DUNE (beware book spoilers)

Robby

Movie is by all accounts awesome, and a major "must see in the theater" experience.

Note that the movie is only part one of two, and covers only the first half of the first book.

A sequel, which covers the second half has been greenlit and scheduled for 2023.

If anyone wants to discuss the books, go for it, but use spoilers if you're saying anything major.

Note that there are six Frank Herbert books, and then like 30 other spinoff books, some written by his son. No one has read the spinoff books. But if you've only read the first Dune book… some crazy stuff happens in the later ones.

Nilitch

Well, I felt like only a third of the first book was covered. There are many charismatic characters in the film. But many "disappear" or die too early.

Timothée Chalamet was good for once (for me, again). I felt like he was getting out of his confort zone a bit. Especially in the "futur" scenes, where (yet he doesn't talk) but looks more like a charismatic-leader. Overall I liked the movie, maybe because it was dark compared to StarWars movies. Chalamet has more work to do I guess for part two, especially on his body. He's supposed to be a warrior iirc, but he's slim though. I'm not asking to look like a rugby player, but putting on a bit of muscle mass would make him just credible.

! The whole point is to transform him into a charismatic leader and the subtext is kind of about the danger of having charismatic leaders in real life. Like, I can agree on that and disagree too, it depends on the mentality of the leader in question. When Herbert wrote his books, he obviously had Staline and Hitler in mind. And not Nehru/Gandhi, Ho Chi Minh or Thomas Edward Lawrence.
But why is the character of Paul shitting himself when he has those visions about his future, like " oh no, not the djihad"(Villeneuve -or someone else- turned the word "djihad" into "holy wars" because political correctness I guess…) Dude, wtf, it's you or it's not you ? I don't remember this in the books, but I might be wrong-- not sure.
About part two, I've read somewhere that Villeneuve was thinking about making it a trilogy (at least, because there will be tv-shows too).

Robby

@Nilitch:

! But why is the character of Paul shitting himself when he has those visions about his future, like " oh no, not the djihad"(Villeneuve -or someone else- turned the word "djihad" into "holy wars" because political correctness I guess…) Dude, wtf, it's you or it's not you ? I don't remember this in the books, but I might be wrong-- not sure.

That was absolutely in the books.

! Paul freaked out about the fact that he was seeing a future where he'd lead a holy crusade that would kill billions. The potential jihad was not a thing he looked forward to and he wanted to change that course if he could.
! He struggles to find a way forward that will not ignite the conflict throughout the universe. He fails, and the Fremen move forth throughout the universe, bringing "The Peace of Muad'dib" with them, forcing their religion on billions by the sword.
! Then the second book we just sort of skip over that, its fait accompli.
! And then the stuff with the kids gets really wonky.

Razh

I really liked it. Watched it in a town cinema, but think I'll go watch it again in imax version. Nobody should watch it at home the first time if they can avoid it, unless they have a pretty big screen and a bitchin surround system.

Never read the books, but thinking about covering them. By the time I started reading SF more intensely, I had already watched the Lynch version, and the 00 miniseries, spoiling myself in a way, so it just didn't have the appeal.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@Nilitch:

Well, I felt like only a third of the first book was covered. There are many charismatic characters in the film. But many "disappear" or die too early.

Timothée Chalamet was good for once (for me, again). I felt like he was getting out of his confort zone a bit. Especially in the "futur" scenes, where (yet he doesn't talk) but looks more like a charismatic-leader. Overall I liked the movie, maybe because it was dark compared to StarWars movies. Chalamet has more work to do I guess for part two, especially on his body. He's supposed to be a warrior iirc, but he's slim though. I'm not asking to look like a rugby player, but putting on a bit of muscle mass would make him just credible.

They can always brush off the muscle mass issue with the fact his Bene Gesserit training allows him to utilize his existing muscles to the fullest. His mother isn't that buffed up, either, lol.

That aside, I'd like to see him more built, definitely. Maybe Duncan's dig at his muscles at the beginning was a foreshadowing. It at least shows director is aware of the "issue".

Btw, found it hilarious that beardless Momoa reminds me of Jim Belushi.

Robby

Well sort of luckily there's a real world timejump between the films that will cover some of the timejump in the story, so… that sort of works out. He can buff up in the meantime.

Its great that they're going to finish the first book out... but I'd really like them to... somehow... get through God Emperor. But if they keep splitting them in two that's like 8 films to get through. And some of the later books are so dense its like, hell, those might need three films.

Director has already said that splitting the filming turned out to be a blessing because desert filming is so harsh... so I can't imagine them hunkering down and doing these back to back. It took a bit over 5 months to film the first one. So doing a whole story would be a year. (And LotR three films took like 14 months?)

Maybe if the next one does well then a few years later they'd film both haves of Dune Messiah at once.... any sort of not-tv time scale is going to need a decade.

Shiebs

I really liked the first movie, it was great, can’t wait to see where it goes from here, hopefully they can keep making enough to make more movies til they reach the end

Also I know it’s been said before but can we make a Cosmere thread too? I’m in love with Brandon Sanderson work, would love to talk about it more

Robby

@Shiebs:

Also I know it’s been said before but can we make a Cosmere thread too? I’m in love with Brandon Sanderson work, would love to talk about it more

No one's stopping you. But I expect given how many scattered series it is and how big its getting and that everyone's at different places, it probably won't be super active. WoT didn't do very well until it was on the very final book and everyone was willing to pick up the hardcover day 1 release of that one, and it was a single series. . On the other end I'm not even going to read the fourth Stormlight book until next year.

As a side discussion in the Wheel of Time thread seems like it'll get the most activity, especially since that'll have an ongoing show to push it regular visits and discussion…

(Just look at this thread for an example. It has an actual movie out right now and its a brand new thread but theres basically no discussion to be had. Either because folks haven't read any of the books, or past the first one. I'd love to meme about the god emperor and how crazy that it but...

but if you want to make a thread,, absolutely go ahead. One focused specifically on fantasy novels in general ight fare a little better since then you could also throw in Malazan or Earthsea or Pyndain or Discworld or Lightbringer or Gentleen bastards or Poppy War or Black Leopard or whatever else... so something like that might have more legs... but might also be too broad? I dunno. There's already a What are you reading? (Literature) thread and that's not super active.

The Light of Shandora

So, last night I watched Dune Part 2.
I think a few characters got cut, not necessarily bad decisions, but still a bit disappointed. I get why there is no room for a child of a few years old to act in the way of Paul's sister, Alia, but still its a bit disappointing. Anyways, Pauls guard he trained and operated with is entirely missing. The scene where Jessica becomes a revered mother and the knowledge passing between one mother to another was not depicted at all. I do not remember clearly how it happened in the book, but I remember something like a spice orgy and the ghost of the old revered mother passing to Jessica. Since they are such a big part of the world, I hoped for more exploration of them.
The portrayal of time passing in the movie isn't great, Paul and his mom, Jessica were living for the Fremen for years in the book, but this movie depicts this in a matter of month.
I do not recognise the actor who played Feyd Rautha was nearly perfect, best new character who got introduced in the movie.

The first part is what got me into the series, I devoured it, as soon as I had the books. This movie doesn't life up to the first part, but a friend of mine who watched the first part a day or two before loved the second even more. So maybe its the bias of book reader me?

Nobodyman

Movie adaptations have a tendency to not live up to the expectations of people who have read the source material. Aside from parts of the story having to be cut or altered to fit the format, the movie just never quite fits the image of the story you have in your head.

Anyway, having not read Dune (though I did see the 1984 David Lynch Dune, which, uh...yeah), I personally loved both Parts 1 and 2. Paul taming a sandworm was one of the most intense and thrilling sequences I've seen in the movies in a while. And yeah, I was really hyping myself up for the introduction of Feyd Rautha and Austin Butler absolutely delivered.

andre

My dad was really into Dune and got to watch part one before he passed. I don't like the cast, but I'll probably suck it up and watch the two when part 2 drops on streaming just for his memory's sake.

Shiebs

I’m seeing this movie tomorrow

Robby

@The-Light-of-Shandora said in DUNE (beware book spoilers):

So, last night I watched Dune Part 2.
I think a few characters got cut,

More stuff was filmed, but the movie is already pushing three hours. One character that was in the first film and listed in the early credits was removed from the final cut in just the last few weeks.

Its possibly there will be an extended cut down the line.

And yeah it makes sense that they left out the adult talking baby. I imagine Messiah will time skip and maybe we'll get an 8 year old for the same effect.

Shiebs

Amazing movie, can’t wait for part 3

Nobodyman

For what it's worth, the movie is now sitting at #10 on IMDB's Top 250. It will almost certainly go down as it gets more votes and the hype dies down, but...yeah, people are really getting into this movie.

Razh

@Robby
Villeneuve: "I cannot go back after that and create a Frankenstein and try to reanimate things that I killed. It’s too painful. When it’s dead, it’s dead, and it’s dead for a reason."

Just read this is an interview. Cold!

Shiebs