Dune (1984) vs Dune (2021)

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Apparently, Jeffrey Lebowski, Walter Sobchak, Donny's ashes and Jesus made it all the way to Arrakis

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Renzatic

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I don't think there is ever going to be a time when as many spaces as possible are the size of cathedrals. If nothing else, it's a giant resource suck. You don't need a sports arena just so 4 people can sit down and have a conversation.

It's set 20,000 years in the future, space travel has been commonplace for 17,000 of those years, and everyone involved in the story is incredibly filthy rich. Yeah, they'd have some big ships.

The other thing that always kills me about futuristic settings, there are still distinct races. One would think that over the next century we will all start to blend together.

We blended together, then pulled back apart as we settled more and more planets.
 

Huntn

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I’ll admit that I’ve always always been a fan of David Lynch’s Dune - right from the start with Brian Eno’s Prophecy theme to the last line from Alia’s “How can this be? For he IS the Kwisatz Haderach!”.

In addition I thought that Lynch especially captured the mysticism that the novels went further into - and even though it was a single movie, I got the feeling that he brought into the crazy direction that Herbert went into (as in Paul’s second son, Leto II, turning into a human\worm hybrid)

In addition, given the special effects at the time, I thought Lynch nailed to splendor and regal nature of the various houses, and Kenneth McMillan’s Duke Vladimir Harkonen was an over acted joy to behold.

Sure Lynch took liberties with the story (Duncan Idaho was killed in the book, but survived in the movie), but for me he got the feeling right.

Now comes Dennis Villeneuve, with Hans Zimmer forsaking a chance to work with Christopher Nolan on Tenet, and score this movie instead. Zimmer, to his credit, I thought created a quite out of character score and I was well impressed on this new turn. The special effects were everything we’d expect in the third decade of this millennium. The scope as vast - and worms were menacing.

But something for me went wrong. For starters it’s only the first part - Villeneuve has yet to get part two greenlit by Warner Bros (apparently it depends on how well Part one does on HBO Max).

And next, it feels way too political for how the story turns later on. And I really didn’t feel anything most of the characters - Paul included. The only one I did care for was Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho - pretty much anyone else I felt was more of a Cipher. I get that Timothée Chalamet’s star may be rising in Hollywood, but I really didn’t feel him as Paul Atradies.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed watching it but for me Lynch, for all his failings, still maintains the crown.

I agree. The new one is beautiful, epic and the worms, oh yeah! The characters are also looking sharp, visually. Pretty flat, though, like I’m just observing them from afar. Duncan Idaho felt misplaced in that regard. Heck, I would have loved to watch a movie about his adventures!

People seem to get carried away, drooling over all the pretty and talking about wanting more. Which is perfectly fine, I want more too, but when people are mostly talking about that and not about what happened in the movie they just watched… Well, maybe it wasn’t as great as they give it credit for?

As I recall in the books, Duncan Idaho if I have the right character turned out to be ressurected?
Anyway, I disliked the original movie, too atmospheric in a way I did not care for. It did not live up to the book. Sometimes when a movie varies from the book, or what I liked about the book, I am able to adapt because the movie is deemed worthy by my standards. Not so with the original.

The 2021 version has outstanding visuals and production values, but I was just not engaged with these characters, I agree with the flat feeling comment. I mean the story went though the motions yet failed to capture me, and this is significant because I really wanted this movie to succeed. Part of the problem is the almost constant oppressive music, or another description is music that sets a tone. And if I remember correctly Lynch used music in a similiar way.

But here is my point, in the book when the Attredes family relocates to Arrakis, I don’t remember the sense of doom, more like a new start forced on them, and maybe because I read the book before seeing the movie, I knew or assumed what this music means and it felt like the director is projecting doom into the story which was more subtle in the book. Hints are in the book, in the book, you know something is afoot, but do not know until it happens, if the Attredes family can fight off the threat or not. In contrast, I think Lynch was using music and visuals more to portray an alien/scifi atmosphere, but maybe it was his version of doom, and it was oppressive too. :)

I guess it is possible if I watch it a second time it might alter my perceptions. :unsure:
 

Chew Toy McCoy

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I might be conflating Dune with Foundation here, but in general SciFi seems to be rife with "I don't want to be destined for greatness. WAAAHHHH!" whiners and it's just unavoidable that they do great things. I don't know what kind of message that puts out. Most people aren't destined for greatness and when they do achieve it, it's through a lot of effort, not through it just happening despite a string of disinterest and fuck ups in the process.
 

SuperMatt

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I might be conflating Dune with Foundation here, but in general SciFi seems to be rife with "I don't want to be destined for greatness. WAAAHHHH!" whiners and it's just unavoidable that they do great things. I don't know what kind of message that puts out. Most people aren't destined for greatness and when they do achieve it, it's through a lot of effort, not through it just happening despite a string of disinterest and fuck ups in the process.
Salvor Hardin in Foundation seemed to have little hesitation for her role, if I understood the character as portrayed in the TV show. She realized her gifts and stepped forward willingly and aggressively.
 

Renzatic

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I might be conflating Dune with Foundation here, but in general SciFi seems to be rife with "I don't want to be destined for greatness. WAAAHHHH!" whiners and it's just unavoidable that they do great things. I don't know what kind of message that puts out. Most people aren't destined for greatness and when they do achieve it, it's through a lot of effort, not through it just happening despite a string of disinterest and fuck ups in the process.

Paul being reticent about embracing his role, and doing what needs to be done is actually a big part of Dune's story. He's the first person capable of seeing the entire scope of humanity's various futures, and ends up chickening out halfway into realizing what comes to be known as the Golden Path, fleeing to the desert, and leaving it to his son to do the dirty work.
 
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