Villeneuve's Dune: Part One (2019)

I've seen it. Generally, it doesn't add anything to the original, but my lord it's sluggish. The direction lacked immediacy and tension. Not exactly bad, but I won't be rushing out to see part two. I've had enough sleep, watching this movie, to last me for a while.
 
It's a slow-burn like other Villeneuve's movies so I knew what I was in for. But honestly? I think it fits, and I wasn't bored.
 
Droflet said:
Generally, it doesn't add anything to the original, but my lord it's sluggish. The direction lacked immediacy and tension.
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Having seen all 15 hours of Blade Runner 2049 (it felt that way), this is what I've been fearing.
 
I have seen it. And I definitely want to see Part Two.

Is it a slow burner? To the point it is boring and sleep inducing? Yes to the former, definitely No to the latter. But hey, you know the story, it's not an action thriller. Generally speaking it follows Paul development from typical 15 year old teenager to a troubled Messiah. And Timothée Chamalet depicts that WAY better than Kyle Maclachlan or Alec Newman. He fits the role, as do the other main characters.
The movie takes its time to tell the story. Part One runs until directly after the duel between Paul and Jamis. Which is longer than it does in the SyFy mini-series, but the movie makes other choices about what to tell or not. There is more attention for the interactions between Paul and the people close around him.
But yeah, it is Villeneuve's interpretation, told in a way to appeal to the cinema-public of today and with stunning visuals. It won't speak to everyone, I suppose, as everyone carries their own expectations and imagery by reading the books.
 
Just finished it. I went into it expecting to dislike it but really loved it. Dune is one of those stories that has everything I would usually hate in a story - the chosen one, prophecies, portentous dialogue about coming galactic wars and foretold messiahs, but for some reason it all comes together perfectly. I loved the Lynch version, flawed as it was - the production design, eno's music, the lynchian weirdness.

When I saw the trailers for Villeneuve's Dune it looked bland. Having seen it, it's anything but.

Some beautiful cinematography. The opening shots are like something by John Martin.

The acting is on point, the production design is incredible. It's a slow movie, but it's positively biblical / Shakespearean in scope. It was 2 1/2 hours but it didn't feel it at all. I didn't think the politics were heavy handed. The sandworms were great, the music suitably atmospheric. The desert looked fantastic.

A friend of mine who is... not a fan of Dune (and hasn't seen it or enjoyed the books) called the series "an interminable, tedious phonebook sized set of potboilers." I suspect his opinion is based on a general dislike of worldbuilding focused stories - which he regards as nerdery. I'm a nerd so naturally I disagree. Dune has to be, alongside LOTR, the pinnacle of worldbuilding, though. The thought and detail is just mind blowing, and this really comes across in the movie.

There was only one tiny unintentionally silly bit right at the end which made me laugh out loud.

You see a freeman riding a sandworm in the distance that just looked very daft. It's a very short, blink and you'll miss it moment, but felt very incongruous with the rest of the movie.

I very much missed the Emperor or the Guild Navigators and hope we can see those in the sequel, if it gets one.
 
Good summary @Mon0Zer0. I saw it on Friday and would concur. The production design and cinematography are absolutely stunning. The ornithopters are very cool, and the sandworms are brilliantly done.

I saw it with friends and concluded that if you weren't into Dune, or epic science fiction/fantasy then it would be a difficult film to watch; it is very slowly-paced, and takes its sweet time in presenting the world and its politics. But it does allow the viewer to sink into the world and appreciate the bleak and blasted beauty of it.

The world building is cleverly done, managed without infodumps (save for one or two that are deftly done as Paul listens to his schooling videos) and allowed to develop naturally.

There was nothing relating to the Navigators, or folding space, or mentats, or even about the effects of spice (though they are hinted at) but clearly some things had to be culled in order to retain something close to a sensible running time.

In any case I'd expect these things to be showed off in Dune part 2. And that's my final thought: one has to admire Villeneuve's chutzpah in naming the movie Dune Part 1 when the second part hasn't even been green lit yet. So if you want to see Dune part 2, my advice is to get out there and watch part 1 to bump up those box office figures....
 
Fully agree with the above 2 reviews.
If I had to name a downside it would be that it fell a bit short on the worldbuilding and that it leaned on the assumption that the audience would know and recognize when shown a hint. Like the mentats. They weren't mentioned as a group but Thufir Hawat, not introduced as such, was clearly recognizable as one. BTW, I liked his performance.
Not every aspect of the world needs to be delved into, really. The Navigators were presented (of sorts) and Paul was taught that the Spice is essential for their navigating. More isn't strictly necessary to tell the story.
Anyway, Part One was basically the setup to the actual story, which will be Part Two. I think many new aspects and details will surface then.
 
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