Stream it now Dune 1984

 

This is an interesting film because at some points the movie is so bad that it's good, but at other times the film is an exceptional piece of cinema. The acting varies between laughably awesome (Patrick Stewart as Gurney) to truly impressive ( the guy who play's Leto Atradies and the woman who played the Benne Geserate who worked for the Emperor). As I said the lines at times are laughable, but that actually improves the story because it prevents this movie from getting too serious and thus makes the movie seem like a joke. Also the lines that are delivered poorly are incredibly quotable which makes the film feel like a bonding experience like Monty Python. The special effects look pretty good given the amount of time that passed and I felt that the practical effects were used well. All the characters have engaging personalities and even though the cast is expansive, each character is given a certain amount of personality and depth. While this movie deviates from the original novel my Frank Herbert with many things, you still feel as though you are bawls deep in the Dune-i-verse. The soundtrack by Toto is up to it's neck in 80's era synthesized cheese, but given the subject matter it actually improves the movie and fits the story rather well. Finally he director tries really hard to give you as much of the back story as possible, which is quite admirable. Not everyone will enjoy this film, however if you enjoy old school science fiction and/ or horror films you're gonna bust a nut all over this epic. I own the roughly 3 hour long special edition and I am praying for a longer cut. FULL PRICE!!!

The first half was good, the second half played like a long trailer of what could have been. Good for those who have read the book and don't need much explination. I wish David Lynch would revisit this and do a proper director's cut. Looking forward the remake.

Awesome movie. . . One of my all time favorites... A great cult hit.

Going into this movie for me was like jumping in the middle of World War II with a sword and shield. My preparation was woefully inadequate. Not only had I never read the evidently dense Frank Herbert novel and thus was entirely unfamiliar with the story, I had also never seen a David Lynch film before. To be honest, I don't feel as though I can legitimately review this film, but knowing that there are probably other viewers of this film who enter under the same conditions, I'm going to review it from that perspective, for them.

It is indeed an unfortunate perspective to see Dune from. The world of Dune is obviously very developed and complex. This type of epic, populated by an enormous amount of strangely named characters, simply fails to transfer to the screen. Without any background knowledge for all the political turmoil going about, it's very hard to keep up with on a first time viewing.

If the movie confuses you, you'll get no sympathy from it at all. It is mercilessly serious; the film marches forward stoically and indifferently, telling its story and offering no light moments of air. There are no moments of tenderness, no instances of humor, and I may be remembering unfairly, but possibly not a single smile in the entirety of the near 3 hour film. The film feels less like entertainment and more like actually reading a novel - it demands your attention entirely, which still might not be enough to understand it.

People often cite the visual effects of the film as a major strength. To be certain, there are many uses of make-up and costumes, as well as a fair population of interesting and well-made creatures. Unfortunately, many of the larger special effects look dated. Considering that the film was made after the entire original trilogy of Star Wars, and that it actually went over budget by a considerable amount, it's disappointing to see some of the results. There are poorly done projected backgrounds, such as when the hero hides from a sandworm. Also, despite the awesome idea behind the block suits, the implementation now seems almost comical in how primitive the effects look.

I realize that there is a lot of history behind the making of this film. David Lynch is certainly a more experimental and independent filmmaker, and he was placed at the helm of this large sci-fi blockbuster. In addition, the source material is very intense and could probably never be compacted to a three hour film. From a perspective blind to Lynch's work and the epic story, however, none of these things matter, and what they get is a movie that takes itself far too seriously and doesn't look nearly good enough to make up for its befuddling story.

I fully intend to watch this movie at a later time, when I have familiarized myself better with Lynch, and even possibly read the Frank Herbert novel. However, until then, these are my feelings about Dune.

Final rating: 3/10

--James A. Janisse

I love Dune. It is one of my favorite movies. Here's why: It is a stand-alone movie that tells a whole story. Not Frank Herbert's story, but a whole one. There is no need for 2 or even 5 sequel/prequels (I'm talking to you Star Wars). It has a great cast, great storyline, great effects, and is well put together.
Be prepared to turn up the volume as there are lots of inner monologue parts and some of the lines are hard to understand.
Watch it enough and you too will quote it.

Sometimes I see "Twinpeakeans"

Rating: 6.8

Lynch`s attempt to weave this massive and complex novel into film , was a hell of an undertaking ,the wonderous visuals are something to behold , while plot suffers in so many areas . Though in many ways , I can`t blame Lynch or the screenwriters . They were quite brave to take something so epic . Frank Herbert himself he didn`t mind the film , though he died soon after.

no matter how many remakes this story gets it will never get the full scope of Herbert`s writing in it.

Even the writer himself touched some rather questionable areas ... that screenwriters try hard to avoid . Lynch did pretty well with it . Though I would have love to see Ridley Scott`s take upon it .

VERDICT:
1/10 Translation Abominations

Man, I give myself a pat on the back for making it through this one. This must be what it feels like to be a film critic, forcing yourself to sit through movies that would otherwise make you want to drive your head through the TV screen. What the hell am I getting myself into?

- Read the rest of my review at ctcmr.com -

The Baron is as repulsive as the lack of talent in the TV production from 2000, which alone is a reason to try to watch "Dune", although success is not guaranteed. Mainly so because of the storytelling being a total mess. Therefore, it is advised to (re-)read the novel prior to watching the movie. This should be done regardless, since it is a very nice piece of science-fiction.

This movie will never be sold or traded from my collection. When I was eleven or so, I would eagerly wait for Dune on television. Back then, the UHF stations would play the extended version all night. Awesome stuff. Every time I watch this movie, something new pops up and surprises me. This is Lynch at his best.