There's no question: this is an epic film. You rarely get to see movies that look and sound like this, only a handful of films archive the kind of technical superiority showcased in Villeneuves latest. And yet, it saddens me to admit that though I was blown away by grandiose scale and vision in Dune, it lacked a core element that Villeneuves other massive Blockbuster from four years ago had: Blade Runner 2049 had a thematic substance and clarity that was both gripping and emotionally complex simultaneously. Dune Part 1 on the other hand, does not. Plus, as impressive as the formalism in Dune is, 2049 also triumphed in that department.
With Dune I often felt zoned out from the feudalistic family affairs, the expository dialogue and namedropping of worlds, characters and substances that all sounded so interchangeable. I can't really hold this against the film since it comes with the constraints of an adaptation, but somehow I never had the problem with other epics such as Lord of the Rings.
With all that being said, the basic story is pretty straightforward and enjoyable. This is due to Villeneuves elegant pacing and Greig Frasers eye for scope. I never felt like the film dragged on for too long, because there is always something stunning going on in the frame and you get lost in the anachronistic-futurism mise-en-scene. Theres images in this right out of dystopian-anxiety artworks.
All that is left to say: Bring on Part 2!
With Dune I often felt zoned out from the feudalistic family affairs, the expository dialogue and namedropping of worlds, characters and substances that all sounded so interchangeable. I can't really hold this against the film since it comes with the constraints of an adaptation, but somehow I never had the problem with other epics such as Lord of the Rings.
With all that being said, the basic story is pretty straightforward and enjoyable. This is due to Villeneuves elegant pacing and Greig Frasers eye for scope. I never felt like the film dragged on for too long, because there is always something stunning going on in the frame and you get lost in the anachronistic-futurism mise-en-scene. Theres images in this right out of dystopian-anxiety artworks.
All that is left to say: Bring on Part 2!