel. Here’s a link to my video review. If you watch it, please forgive my mistakes and pauses. It was great fun to make this livestream and I’m just delighted that it worked.
If you have seen the new film, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I will have a new book review posted on Sunday, hopefully. Until then, have a great weekend and thanks for reading!
-Wakizashi, *still thinking about the new DUNE movie*
Wakizashi's Reviews 
Of COURSE I ‘ve seen the new Dune film! I thought it was very good. Glad you enjoyed it!
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Europe got the movie before anywhere else 😃 Lucky!
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Glad you liked it!
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I loved it because I love the book and I think Denis does, too. I felt immersed in the world while I was watching it. It wasn’t too loud in my local cinema, thankfully. I loved how they did “the voice”.
What did you think of the soundtrack? I’m currently watching the Dune 1984 Alternative Edition Redux [Spice Diver Fan Edit] on YouTube. A friend recommended this specific version of the Lynch film and so far it’s a great edit. 2h58m.
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I didn’t like the soundtrack. Too loud in IMAX, but my main beef was that it was generic.
I’m thinking of rewatching the Lynch version, but at the same time I’d rather spend 3 hours in a different way than watch a movie I’ve seen 2 or 3 times already. Thanks for the pointer though, if I ever rewatch, it will be that edit.
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I’m halfway through it and it’s really good. I’d forgotten how golden Lynch made the desert look. I’m a bit jealous you saw it in IMAX 😉
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Unfortunately, the only way to stream it here in the US is through HBO Max. I suspect it will be a while before it gets propagated to other streaming services. So I won’t be watching it for quite some time I suspect 😦 As for the theatre side of things, that is just going to have to be a reality that movie makers deal with. I think theatres are going to become a niche thing.
The book is divided into two parts, so I’m 99.999% sure the second movie will finish the story up.
As for the soundtrack, I like the sound of the didgeradoo so I hope this works for me.
Zendaya’s casting was not to my taste either. At the same time, she fits really well what I visualize Chani as. So I guess I’ll just have to accept it 😀
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Hey man, thank you so much for listening to my waffle 😅. It’s a shame if people don’t watch it at a theatre because it’s a stunning experience. It won’t have the same effect at home, I guess. Though I appreciate people don’t want to venture out to movie theatres as much these days.
I really hope Part 2 gets made. I want to see more of this director’s vision. And I want to see some kick-ass worm riding!
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I think a lot of people are leaving cinema because they realize the ‘experience” isn’t worth the money they shell out. Why pay 25 to sit in a room with other people who are annoying you when you could be sitting in the comfort of your own chair with your own setup with your own yummy snacks?
Not that I would know, as I haven’t gone to a theatre since I was about 7, but from what I hear, that’s a lot of peoples’ experience.
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I hear you. One of the good things about going to the cinema in Japan is people are so well behaved that it’s strangely quiet during a movie. Some of my American friends have said that sounds terrible. They argue that a noisy and boisterous cinema experience is the best. I’m different. I enjoy it being quiet. No distractions, so I get sucked deep into the film. 😃
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I have to admit, I don’t understand those other americans.
I suspect it has a lot to do with if you view movie going as a group effort (even with only strangers) or a solitary pursuit.
Obviously, the right way is the Path of Solitude 😉
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I liked it, overall, and it is visually gorgeous. But. The pacing was somehow…off. It really does seem to drag on for what is only half a movie. Most of the characters barely leave a mark, even with an immense amount of acting talent on tap. They must have taken the criticisms of the Lynch adaptations supposed incoherence to heart, because everything is explained in great detail. I would prefer they ask a little more of the viewer. And it really is only half a movie. I would rather have waited and just watched a 5-hour movie (if I can make it through a 4-hour Justice League recut, I can make it through 5 hours of Dune).
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Good points well made. I was hoping for more of an emotional attachment to the film, but I think it may be Villeneuve’s style. I felt a similar thing after watching Blade Runner 2049. I do wish they had spent more time with the characters, though. Maybe that will come in the next part?
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It’s been so long… 😀 I’ve watched it twice, four weeks ago. Bombastic. There is one iconic scene – the Gom Jabbar test – where Villeneuve explains a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoAA0sYkLI0
This made it even more dear to me!
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I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it 🙂
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I enjoyed it — especially the sense of place, the baroque/operatic quality, and the imagery.
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The imagery was very impressive and I loved the sound mix. How do you think it compares to the 1984 Lynch movie?
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Lynch at least attempts to convey the encyclopedic nature of the book — Villenueve does not. I enjoy both adaptations.
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Me too.
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Villeneuve also took the easy way out but splitting the book in two. Lynch does not.
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Yes, the book is too dense to really fit well into a single movie. I heard that Lynch’s final cut was taken out of his hands by the studio. He took his name off it, as far as I recall.
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Glad to hear you enjoyed the new movie. I’m hopeful I’ll also enjoy it, though I’ll be one of the hold outs who likely don’t see it in the theater. And as I don’t have HBO it could be a while before I see it. If my experiences in theaters here were more like yours in Japan I might go, but I long ago got tired of the noise and nearby folks playing with their cell phones during the movie (not to mention the increasing cost of going). I suppose when I was in my teens or early college years I might have enjoyed the community and noisy apsect of movie watching. I recall that with Mortal Kombat, which worked. But I think I lost that at some point. 🙂 Can’t wait to see it, though. And great job on your first live stream, even though I didn’t catch it live. I rarely catch anything live on YouTube.
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Thanks so much, Todd. I knew the movie would be a visual feast because of the director. What blew my mind was the sound mixing. It was so impressive. 🙂 Sorry to hear you don’t enjoy the theatre experience. I’ve had similar experiences back in the UK, so it’s refreshing to have a quiet cinema over here. Sometimes it can be a bit strange though, for example when I am the only one laughing at some of the jokes. 😅 I hope you enjoy the film when you get to see it.
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Haven’t seen it yet, because of lockdown… 😞 But I hope to see it soon! Glad you liked it! 🙂
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Are cinemas closed over there? That’s a shame. It is a film worth seeing in a good theatre 🙂
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Everything is closed. It’s already 10 weeks and counting… Yes, I’d love to see it in the cinema, though wouldn’t mind that much watching it at home: being something of cinephiles we have a good projector and a 2x3m screen with pretty nice sound system in our living room 😁 but there’s no HBO!
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That sucks! But your home system sounds great. Yeah, we don’t have HBO in Japan, either. There is one streaming service called U-Next which shows some HBO content but it costs 25 USD per month. Way too expensive!
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I sort of hope it will be available on some streaming service soon, because we don’t know how much longer the lockdown will last 😉 But you’re right, $25 is a lot!
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Me too. I really want to watch it again. I’m even considering going to the cinema for a second viewing which just doesn’t happen usually.
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I really enjoyed the movie, and I’m glad I read the book first. I read it just a few months ago — the book blew me away with the depth of its world-building. I was a teenager when David Lynch’s movie came to TV, and it confused me. I’m glad I eventually checked out the book to get the clear story. And the new movie is a visual feast that does a good job of telling the story. I was disappointed by the darkness of the scenes on Caladan, as I thought they should’ve shown more of the greenery of the planet, as a contrast to Arrakis. But a small matter. I’m really looking forward to Part Two.
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I love the first Dune book. I think it’s Herbert’s masterpiece. I’ve just finished listening to the excellent audiobook production that’s available on Audible. I recommend that, too.
Like you, I really got into the movie. Visually and aurally stunning, it’s a different movie to the Lynch film. But I still have a fondness for the 1984 version. There is an excellent “fan edit” of the Lynch movie available to watch on YouTube. I wrote about it in another comment. Thanks for visiting and commenting!
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Seen and vey much appreciated. Review is on my blog for the details but, in short, I think it’s the best movie transcription of the Novel ever made.
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I have never read the book, but I did see the Lynch movie. Like others, I was left a bit confused. I was very excited to see the new film. Thought it had a great cast and director at the helm. Saw it in IMAX with my wife. We both liked the movie, but we had created such high expectations for it we admittedly left a little bit disappointed there wasn’t more “wow” moments. The desert scenes were epic, the action scenes (and sounds) were for the most part quite well executed, and the acting was top-notch. It seemed a bit “quiet” in spots while the world-building was going on, but that also needed to be done in order to understand everyone’s perspectives and agendas. Looking forward to the second part, as well as a rewatch at some point.
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I really recommend the book, especially now you’ve seen two film adaptations of it. There is a very good audiobook of the first novel, too. I thought the latest film version was very good at creating the world of DUNE, although I wanted to see more of it.
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