Film: Dune (2021)

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Off to the flicks again, this time to see the remake of Dune.


A Word about the Original… (1984)


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OK, back to the here and now, let’s see if this version hits the spot!!!

To me, just like the original, the cast is impressive (but no Sting!) – Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Chen Chang, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling and Babs Olusanmokun.

The Story

Dune follows Paul Atreides, who, with his destiny foretold as a young innocent, travels to the most dangerous place in the universe to ensure the future of his home planet. You’ll never look at a sandy beach (or your spice rack) in the same way ever again!

Odeon, Kettering

So, here I am, with Jo and Janet at the local Kettering Odeon – and in the Premium Seats too (?) for the 1.30pm performance. The movie is 2 hours 35 minutes long but having been used to Marvel Blockbusters (and the recent Bond outing) this’ll be a breeze and my bladder has been briefed!!!! 😫

Yes, I liked it! In my eyes, a cross between Game of Thrones and Star Wars – and that’s not a bad combo in my world. Dune was epic in scale, scope and ambition – and certainly, a movie to pay attention to. It began in a confident mood with ‘Part One‘ as a sub-heading under the main movie title! Maybe it was a bit ‘talk-ey’ in the first Act, but isn’t that always the way when scene-setting in the movies these days? Fear not, Acts Two & Three knitted together a really good yarn!

Filled with great cinematography, superb acting, and just the right amount of SFX, this was an enjoyable romp to another galaxy far, far away. Although a bit light on ‘action’ scenes, the narrative was intelligent but also complex – Overall, it was definitely more of a talker than a laser show! (and all the better for it). As a consequence, in spite of the bladder-busting length, it’s not one where you should consider ‘popping to the loo’ partway through!

By the closing scenes, the story was now perfectly set for a sequel, and maybe two – it even felt like (possibly) a long franchise-in-the-waiting.

I think I’m now going to re-watch the 1984 original, to see if that leaves a more positive impression than through my younger eyes as a twenty-eight year old!

It works well as a standalone, even if you’re not particularly into SciFi and/or haven’t seen the original. Highly recommended! Go see! 👍

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Music: Hans Zimmer
Production Year: 2020
Release date: 22/10/2021
Genre: Science Fiction
Sound Mix: 12-Track Digital Sound (IMAX 12 track)/Sonics-DDP/DTS (DTS: X)/Auro 11.1/Dolby Surround 7.1/Dolby Atmos/Dolby Digital/IMAX 6-Track (Yummy!!!) 😁
Aspect Ratio: 1.43 : 1 (IMAX Laser: some scenes)
1.78 : 1 (Blu-ray release: some scenes)
1.90 : 1 (Digital IMAX: some scenes)
2.39 : 1
Certificate (UK): 12A
Runtime: 2h 36m

Full details here (courtesy of IMDB.com)


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