The new Dune movie.

[Ray de Galles]

They greenlit Part 2 a couple of weeks ago, it's due out October 2023.

[Ray de Galles]

I've never read any of the books and never saw the Lynch version. I really liked it. Saw it in the theater and there were a lot of moments where I was glad I had that big screen and the sound rather than just watching it on my TV at home. Villenueve definitely tells a story his way without trying to call attention to itself and with not much crowd-pleasing humor. It really takes itself pretty seriously, possibly getting close to pretentious. I thought the final bit dragged a little and I knew the movie was reaching the ending but still thought "this is it?" Still, the worm did not disappoint, and I thought the cast was great. Also the music--it definitely helped create the mood of the movie and seemed to fit. It was nice that it wasn't some soaring string orchestra.

I'd agree with all of the above (I also have no experience of the story from the book or previously filmed versions ) except for the part about the ending dragging or being underwhelming. I knew this was part one and was happy with where and how they paused the story, though did think there were a few previous points where it was going to be the end.

It absolutely has to be seen on a (big) cinema screen with a good sound system.

[danielmak]

One question for those of you who are immersed in the books. I don't understand during the fight scene that basically ends the movie why Paul doesn't use "the voice" to convince the other guy not to fight. Paul has all of these voices telling him not to get blood on his hands, he has these dreams about that knife causing problems, and he has this kind of "jedi mind trick" power, so why not use it then? Is there anything more in the book about this fight. Logically the scene doesn't make sense, but, of course, logical plot sequences tend to be suspended for sci fi films.

[Patrick Thistle]

Well, firstly Paul isn't adept in using the voice yet. (Although later in the books he uses the voice to rally the Fremen to his cause.) Secondly, how would the other Fremen react to Paul "cheating"?

In the book, Paul bans fights to the death as part of his changes to the Fremen honour code, which he can do as the Fremen mahdi. He manufactures a way for Fremen leaders to submit without losing face by declaring them his voice in his absence. "When he speaks, Muad'Dib speaks."

[danielmak]

Well, firstly Paul isn't adept in using the voice yet. (Although later in the books he uses the voice to rally the Fremen to his cause.) Secondly, how would the other Fremen react to Paul "cheating"?

Again, I don't know the nuances of these stories so am simply working with the plotline that unfolds in the film. But one thing the young woman (forgot her name) says to him when they meet is that she does not believe Paul is the chosen one. It seems to me that he could prove that he has some power and he could avoid a fight to the death,

[Patrick Thistle]

Tbh, the whole 'hero has to survive a fight to the death' is a cliché. I don't think the film would have lost much without it.

[gt3]

Watched it at the weekend, have never read the book.

The set pieces were very watchable. Overall enjoyed it. But one thing that bugged me, was just like Tenet, there were times I had no idea what anyone was saying...

[Patrick Thistle]

[BallochSonsFan]

One question for those of you who are immersed in the books. I don't understand during the fight scene that basically ends the movie why Paul doesn't use "the voice" to convince the other guy not to fight. Paul has all of these voices telling him not to get blood on his hands, he has these dreams about that knife causing problems, and he has this kind of "jedi mind trick" power, so why not use it then? Is there anything more in the book about this fight. Logically the scene doesn't make sense, but, of course, logical plot sequences tend to be suspended for sci fi films.

Book explanation:

Jamis invokes the right of silence. Stilgar essentially threatens to have one of the Fremen kill Jessica if either of them tries to use the voice. Mainly Jessica though, because by that point nobody other than Mohaim and Jessica know that Paul has been trained in the voice. And in the book it's actually Paul that Jamis challenges and not Jessica. He challenges Paul because Paul disarmed him before running and hiding in the rocks (at which point Chani finds him and points a maula pistol at him)

Film explanation:

Meh, it'll be fine. Here's another shot of Paul looking all broody and Chani looking like she's appearing in a Dior commercial.

[BallochSonsFan]

Again, I don't know the nuances of these stories so am simply working with the plotline that unfolds in the film. But one thing the young woman (forgot her name) says to him when they meet is that she does not believe Paul is the chosen one. It seems to me that he could prove that he has some power and he could avoid a fight to the death,

There is no yielding in Fremen culture. All fights are fights to the death. In the book, Jamis has been dishonoured because Paul was able to disarm him so easily before hiding in the rocks. Jamis challenges Paul to try and regain his honour with his fellow tribesmen.

Interesting to know how non-book readers felt about Hawat and the whole mentat thing. Not explained at all in the film. Or Gurney's character development? Or the Baron and Pitor DeVries (the Harkonnen twisted mentat)? Or Dr Yueh and why his betrayal of the Atreides is so shocking as Suk school doctors are supposed to be incorruptible?

I dont want to be too hard on the film as it covered the basics. But so much of the world building, character building and plot building was missing. The Dune saga should really have been HBO's next big show. It could, and should, have been the next Game of Thrones, particularly in the way that it should be character and plot driven.

[BallochSonsFan]

Doesn’t he come back as a clone, or am I thinking of somebody else?

Duncan comes back as a ghola. Cant remember if it's late in Messiah or if its early in Children of Dune. The ghola Duncan is called Hayt until they find a way of restoring ghola memories.

[Patrick Thistle]

I think it's in Children of Dune because then it's a plotline in God Emperor where Leto II has a string of them but keeps having to deal with them rebelling against him.

[BallochSonsFan]

I think it's in Children of Dune because then it's a plotline in God Emperor where Leto II has a string of them but keeps having to deal with them rebelling against him.

Checked wiki and they reckon it is Messiah, but he's an important character in Children because of his relationship with Alia.

[Patrick Thistle]

Interesting to know how non-book readers felt about Hawat and the whole mentat thing. Not explained at all in the film. Or Gurney's character development? Or the Baron and Pitor DeVries (the Harkonnen twisted mentat)? Or Dr Yueh and why his betrayal of the Atreides is so shocking as Suk school doctors are supposed to be incorruptible?

I dont want to be too hard on the film as it covered the basics. But so much of the world building, character building and plot building was missing. The Dune saga should really have been HBO's next big show. It could, and should, have been the next Game of Thrones, particularly in the way that it should be character and plot driven.

My feeling is I know all that stuff and don't need it explained and - very selfishly - I don't care if other people who have never read the books didn't get all the details.

This probably makes me a bad person.

[Patrick Thistle]

Checked wiki and they reckon it is Messiah, but he's an important character in Children because of his relationship with Alia.

It's a long time since I read the sequels. Wiki probably has it right.

[Hot Pepsi]

My feeling is I know all that stuff and don't need it explained and - very selfishly - I don't care if other people who have never read the books didn't get all the details.

This probably makes me a bad person.

I think if they were starting the project today, it would be an HBO show. But even a few years ago, they couldn't have gotten the director or many of the stars they got to do a series.

[Patrick Thistle]

There was a series a little while back. It wasn't a huge hit but it might mean the rights are hard to get.

However much the film can't capture the depth of the book, I'm not sure serialising the book would work either.

[Hot Pepsi]

There was a series a little while back. It wasn't a huge hit but it might mean the rights are hard to get.

However much the film can't capture the depth of the book, I'm not sure serialising the book would work either.

Yeah, I'm not sure a broad audience is interested in all the back story, etc, either.

[Patrick Thistle]

It could be turned into some kind of space fantasy epic war series ... but that isn't really Dune.

[Hot Pepsi]

It could be turned into some kind of space fantasy epic war series ... but that isn't really Dune.

We have a few books-turned-into-shows going now like Foundation and Wheel of Time, which I just started. They're kinda hard to get into.
The Expanse is awesome, but I had to watch the first few episodes a few times to understand what was going on. Then I read the books and that helped.

I suspect Dune will have an extended edition at some point that fills in some of the details that are just glanced over in the original. That's fine.

[Patrick Thistle]

I read the Foundation trilogy ages ago and am really not arsed about it. Never read Wheel of Time but I know 3 people who are massive nerds for it and so I have heard a lot about the content of the books. None of it has persuaded me to give them a go. I've read the Expanse books and like them. I've got a couple of series on blu-ray but not got round to watching them.

[hobbes]

So, finally got around to watching this at the cinema yesterday. I bloody loved it. It was beautiful to look at, sounded great, I found the pacing very well done.
But by golly, had I not read the book I'd have had no idea what was going on. Without having a full grasp and understanding of the text, it would have been the equivalent of watching an abstract foreign film without any subtitles. So a love letter to people who know the story, a baffling 150 minutes of eye candy for everyone else.

I read the Foundation trilogy ages ago and am really not arsed about it. Never read Wheel of Time but I know 3 people who are massive nerds for it and so I have heard a lot about the content of the books. None of it has persuaded me to give them a go. I've read the Expanse books and like them. I've got a couple of series on blu-ray but not got round to watching them.

I haven't read the Foundation books but I found the show to be a very decent and diverting hour a week. Well worth my time.
Watched the first 3 wheel of time eps (having come in completely cold to it and not really liking the whole sword of dobber genre at all.) It was fine. It certainly wasn't any more annoying that Game of Thrones, but then I gave that up midway through season 2. Both were too dry and dour. It's certainly no "The Witcher" which has a nice background levity to it.

The Expanse however, is an absolute masterpiece of television. The best Sci Fi show since the first 3 seasons of Battlestar Galactica. Season 1 starts slowly but from about episode 5 it just flies.

[San Bernardhinault]

I finally got around to watching this last night. On TV, rather than in the cinema. Which was probably a mistake. Because the audio mix was just really, really weird. I've noticed it more and more, where the dialogue seems to be mixed down so quiet as to be almost inaudible, but the rest of the stuff is up so high that you can't turn the volume up to hear the dialogue without making your ears bleed and pissing off the neighbours. This seems to have taken it to an absolute extreme. Perhaps the cinema mix is better. And for someone who read the books (or at least several of them) 35 years ago, I needed all the reminders and cues I could from the script to remember what everyone was.

The lack of explanation of all the lore, of much of the backrgound, left me gasping. It left my wife who's not into SF and who'd never read the books utterly bored. For her it was merely pretty to look at but otherwise thoroughly unengrossing. I was more into it than that, but I think you need to be even more of a fan of the source material than me, or have a better memory, or have read it more recently, for it to really work.

[Eggchaser]

Yes, when I recently watched it the audio was terrible - apparently this is the cinema mix, which is why it's crap on the telly.

[danielmak]

Trailer for part 2. Obviously, skip it if you want 100% spoiler free.