Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Dune (2021) Review









Dune


Release Date: 2nd December 2021 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures (present)
Legendary Entertainment (present)
Villeneuve Films

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 156 minutes


Budget: $165,000,000

Box Office Gross: $407,673,628 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
In the far-off future, an intelligent and gifted young man named Paul Atreides has a great destiny ahead of him by travelling to the scorching desert planet Dune to secure
the fate of his family and
his people. As evil forces
collide over the planet's
exclusive supply of the
most precious resource known to existence, only those who can overcome their fear will survive.


Cast
Timothée Chalamet - Paul Atreides
Rebecca Ferguson - Lady Jessica Atreides
Oscar Issac - Duke Leto Atreides
Jason Momoa - Duncan
Idaho
Stellan Skarsgård - Baron
Vladimir Harkonnen
Stephen McKinley Henderson -
Thufir Hawat
Josh Brolin - Gurney Halleck
Javier Bardem - Stilgar
Sharon Duncan-Brewster - Dr. Liet Kynes
Chang Chen - Dr. Wellington Yueh
Dave Bautista - Beast Rabban Harkonnen
David Dastmalchian - Piter de Vries
Zendaya - Chani
Charlotte Rampling - Reverend
Mother Mohiam
Babs Olusanmokun - Jamis
Benjamin Clémentine - Herald
of the Charge
Souad Faress - Bene Gesserit Sister
Golda Rosheuvel - Shadout Mapes
Roger Yuan - Lieutenant Lanville
Seun Shote - Arrakeen Residency Gardener
Neil Bell - Sardaukar Bashar
Oliver Ryan - Hawat Specialist
Stephen Collins - Harkonnen Trooper
Charlie Rawes - Harkonnen Trooper
Richard Carter - Harkonnen
Trooper
Ben Dilloway - Sardaukar
Assassin
Elmi Rashid Elmi - Shamir
Tachia Newall - Tanat
Gloria Obianyo - Female Fremen
Fehinti Balogun - Male Fremen
Dora Kápolnai-Schvab - Baron Servant
Joelle - Baron Servant (Cameo)
Jimmy Walker - Atreides Lieutenant
Paul Bullion - Sardaukar Soldier
Milena Sidorova - Human Spider Proxy
János Timkó - Harkonnen Guard
Jean Gilpin - Bene Gesserit
Ancestors (Voice)
Marianne Faithfull - Bene 
Gesserit Ancestors (Voice)
Ellen Dubin - Bene Gesserit
Ancestors (Voice)

Crew
Screenplay/Director - Denis Villeneuve
Based on the Novel - Frank Herbert
Screenplay/Executive
Producer - Jon Spaihts
Screenplay - Eric Roth
Script Supervisor - Jessica Clothier
Special Consultant - Kevin J.
Anderson
Executive Producers -
Joshua Grode, John Harrison,
Herbert W. Gains, Brian & Kim
Herbert, Tanya Lapointe, Bryon
Merritt, Richard P. Rubinstein
and Thomas Tull
Producers - Cale Boyter and
Mary Parent
Producer/Unit Production
Manager - Joseph M. Carraciolo Jr.
Co-Producer/First Assistant Director - Chris Carreras
Co-Producer/Production Supervisor - Jessica Derhammer
Casting Directors - Jina Jay and Francine Maisler
Production Designer - Patrice Vermette
Concept Designer/Storyboard
Artist - Sam Hudecki
Props Concept Artist - Ed Natividad
Concept Artists - Kamen Anev, Joseph Cross, Jeremy Hanna, George Hull, Eric Hamel, Carlos Haunte, Yanick Dusseault, Peter Popken and Colie Wertz
Concept Artist/Visual Effects
Art Director: Rodeo FX -
Deak Ferrand
Supervising Art Director - Tom
Brown
Set Decorators - Richard
Roberts and Zsuzsanna Sipos
Property Master - Doug Harlocker
Costume Designers - Bob
Morgan and Jacqueline West
Makeup Department Head/Makeup and Hair Designer - Donald Mowat
Prosthetic Designer: Baron Harkonnen - Love Larson
Director of Photography - Greig Fraser
Directors of Photography:
Additional Photography -
Pierre Gill and Adam Arkapaw
Unit Production Manager - James Grant
Location Manager: California - Leann Emmert
First Assistant Director:
Additional Photography -
Cliff Lanning
Second Unit Director/Stunt
Coordinator - Tom Struthers
Stunt Coordinator - Dave Judge
Fight Coordinator - Roger Yuan
Aerial Coordinator - Cliff Fleming
Special Effects Supervisor - Gerd Nefzer
Visual Effects Supervisor - Paul Lambert
Visual Effects Supervisors: DNEG - Brian Connor
and Tristan Myles
Visual Effects Producers - Maricel Pagulayan
and Brice Parker
Visual Effects Producers: DNEG -
Jennifer Fairweather and Jose Maria de la Puente
Visual Effects Producer: Rodeo FX - Wassila Lmouaci
Senior Animation Supervisor: DNEG -
Robyn Luckham
Animation Supervisors: DNEG - Nick Symons
and Eric Bates
Visualisation Supervisor: The Third Floor -
Nicholas Markel
Visualisation Supervisor: Digital Domain -
Scott Meadows
Film Editor - Joe Walker
Sound Designers/Supervising Sound Editors -
Mark A. Mangini and Theo Green
Sound Designer - Dave Whitehead
Re-Recording Mixers - Ron Bartlett
and Doug Hemphill
Music/Synth Programming - Hans Zimmer
Composers: Additional Music - David Fleming,
Steve Mazzaro, Steven Doar and Andrew Kawczynski
Music Supervisors - Peter Afterman
and Alison Litton
Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson


Awards

2022 Academy Awards
Best Sound - Mac Ruth, Mark A. Mangini,
Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett (Won)
Best Achievement in Visual Effects -
Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor
and Gerd Nefzer (Won)
Best Achievement in Production Design -
Patricia Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos (Won)
Best Achievement in Music Written for
Motion Picture (Original Score) - Hans Zimmer (Won)
Best Achievement in Film Editing - Joe Walker (Won)
Best Achievement in Cinematography -
Greig Fraser (Won)
------------------------
Best Motion Picture of the Year - Mary Parent,
Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter (Nominated)
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling -
Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva Von Bahr
(Nominated)
Best Achievement in Costume Design -
Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan (Nominated)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Jon Spaihts,
Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth (Nominated)


Review
Before 2021, DUNE was considered one of the unfilmable science fiction novels by many people who read it and its fans. Numerous attempts have failed to bring DUNE to the big screen, including one that never got off the ground by Alejandro Jodorowsky. Even Ridley Scott came dangerously close to adapting the original sci-fi story but backed out when he opted for Blade Runner instead. However, David Lynch created the first film adaptation (click here) in 1984, which remained true to its weird nature but failed at the box office and wasn't well-received by critics. It grew to be a cult classic in later years. Even the 2000 miniseries version suffered from poor casting and cheap CGI while being faithful to the original novel. It finally succeeded when Denis Villeneuve, the man behind Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, followed his lifelong ambition of directing a massive sci-fi epic.

While a remarkable adaptation, this film differs from the original book but covers the first half, leaving the story incomplete and ending abruptly. The slow pacing is also a detriment to the movie. A few characters from the book are not in this film, as these will appear in the second part. Villeneuve has lived up to the vision and scope that Frank Herbert has conceived for DUNE, but wasn't trying to be like David Lean, Stanley Kubrick or Steven Spielberg. Instead, he was doing his own thing and proved he was the best man to bring DUNE to life, as no other director could handle the responsibility of helming it. There are epic and memorable moments that make DUNE an exciting film.

It maintains a sizable cast with a pedigree of actors who have all done well in their terrific performances, particularly Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, whom the two actors did such a fine job in their roles. Stellan Skarsgård appears to have gained weight (due to the makeup and fat suit) to play the sinister Baron Harkonnen. His performance is better than Kenneth McMillan's in the original film by being less over-the-top. Zendaya could have had more scenes for the character Chani. She has less screen time than any of the other actors.

The costume design is impressive, and the visual effects are stunning. Even the cinematography by Greig Fraser is awe-inspiring in the breathtaking imagery it uses to capture the scale of this movie. Hans Zimmer retains his crown as one of the greatest movie composers by delivering a powerful, booming score. It helps that he was a fan of the book and has read it ever since to infuse the rich texture in his cinematic score.

This mind-blowing experience has left fans wanting more, but they will have to watch the second part after watching its predecessor. I can't say I loved DUNE, but it's different from the other versions I grew up watching. Overall, it is a great movie. This interpretation is for those who previously experienced the original versions in either Lynch's or the miniseries.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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