Dune [BD] [Blu-ray] [Region Free] [2021]

A visually stunning film with an incredible soundtrack and atmosphere. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the world-building is deeply immersive. The cast is strong, and the pacing feels deliberate but engaging. The only drawback is that it ends rather abruptly, clearly setting up the next part, which leaves it feeling incomplete on its own. Still, a masterpiece of modern sci-fi cinema.

Brilliant film

The "awesome" of my title is meant in the strictly dictionary sense, "Adjective. Extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring awe; as in the awesome power of the atomic bomb". From the get go this film grips you. Visually it does so- no zoning out due to bad CGI here- every shot is a masterpiece. And certainly aurally it does so. The Zimmer score most definitely both impresses you and daunts you; thus filling you with the aforementioned awe. Whether or not anything of much moment is actually taking place. Someone fiddles with a ring- "DUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHH BRRRRRRRRRR UHHHHHHHHHHHH" thunders the score with profound bass tones and an unnatural, eerie sounding electric guitar. Perhaps what Brian May's Red Special might sound like 20,000 years in the future? And that's when nothing is happening. When the action takes place you do, from time to time, find yourself wondering whether you can actually survive the whole two and a half hours. The feeling seems to emulate the dread that haunts the characters betimes, with regard to the ever present possibility of being swallowed by a 400 meter long monstrous worm. Which brings me to a side point- if you're buying this on blu ray or DVD you should make sure you listen to the film properly. I say "listen", not "watch" deliberately. It's my conviction that modern day films are at least as much about the sound as they are about visuals- if not more. The sound tells you how to interpret the film; what to think, how to feel. And that is, perhaps, more true of this film than any other I've seen. True, it's not a very nuanced message; it basically says "BE AWE INSPIRED AND DAUNTED" for the entire run time. But it's certainly an experience, and it would be an utter shame, and a waste of 2.5 hours and fifteen quid, to listen to this film on a tinny TV speaker. My advice would be- take the opportunity to upgrade your sound system. At the very least, get a decent sound bar. Much better still, a decent stereo hifi. But, ideally, a full blown 5.1 system. I guarantee you won't regret it. Why spends hundreds and hundreds on a massive tele and compromise on the sound which constitutes at least half the experience? Films are made in surround sound for a reason. Watching them in poor quality stereo through the TV's tinny built in speaker is like watching the Wizard of Oz in black and white. Anyway; I digress. Returning to the movie.... so is it awesome? Yes- in the sense I've sought briefly to describe above. Does it grip you? Most definitely. I couldn't avert my eye (or ears). I was still thinking about it the next day and, here I am several days later, still thinking about it and writing this review. I think I even might want to watch it again. But is it enjoyable? And this is where I'm not so sure. See, I'd imagine that being witness to (say) an act of GBH would grip me. And fill me with awe. But I certainly wouldn't enjoy it. And while this film inspires you in many ways- it does have huge defects. For instance; no humour. As in; at all. "But it's not meant to be Jumanji", I hear you say. I get that- but a little touch of dry humour- just here and there- can only add to even the most serious of films. And no characterisation. Again; at all. Everyone is a one dimensional, straight out of the box, generic sci-fi character that makes Obi Wan Kenobi look nuanced by comparison. Take Duncan, for instance; the heroic warrior of the piece; the prototypical Han Solo who seems like (if his character were to be developed in any meaningful way) he'd probably turn out to be a loyal and true warrior whilst also being a bit of a rogue with something approximating a sense of fun- or as close to it as you can get in this galaxy that's far far away from ordinary human experience and emotion. (SPOILER ALERT) But when he dies performing his supreme act of sacrificial loyalty and love, do we care? Not really; because he was a lifeless cardboard cut out with none of the charm or charisma of Lucas' ripped off counterpart. The moment is like a microcosmic representation of the whole film- we're impressed; but we don't care. I think final judgement must be reserved for when the sequel arrives, and the two will ultimately stand or fall together. And it's impossible to tell, until the sequel arrives, exactly what to make of this first instalment. Will I watch the sequel? Definitely (all things permitting). Am I looking forward to it? No- not really. So, all in all; four stars because it's awesome. But not 5 because I'm not convinced that I actually enjoyed it.

DUNE (2021) Denis Villeneuve is arguably the most accomplished director working in film today. His storytelling is expansive, rooted from rich source material that is further elevated with immersive visuals whose colours are soaked in social commentary; Prisoners examined the frailty of society's civility, Arrival illustrated the necessity of higher communication and collaborative thought (something that appeared alien as Trump had won the election), Sicario shone a torch on the duality within morality, and Bladerunner 2049 asked whether humanity was exclusively a human quality and if so, why do we appear so incapable of it? It is obvious Villeneuve is an acolyte to Frank Herbert's epic; the House of Atreides, the Harkonnens, the Fremen and Arrakis itself are as you would image them to be. It does not disappoint. Every element of the design from the architecture, the machinery and weapons to the giant sand worms are executed with conviction, further evidence that this Canadian film maker is the apex in world building. Like all his work, this demands to be shown on the largest canvas possible. The ensemble cast as one would expect are flawless and Chalamet makes a very credible Paul Atreides, he embodies the spice itself around which all others orbit. One has to address the white elephant as those of a certain age are still stained by David Lynch's operatic '84 behemoth. It's hard to forget the ginger haired spritely Sting running around like Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream, the bold brazen look of the Bene Gesserit Sisters or the neo-punk S&M inspired costumed sheer repulsiveness of Baron Harkonnen. It's difficult to talk about this latest version without having the foreboding dust clouds of the former not too far away. How does this compare to Lynch's hugely flawed but impactful romp? Villeneuve's adaptation is more nuanced, it feels far more authentic. The dynamics between Paul, Lady Jessica and Duke Leto are more fleshed out, events are given greater weight by dramatic scenes being played out like the rescue of the harvester workers or Duncan's stand. Amongst all the splendour the central theme of fate is finely weaved into the fabric of every frame. The House of Atreides are fully aware of the position the Emperor is putting them in but press on regardless, almost embracing their fate. This atmosphere of inevitability is heavily worn by all the protagonists and visually renforced by the repitition of Paul's visions. The Fremen and their connection to Arrakis are given a strong religious tone. There are signs of Jerusalem here and the question of whether any kind of occupation is righteous is frequently brought up. The stark echoes of colonisation and its harmful impact on environment including the indigenous people can't be ignored. Stellan Skarsgård's Baron is limited in Part 1 but his quiet menace resonances like the thumpers used to attract the worms. The pain in a box scene between Reverend Mother and Paul is beautifully played with an understated brutality. The director thankfully avoids the inner talk that frustrated the audience when watching Lynch's version, a classic example of a tool that worked effectively on page but appeared pretentious and irritating on screen. The cinematography is grand without being overwhelming, Zimmer's score adds to the pallet when required but there is a grain of something lacking in all its admired efficiency. Dune is Villeneuve's work of devotion; this will only further cement his reputation but he has a difficult task ahead. The first film covers two thirds of the book and I've always felt the third act was a letdown. I'm not sure how he can top Part 1 if he remains loyal to the book. Cinematically, Villeneuve has proven he flourishes in the most ardious of landscapes, he can find ample water where there is none. I eagerly anticipate to be proven wrong.

Great film

Against my expectations I very much liked this movie. Even my wife was intrigued - for most of it; she found the start en little puzzling like most would, and disliked the abrupt ending, like most would. I should have warned her. Nevertheless I found it an immersive joy to watch - something I haven’t experienced for some time. I should say that I’ve never seen the 1980’s Dune. Also I am a complete Star Wars junkie, a universe that I love for many reasons if not its space-opera straightforwardness. There are touch points but this new Dune movie is darker, more Game of Thrones-style but with a more sophisticated narrative. The casting was quite strong with many well-known stars in credible roles. The costumes and settings mesmerizing, the CGI spectacular. Some classic movies, with strong visuals and sound I like to own in 4K/ultra-HD, I’m glad I paid up for that with this movie. The perfect ultra sharp picture, the desert vista’s and sound effects make it worth it. And for less than two cinema tickets I could enjoy the movie in possibly better quality than in the theatre, and at a future date again, while not being annoyed with popcorn-munching cinema-potatoes next to me. Can’t wait until the next instalment and would be surprised if there will not be an HBO spin-off series.

I admit to being a Dune fan and for me this is along awaited event, yes there are things removed that are in book but that was always going to be necessary ( it’s a very dense book). This film captures the spirit of the story and the cast are so believable in their rolls, Paul especially is just as I pictured him in my mind while reading . This blue ray version is perfect for my needs, the price is reasonable for a new release and the extras are sufficient for me, I rarely watch anyway;doesn’t seem to be any trailers for movie though. The picture is superb and so is the sound, with the one caveat that sometimes as all to common these days the dialogue is drowned out by the desire to immerse you in the sound of their created world. Ah well there are always the subtitles,but that is my only small complaint. Roll on the second half, that cannot come quick enough for me, especially if it lives up to this, the final should be really spectacular if it lives up to book, and thought provoking

I was late watching Dune. I left it due to a combination of work commitments and not quite falling for the hype. I personally believe that this helped for a balanced view of the film. And so, I ended up watching the film, open-minded and ready for the ride. Upon the opening of the film, it was apparent that the filming, direction and acting are all top notch. I was a little worried about Timothée Chalamet, because of his appearance. He seemed like a goth teenager to me, but I must admit that he won me over with his performance! I love slow paced films, where they take their time to tell a story, if said slow pace is delivered correctly. On the most part , this was the case. I also thought that the design of the ships were very inventive, however, some of the designs were a little 'I-have-Seen-This-Before' type of thing, however, extremely impressive. Where the film hit a few hurdles was predominately in its pacing. As I said, I love slow films, but, Dune at a few points was so, so very slow, it just became, well, boring.... I couldn't help but compare this version with the original, and unfortunately, the original is far better than this new version in quite a few parts: The ship design: The original film created ships that looked like old naval vessels, made of wood. How inventive. They made a conscious effort to avoid anything to do with Star Wars type of designs and succeeded to a huge decree! Here we have spaceships that, although well designed, they are just...well, space ships.... The music: Hans Zimmer, once again, hits the same harmonic structures once again. Same stuff from Batman and Inception, just reworked. He added a scale called an octatonic scale, which made it sound like he rediscovered the wheel, but it is a very old, and far better used scale by other composers. The rest were basic musical chord progressions, as per his limits as a composer. Again, everything dressed with synthesized sounds, drone like music, processed guitars, forgettable melodies, and vocals that have become boringly familiar. The bagpipes were silly really. They made no sense, none what-so-ever. The original score for the original Dune, was far more accomplished in creating the correct atmosphere, it had a very powerful and memorable theme, it had a sense of wonder and drew you in this fantastical world in a hypnotizing manner. I just didn't feel the same with Zimmer's score. It was just OK. Oscar Isaac: Than man could not convince me as Duke Leto Atreides, he simply did not have the weight needed for the character. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: He simply was not scary. Period...The Baron from the original film, was disgusting, scary and horrific. I felt none of those attributes with this character. He was just, well, a floating overweight man. The Harkonnnen world: It was not scary, not at all, could not compare to any way to the original film where the world was simply horrific. Beast Rabban: I love Dave Bautista, but here, this role was too large for him. Zendaya: Lacked charisma for the role. She simply lacked the ethereal qualities Sean Young radiated on the role for Chani. The Worms: Ironically, the original film in 1984 featured far more impressive worms...no idea how on Earth is this possible, but I didn't feel the awe I felt in 1984 watching those creatures on the silver screen... The worlds: The worlds felt more inventive in the original film. I also loved how on the 1984 film, one saw the machinery of the navigators. The navigators: Nowhere NEAR as inventive as they were on the original film. The machinery that the main navigating creature appeared on the meeting with the emperor was beyond original. Here , we have some people...and ...well, that's it.... Pretty much every character was better cast on the original, bar maybe a couple of people on this new rendition, who were equally great. Of course, it is not a bad film, far from it, I just didn't feel the wonder, the unsettled feeling, the amazement, and the hypnotizing qualities I felt on the original film in 1984. It's a shame really, but a very valiant and noteworthy effort none the less.

great

perfette

Film sam w sobie genialny! W końcu godna adaptacja Diuny (chociaż nadal wiele scen książkowych nie znalazło się w filmie). Wersja pudełkowa DVD przyszła przed czasem (oczekiwany czas dostawy: 7.09-19.09), a płytę dostałam wczoraj (30.08.). Płyta przyszła zapakowana w foli i została dostarczona bez uszkodzeń (pudełko w stanie idealnym, płyta również) Polecam również sprzedawcę (jest kontakt i na spokojnie dają odpowiedzi). Minusem jest brak śledzenia, oraz brak informacji o zapłacie cła podczas odbioru paczki (08,20), ale poza tym wszystko w jak najlepszym porządku.

Lo compré para mi hermano, le encantó.

Not only is this a great movie, but it has excellent video quality stunning on a 4K OLED TV!