Dune Part 2 2023 (24, 25, 26...)

[FPAlpha]

Due to my wonky work schedule, I'm not able to see it until Tuesday, but I will be seeing it at the supposedly world's tallest IMAX screen. I can't wait.

...now I have to figure out the time to squeeze in a rewatch of the first part before then!

Sleep is overrated.

 

[JoeZhang]

The story has been around for around 60 years. You should be fine.

the film changes some elements in interesting and new ways…

 

[Tallguy]

Sleep is overrated.

The sleeper must awaken.

 

[wayoung]

I rated it an A.

There were a lot of decisions made by Villeneuve I was not expecting. I think most of them worked extremely well as part of adapting dense lore into a movie. None sacrificed the over arching themes of the book.

The two biggest of all were well done and fit the different medium.

I still think there's a better adaptation of the book out there. Something absolutely mind blowing. This isn't it, but this is still damn good.

 

[Mage]

Three more hours and I'll be seeing it!!

 

[Bekk Ishy Z]

Three more hours and I'll be seeing it!!

Reads: -Posted eight hours ago-
Thinks: "And, he didn't immediately post a gushing review? Wow! Must've really hated it."

 

[wayoung]

Reads: -Posted ten hours ago-
Thinks: "And, he didn't immediately post a gushing review? Wow! Must've really hated it."

I get it. I need time to digest it.

 

[Mage]

Reads: -Posted eight hours ago-
Thinks: "And, he didn't immediately post a gushing review? Wow! Must've really hated it."

Hahahahah. Actually, only got home about an hour ago, but I posted some thoughts on it in the review thread. I don't usually go to deep into these things anymore because I feel that I just like to enjoy things more. Having said that.....

I fucking loved it.

I get it. I need time to digest it.

Well, that too. But I did absolutely enjoy the living hell out of it. I feel it's a great adaption of the novel, realizing that it is not possible to make a blow by blow, page by page adaption. Also, when filming a novel, it's ok to make some changes and be creative. That's what movies are for. Hell, I've loved some of the changes that have happened in for example LOTR or Harry Potter because some things were just clonky in the novels. Same here. And I LOVE Dune. The novel I mean.
Actually, I love both Part 1 and Part 2 as well. For many reasons. Yes, I would have loved a bit more depth on a few things. But it would make the movies so much longer and make them drag on.

 

[FPAlpha]

Opening weekend has performed as expected - more than 80 million at the box office.

I think we can safely assume Messiah will be greenlit soon enough.

 

[wayoung]

Opening weekend has performed as expected - more than 80 million at the box office.

I think we can safely assume Messiah will be greenlit soon enough.

The forecast was 65-80, WBD saying they expected the lower portion of the range, general industry watchers suggested the higher. If it pulled in more than $80 it exceeded the highest expectations, which is fantastic.

 

[Mage]

I would also like to point out....

I said earlier in this topic that I don't really believe that some movies benefit from the big screen. This one really does. I went late in the morning, maybe 10 people there. It was glorious. Nice and quiet, no assholes ruining the experience for you. And yes, it made a difference seeing some of the scenes play out on the big screen.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Well, that too. But I did absolutely enjoy the living hell out of it. I feel it's a great adaption of the novel, realizing that it is not possible to make a blow by blow, page by page adaption. Also, when filming a novel, it's ok to make some changes and be creative. That's what movies are for. Hell, I've loved some of the changes that have happened in for example LOTR or Harry Potter because some things were just clonky in the novels. Same here. And I LOVE Dune. The novel I mean.
Actually, I love both Part 1 and Part 2 as well. For many reasons. Yes, I would have loved a bit more depth on a few things. But it would make the movies so much longer and make them drag on.

So in other words you hated the changes.







j/k

 

[Mage]

So in other words you hated the changes.







j/k

:-P No, I really loved the way the movie turned out. It is, in my opinion, a correct adaption of the core themes of the book. If some things are different, than that's fine by me.

 

[Tallguy]

Loved the movie. I knew how badly I needed to see the harvester scene from the first one. I did not know how badly I needed to see Paul's first time riding a worm. The whole thing was a visual and auditory feast. This is why we go to the movies.

I think the two years between films did everyone good. It gave them time to see what worked and what might have been better in the first film. And WOW did Chalamet step up.

But...

These two films misused Jessica terribly. My two favorite characters (Jessica and Thufir) got kind of a raw deal from these films.

I can't help but notice that the word "jihad" is still never said in this film but boy howdy do they get a lot of mileage out of "fundamentalist". They're even "southern fundamentalists".

As others have noted, you can't do every tiny thing or even every moderately sized thing from The Book. But a mitigating measure to that is "don't manufacture a major plot line" (the conflict between believers and non-believers in the Fremen culture).

Spoiler: The Movie

I can see (I suppose) wanting to avoid the complications of 3 year old who must act like she's 60. And Paul killing the Baron is more direct. Fine.

But ending the movie with Chani and Paul estranged while Jessica stands firmly by his side (as almost the hand behind the throne)? Well and good I guess, but not the same story. It's actually the opposite of the original story where Chani was unswerving and Jessica was the disbeliever (and leaves Paul in the end). I wonder how that will lead to wherever Dune Messiah takes us?

Aside from depriving me of the final line of the book, the movie treats Chani's reaction to Paul taking Irulan as a wife like they're high school sweethearts. "How... How COULD you?!? *sob*" Feh, I say.

Paul says he'll blow up the spice and no one really cares. It's just burning money. It's not bringing the Imperium and the human race to its knees. So the ending was a little anti-climactic.

For all of the things to include, it's amazing that he included Lady Fenring having Feyd's child. Even Herbert went nowhere with that. Gotta say, the Giedi Prime scenes were astonishing.

Oh, and Mohiam engineering the destruction of the Atreidies to end the line was... Well, I was going to say nonsense. Different from the book. But it needs a lot more explaining. Is this the Sisterhood's plan? Is she acting against it?

Paul actually being the Kwisatz Haderach is downplayed because it's a real thing and separate from the Femen "made up" culture that "enslaves" them.

The last scene just need Yoda to say "Begun, the holy wars have."

An amazing film. I'm sure I'll see it again, and I'll certainly buy it when it's available. Still the best Dune adaptation. That's a very low bar and this film clears it admirably.

But I just re-read the last two pages of Dune. And this movie didn't move me half so much.

 

[wayoung]

@Tallguy I agree the Chani thing is weird but I kinda got a (bad) vibe that they were setting up an interquel story with it... A Zendaya-led movie/miniseries/tie in of some sort...

Edit to add: I say "bad" because it feels artificial/forced. Especially since we know Villeneuve is only coming back for Messiah.

 

[fireproof78]

But I just re-read the last two pages of Dune. And this movie didn't move me half so much.

Can I ask why would it?

Books always land differently for me than films. There are moments in books that film productions can't do.

 

[wayoung]

Sorry guys I thought I posted this in the other thread. Editing to add tags

Spoiler

Did anyone actually see Tim Blake Nelson or was he fully cut in post like Stephen McKinley Henderson? I did not notice him at all. Curious if he actually was Fenring, or possibly Korba or Otheym, or some other character.

 

[Mage]

Can I ask why would it?

Books always land differently for me than films. There are moments in books that film productions can't do.

Basically exactly completely totally this. I did enjoy those last two pages of the novel immensely. I also loved the last few minutes of the movie equally, for different reasons.

 

[Mage]

Did anyone actually see Tim Blake Nelson or was he fully cut in post like Stephen McKinley Henderson? I did not notice him at all. Curious if he actually was Fenring, or possibly Korba or Otheym, or some other character.

https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a60073107/dune-2-tim-blake-nelson/

 

[wayoung]

Wired article on FH's own screenplay based on Dune:

https://www.wired.com/story/frank-herbert-dune-script-denis-villeneuve-dune-part-two/