Dune 2020

[ErikB]

I liked the first book enough to read all of them, hoping that one of the sequels or prequels would be as good as the original.  None were but they were still worth reading.

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Lynch's movie drove me nuts.  It was astounding in many ways but also soooooooooo weird.  Just off the wall.  I couldn't decide if I liked the whispering or not but it was a good way to represent interior monologue.

The bene gesserit were great.  The Fremen were just strange and spaced-out which was disappointing.  There was a lot of overacting by stage actors. 

The visuals were grand and I loved them, especially the dark weather in the dessert, looking at the capital city from outside.  Really set the tone beautifully.

The Guild visit scene was astoundingly well done.  Really, really good job.  I could watch that 1,000 times and never be bored.  Same with the shield fights.

And the weirding modules?  Heart plugs?  WTH?

The Baron was fantastic, Feyd (Sting) was strange with that hair but really took the stage, but Rabban was just a silly fat guy who could barely move in that outfit.

The pace of the movie was inconsistent, as well.  Sometimes full of grandeur, sometimes rushed, editing should have been better.

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The mini-series was also love/frustrating.  They told A LOT of story which was wonderful and captivating.  William Hurt, Alex Newman, and Julie Cox, and especially Saskia Reeves were the wrong actors.  The Paul's twins were great, especially Jessica Brooks. 

The stages and special effects were inferior to Lynch's, more busyness and less grandeur, which was what was so special about Lynch's.

The Spice/Stych "orgies" were just silly and cheap looking.  There was a lot of silly stage acting nonsense just to provide a sense of movement and atmosphere that could have been much improved.

One thing obviously missing was any sort of tan, sweat, or weather-beaten skin on the Fremen.

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Both had some ridiculous looking costumes but that might just be my American eyes not appreciating the European influence.

All this being said, I watched them again and again and again, I found I could not get enough.

I can't wait for the new version.  I hope that Peter Jackson can get it perfect.  He did such a fine job with King Kong and Lord of the Rings.

[CookAndrewB]

Appreciate the thoughts all the way around. Mostly I took away that maybe the subject matter of a book like Dune (and Ender's Game) probably struggles to display well for mass audiences. You could probably make a great movie that would please the Dune faithful, but then you lose the rest. You make a movie to please the rest, and the faithful grumble.

I'm glad that Snitchy brought up Ender's game, because that was very similar to me. The story isn't about building a fleet to go kill aliens. That is far too simplistic, but that is where we end up in the movie. I liked the movie, and I liked the books, but probably for very different reasons.

[Malebolgia]

I can't wait for the new version.  I hope that Peter Jackson can get it perfect.  He did such a fine job with King Kong and Lord of the Rings.

You mean Dennis Villeneuve?
I think Villeneuve is a way better choice than Peter Jackson. I think less over the top drama, more true to the books and ideas behind the books than Jackson would be. At least, after the Hobbit trilogy I am VERY glad Jackson isn't doing Dune.

And is it known whether it is only 2 movies for book 1, several movies for several books or 2 movies and tv/streaming series?

[ErikB]

Oh, not Peter Jackson?  Whoops, my mistake.

Arrival, Blade Runner, and Sicario... those were nice movies but a little off, somehow.  I watched them several times to make sure I didn't miss anything but they were... weird.  I bet this Dune will also be like that.  Sigh... another cool flick that's just... strange.

[Mark Plant]

No New Zealander can watch Ender's Game without cringing about Ben Kingsley's accent.  It floats between Kiwi, Australian, South African and truly bizarre. Plus it has not even the slightest hint of Polynesian -- guys with full face tattoos tend not to be very white sounding.

I'm not worried about cultural appropriation, but there's a couple of big name actual Maori in Hollywood who could have fitted in beautifully.

[Mr Tough Guy]

Looks like it’s delayed until October 2021
https://collider.com/dune-movie-new-release-date-delayed-2021/

[Splod]

Looks like it’s delayed until October 2021
https://collider.com/dune-movie-new-release-date-delayed-2021/