ᕲ ᑘ ᑎ ᕮ Movie Review

 

Not sure why I never published this particular review of the movie Dune. But I just heard something about how they are working on the second part of the movie, which is good news. It was not a sure thing at all that there would be a second (or a third) part, given the low numbers that the movie apparently generated. That is unfortunate, because this was a very good version of Dune, probably the best on screen adaptation. It deserves to be seen. There were other attempts, including the strange 1984 version that was popular but a big convoluted and had some other problems with it, despite also having a Marvel Comics limited series, and some toys which never fully took off. Also, there was a television version that came out sometimes in the nineties, and which itself was not terrible. However, neither of those two versions - which actually were made, nevertheless - really captured all that the original story by Frank Herbert had to offer. This particular movie version seems to have done that, and was enjoyable to watch on almost every level.

Either yesterday or earlier today, I learned that a second part is already in the works. That also should mean, presumably, that the third installment will be made and released, as well. And that should be considered good news by all fans of Dune.

So given all of that, here was my written, although for whatever the reason, never before published review of the movie Dune, which I saw with my son:

Dune is a legendary work of science fiction written by Frank Herbert, with many parts that include all sorts of back stories and spanning thousands of years. There are subtle aspects to the story that most fans of the books feel would be extremely difficult to manage to get all on film, if not downright impossible.

Attempts have been made in the past. For the most part, none of these came into fruition until the eighties. There was the hugely anticipated release by then up and coming director David Lynch back in 1984. I remember seeing the Marvel comic books, and there were even a toy line for Dune. But this movie is generally regarded as a disappointment. It tried to fit in far too much into a relatively short window with a to hour film, in a similar way to, say, The Gunslinger did with Stephen King’s epic of seven plus novels (there was another book added to the cannon later, and there was also a short story, not to mention numerous mentions and links to the work in a number of King’s other works). The result according to most was that the movie did not work. It was confusing, lacked cohesion and made no sense to most viewers. Even fans of the books felt that it was just a series of highlights from the books, and again, that it lacked any coherent story arch. 

Then, there was a three-part television series in 2000, which you can actually still find on Youtube, if you so wish. This one felt a little truer to the original story, and you could actually follow the story. It certainly was longer than the movie release in 1984. Yet even this is regarded as disappointing for many fans. Also, it was done on a tight budget, so it did not always feel like it did as much with the story as it deserved to.

Now comes a new version of Dune. This one is directed by Denis Villeneuve, and it really feels like a masterful version of Dune. The visuals in this movie are actually quite stunning and convincing. When you are watching this movie, at least on the silver screen, you feel like you are viewing another world, indeed another galaxy or universe. It really is something to see on the silver screen, if you can.

Also, it is made in such a way that it is easy to follow, and does not either dumb down the story or get bogged down by so much details or too many references that only true fans would get. Yet, there are some Easter eggs for fans of the Dune novels. This feels like a very enjoyable movie to watch, and it is the closest to finally realizing the true epic that this movie was supposed to be, and that many felt it would and should be.

Before I get into a more detailed review with another post, let me just say this right up front: this movie made clear right from the beginning that this is only the first part in a series. Unfortunately, it seems like far from a certainty that there actually will be any follow-up movies, which would add to the feel that this Frank Herbert epic just cannot get a great and full interpretation on the big screen.

However, this first part was very solid. This is a movie that is very good, with stunning visuals. Again, I recommend going to the movie theaters to see this one. Yes, it’s that good, as are the special effects.

Dune