DUNE – Movie Reviews + Franchise Ranking

An introduction is a very delicate time. Know then, that it is the episode two hundred and twenty one. The known movie industry is ruled by tomatoes, rotten... a guild of critics from across the globe. In this time, the most precious substance in Hollywood is the review, a “fresh.” The review extends box office life. The review expands franchises. The review is vital to movies. Oh, yes. I forgot to tell you. The review exists on only one site in the entire internet. A calamitous, annoying site w

ith vast channels of garbage. Hidden away within these channels are a people known as the reviewers. Who have long held a prophecy... that a critic would come, with a show... who would lead them to true freedom. The site is YouTube – and this is Movie Night! Hello, and welcome back to Movie Night. Tonight, we’re going deep on “Dune” as I’ll review all three theatrical adaptations, a documentary about an abandoned version, and in a Movie Night first: a mini-series! Frank Herbert’s “Dune” was a la

ndmark success when it was released in 1965, becoming one of the best-selling science fiction books of all time. Besides the aforementioned – it also spawned dozens of sequel novels, was the basis for role-playing and video games, influenced countless songs and music, and according to Wikipedia even inspired real-life nomenclature for features Saturn’s Moon, “Titan.” Cool! Tonight though, we’ll keep our focus on the cinematic, and begin with the oldest of the group, aptly titled, “Dune.” Well, i

t’s certainly different! Released in December of 1984 – this epic space opera film from surrealist director David Lynch was a box office disappointment, grossing ten million less than its $40 million budget. Based on Frank Herbet’s 1965 novel of the same name – the PG-13 rated story takes place in the distant future where a Duke's son leads desert warriors against the galactic emperor and his father's evil nemesis to free their valuable world from the emperor's rule. I first watched this picture

in 2016... and in my un-filmed review on Letterboxd I described it as an “insufferably convoluted and exposition-loaded experience.” And unfortunately... it is. But revisiting it seven years later... I enjoyed more of its, let’s say... eclectic charms than last time. The large ensemble of familiar faces includes: Kyle MacLachlan in his film debut as young nobleman Paul Atreides, Jürgen Prochnow, Francesca Annis, Patrick Stewart, Brad Dourif, Dean Stockwell, Virginia Madsen, José Ferrer, Kenneth

McMillan, Linda Hunt, Richard Jordan, Everett McGill, Sean Young, Max von Sydow... and Sting! The entirety of their screentime is spent prattling on about confusing intergalactic politics, engaging in pseudo-sexual interactions, and wearing bizarre outfits. And mostly all of them – even the allies – try to kill Paul for some reason. As the only character in the entire universe with a normal-sounding name, the future Twin Peaks star does a commendable job with the formidable mix of action and di

alogue that’s required of him. His father, portrayed by German actor Prochnow, gives him some cryptic advice early when he reminds him "The sleeper must awaken." MacLachlan also trades kisses with Sean Young in an underdeveloped love story that comes out of nowhere. The two-hour and sixteen minute sci-fi epic begins with the floating space head of Virginia Madsen... who delivers a millennium of backstory in three minutes, which is interrupted only briefly by the main title sequence, before we’re

presented with even more homework: a figurative PowerPoint slide detailing the different planets and players of our story. Now, this isn't a diegetic shot of some in-world element. We’re not looking over anyone’s shoulder at their computer screen: it’s just a straight-up cheat-sheet for the audience. And the entire time, I can’t help but think to myself: “Is there gonna be a quiz on this later, or what?” Like, for example, one of the bad guys, Piter De Vries – played by Brad Dourif – has red-st

ained lips... and we heard earlier that that signifies that he’s a Mentat, a so-called “human computer” from the training planet of Bene Tleilax, 19 years away from Caladan, a water planet where Paul Atreides was born in defiance of the girls-only birth rule established by powerful Bene Gesserit sisterhood – led by the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam– who have been manipulating bloodlines for 90 generations to produce the Kwisatz Haderach, a super-being the Freman people of Dune (also known a

s Arrakis) refer to as Muad'Dib, a prophet sent to them by Shai-hulud, but only when the son of Duke Leto Atreides claims his rightful place as leader of the desert planet after sniffing some of the magical spice called Melange, which functions just like a “Truthsayer” drug – able to expand consciousness and allow for space-folding interstellar travel – something the Padishah Emperor of the Universe, Shaddam IV is Hell bent on protecting, else he risk the ire of the Spacing Guild who believe Har

konnens – the archenemies of the House of Atredies – are the best suited to oversee, thanks to the leadership of Baron Vladimir, who actually leaves control of the mining operations to his incapable nephews, The Beast Rabban and Feyd-Rautha, portrayed the Police frontman in a metal underpants. Phew. You catch all that? If you didn’t – don’t worry, as “Dune” constantly repeats itself with new exposition dumps, inner-monologues from nearly every character, and Madsen’s omniscient narration, which

pops in occasionally to help things along. These reminders are excessive and at times even annoying... but if I’m being honest: genuinely helpful. I know I keep harping on this but it's difficult to appreciate or be moved by the drama in a film if you don't understand the reality or context of its environment. Like, is riding a giant Graboid through the desert a normal occurrence for the Fremen, or is it akin to Jake triumphantly taming the mighty Ikran in “Avatar?” This was my second viewing. I

was leaning forward, with subtitles on, and paying close attention... and it was still a struggle to follow along. But despite this exceptionally steep learning curve... if you *are* able to get into this story? It can be richly rewarding, and a big reason why the 40-year-old picture remains a cult classic. But despite the utmost seriousness in which Lynch presents this material - it’s hard not to laugh when Jean Luc Picard charges into battle holding a Pug, or when McMillan finishes another we

ird monologue by activating a button on his chest, causing him to inflate and float to the ceiling like Mario after grabbing a Power Balloon. As for its technical bona fides... while few of the chroma-keyed shots look convincing today, the matte paintings and large practical sets, however, remain sufficiently impressive - and provide the film with a great deal of scale and grandeur. Plus, we’ve got the “Africa” hit-makers TOTO contributing a pretty cool prog-rock score, loaded with guitar synths

, choirs, and piano. The costumes and make-up, although often repulsive, are also rather well-done too. Depending on who you ask, anyway – as Stewart and Sydow reportedly described them the “most uncomfortable.” While other outfits were literally repurposed from body bags found at a fire station... without informing the cast wearing them that they were used… by corpses. Yikes. Despite all my complaining, I’m glad I rewatched this one. Sometimes you're just not in the right head-space, or with a

receptive audience, or maybe you're in a bad mood. Whatever the reason: rewatching films I didn't like has often been more rewarding and surprising than rewatching those I did. And honestly? Going back to Arrakis was more enjoyable than I expected. But I almost feel like that enjoyment came in *spite* of the film itself. Like, the performances aren't particularly good, the characters are somewhat unpleasant to look at, and the story is way too convoluted... but there's a certain charm to it all.

I have frequently said that I appreciate when movies take big swings, even when they don't land, and this is a prime example of that. A movie so inventive and unique you really need to see it to believe it; impressive with how disgusting and confusing everything is. It’s easy to understand why Lynch all but disavowed this one. Although it boasts some inventive concepts and interesting visuals, “Dune” is so overstuffed with its never ending world building, having genuine fun is difficult. I thou

ght it was an ALRIGHT film, but still something I would recommend everyone check out at least once. Next up, let’s review the mini-series. An impressive upgrade… for basic cable. This four-and-half-hour limited series event was a huge ratings win for the Sci-Fi channel when it was first broadcast in December of 2000. The three-part show adapts all of the politics, betrayal, lust, greed and world-saving conflicts of Frank Herbet’s classic novel for a new generation; all written and directed by Jo

hn Harrison for the low price $20 million dollars. The large cast is led by Alec Newman - who you may recognize from any of his four dozen television credits, but to me, and most audiences in 2000: he was an unknown. And while the young Scotsman is not the most charismatic version of Paul Atreides, I definitely warmed up to his style by the end of the lengthy experience. His oft-repeated mantra, “Fear is the mind-killer” serves as meditation before he undertakes another dangerous task or test. H

is co-stars include plenty of other talented (if lesser-known) TV actors doing excellent work, including: Saskia Reeves, James Watson, P.H. Moriarty, Giancarlo Giannini, Julie Cox, and Barbora Kodetová… who gives a compelling and capable performance as the beautiful Freman warrior Chani. Last – and unfortunately in terms of screentime, also least – is Academy Award winner William Hurt, who actually receives top-billing on the project despite being absent from the second and third episodes. While

purists may claim he’s not as formidable as Herbert originally wrote him, I found Hurt’s more understated and compassionate performance really powerful. He is a sympathetic leader more interested in peace than power. He stoically prepares his son by admitting, “This is my legacy to you, Son. The greatest wealth in the universe and the never-ending struggle to defend it.” Obviously, the biggest advantage this version has over Lynch’s is the runtime. Namely, Harrison’s adaptation is allowed to de

liver exposition more organically with a slow-drip approach. And since the narration is kept to a bare minimum, we mostly only learn things when the characters do… so it doesn’t feel like we’re cramming for a pop-quiz. A great example of this is when Newman quickly and calmly prevents a gesture of thanks – tribe leader Stilgar spitting at the Duke – from being misinterpreted as hostile or disrespectful. As the audience is just as naive as Hurt, we’re momentarily taken aback by this action too -

before the mini twist is revealed. Whereas in Lynch’s version, there would have been a wall of text or something 40 minutes earlier explicitly preparing us for this scenario in hopes we’d remember its meaning and context. Similarly, on the subject of length: I’m glad the entire middle act of this story hasn’t been reduced to a single two-minute montage. But, if I’m being honest: this is where the story drags the most - fascinating as all the interpersonal drama may be. Technically however, “Fran

k Herbet’s Dune” falls badly short of its potential. The over-reliance on virtual backgrounds in nearly every scene rarely looks convincing. These early-CG effects look dodgy at Hell. I mean, tell me the establishing shots of Arrakis don’t look like a screenshot from StarCraft or something. And the color-grading? Woof. Everything is filmed like a garish music video from the 80s - seemingly shot via night vision for some reason. The saturation is so aggressive that the trademark blue eyes of the

Fremon people look downright neon at times. But given this was all done on a cable TV budget twenty five years ago… the scope of the production and story is definitely commendable. And, apparently the members of the Television Academy agreed, as the series actually won an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects and Cinematography. The 2000s were a different time, what can I say? A well-paced adventure that delivers an entertaining mix of political intrigue, action, world-building and sex app

eal… this is a fun experience all fans of the book ought to watch. Despite its technical shortcomings “Frank Herbert’s Dune” is an ambitious TV show worth exploring. I thought it was a GOOD adaptation, and one that’s remarkably more coherent than its predecessor. Now, let’s take a look at the film that wasn’t, “Jodorowsky's Dune.” A fascinating peek at what could have been. Released at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2013, this documentary by Frank Pavich pulls back the curtain on cult film d

irector Alejandro Jodorowsky's unsuccessful attempt to adapt and film “Dune” in the mid-1970s – a full ten years before David Lynch. The PG-13 rated doc collects interviews and storyboards from the doomed production to give modern audiences a potential glimpse at what was lost. The obvious attraction here is a series of lengthy interviews from the enigmatic and eccentric Chilean-French auteur himself - still animated and spry in his mid-80s. He reflects on his failed film with a weirdly unearned

amount of confidence and optimism. Indeed, Alejandro and other interviewees all but make the case that had this film been made in 1975 as intended, it would have supplanted “Star Wars” as the preeminent film of the decade. But, obviously - it didn’t. So their bravado and posturing seem curious, and a bit delusional, even. I’m reminded of a great quote from Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network,” when he goads his rival programmers, “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you'd have invent

ed Facebook.” Like sure, if you made the movie, it would have been great. But you didn’t make it. You couldn’t make it. It was technically impossible and financially reckless. Regretfully, I have not seen any of Jodorowsky’s avant-garde films like “The Holy Mountain” or “El Topo” – they’ve been on my watchlist for a while now – but I am certainly more motivated now. He talks about his art as “an important mission for humanity.” Saying at one point he’d cut off his own arm to save his film. You g

otta admire that passion, however misdirected it may be. And you can’t say he didn’t dream big. The dude wanted Pink Floyd for the soundtrack, Orson Wells to play Baron Harkonnen, and Salvador Dalí to play the Emperor. Three minutes into the documentary, he literally admits he wanted his Dune to feel like an “acid trip.” Talk about ambition! Stylistically, there’s not a lot of surprises here: it’s your standard talking-head doc intercut with still photos and some concept art. But that concept ar

t… Holy Hell! We learn in the film that French artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud worked with Jodorowsky to create a storyboard composed of 3,000 drawings that depicted the entire film. They then used that massive coffee table book to shop their ideas around Hollywood to secure funding. They never did, of course: but seeing those images today, with a little bit of animation is the real highlight of the 90-minute film, and worth the price of admission alone for all fans of the “Dune” story. Another bri

ef segment, which uses on-screen text like a lyric music video to make up for the fact one of their interviews was audio-only, was also rather neat. A montage near the end of the documentary that compares the unused ideas of Jodorowsky’s Dune to its contemporaries is as awesome as it is surprising. Did these nascent concepts really influence “Star Wars,” “Alien,” and “Blade Runner?” - or was it merely an inevitable coincidence that all stories within the genre would end up there? Pavich seems to

be arguing the former as his central thesis, but I’m not entirely convinced. The fingerprints of Giraud’s artwork and style are evident in the Hollywood movies that followed, so it’s certainly up for debate. And when Jodorowsky re-enacts his glee over the news of David Lynch’s “Dune” being a failure? It’s such a fun and honest moment. If you enjoy listening to podcasts about unmade scripts, those DVD extras showing shots of storyboards, or digging deep into the mind of an eccentric auteur - the

re is a lot of interesting material to enjoy here. We’ll never know if Jodorowsky's adaptation of “Dune” would have been a total mess or a genre-defining landmark… (again, I’m inclined to lean towards the former, myself) but I can say the story about this failed film is an enjoyable look at the pitfalls and promise of unbridled creativity. “Jodorowsky's Dune” is a COOL documentary - and worth checking out for film lovers or Dune completionists. Next up tonight, let's review the 2021 version of “

Dune.” Now this is how you remake a film! Visionary director Denis Villeneuve once again impresses with Part One of his adaptation of Frank Herbert's renowned novel. Delayed a full year thanks to Covid, this $165-million sci-fi epic was released day-and-date in October of 2021 where it grossed nearly $400 million from theaters and HBO Max. The 2½ hour picture thankfully does *not* open with three minutes of breathless exposition from the floating space head of Virginia Madsen... but instead with

Zendaya's raspy voice delivering some poetic descriptions of her home planet while Greig Fraser's immaculate photography begins setting the scene. We're immediately thrust right into the expansive world and politically dense story: thousands of years in the future, the son of a noble family is entrusted with the protection of a critically important desert planet containing a rare and extremely valuable "spice." Timothée Chalamet leads the large cast as the young and somewhat disinterested heir,

and is a perfect fit for the heady material and conflicted feelings he struggles with. His parents are portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac in wonderful, if understated performances while Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa do excellent work as soft-spoken mentors eager to teach Chalamet all he'll need to know about combat and sword fighting on his new desert home; with Momoa reminding his protege, “Dreams make good stories but everything important happens when we're awake.” The PG-13 script i

s loaded with unique concepts and original nouns - making this fictional world feel as authentic and limitless as Herbert always intended. It's the kind of well-built production where quick glimpses of technology or costumes immediately gives us an idea of so much more without wasting time showing all of it. Indeed, “less is more.” And the visual effects used to accomplish these futuristic environments and alien vehicles are positively seamless. And can I just say how cool the Ornithopters are?

Their sound. The motion-blurred fluttering of their dragonfly-like wings. Heck, even the name “Ornithopter” is cool! These are legitimately one of my favorite fictional vehicles in sci-fi. And it exists as a LEGO set? Yes please! A sequence where Isaac’s ornithopters help rescue a spice-harvester before a worm envelopes the entire area is an incredible set-piece. A flawless five minutes of filmmaking from Villeneuve. And like all of his work, “Dune” is absolutely gorgeous. Despite taking place a

lmost entirely on a drab desert planet that's five different shades of beige - the cinematography and color-grading here are impeccable. This is one of the nicest looking science fiction movies ever made. Like, I could watch this picture on mute and still have a good time. Probably doesn’t hurt that every single person in this is immensely attractive, too. And while we're on the subject of aesthetics, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Hans Zimmer's stellar music that incorporates tribal soun

ds, bagpipes, and a large choir to develop a haunting score the acclaimed composer described as "anti-groove." Thankfully, everyone agreed, as “Dune” scored big at the Academy Awards, winning six Oscars: Sound, Visual Effects, Production Design, Music, Editing, and Cinematography. A prime example of where style and substance matter equally – "Dune" succeeds because of its stunning visuals and strong subject matter. But having to wait three years for a proper conclusion does not a complete experi

ence make. Even as a half-finished story, I thought this was a very AWESOME film... and a clear example of how updated ideas and technology prove the case for modern remakes. Last, and certainly not least tonight: let’s take a look at Dune: Part Two. A dramatic, if imperfect follow-up. From acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve - this $190 million dollar sci-fi epic was released worldwide in March of 2024, 28 months after the previous installment. The two hour and forty six minute film picks up wh

ere that version left off, as Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the desert clans known as Fremen to seek revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. In what is easily the most impressive role of his already extensive career, the 28-year-old Timothée Chalamet is remarkable as the outsider who reluctantly takes on the responsibility to save Arrakis. This is especially true as the story progresses, as his character gains confidence and defies generations of tradition with powerful

speeches and deadly combat. Receiving the biggest boost in responsibilities from Part One, Zendaya shines as the resourceful Chani - who is forced to balance her love and adulation with Paul the person with her doubts and disappointments with Muad'Dib, the messiah. It’s a powerful performance that takes an unexpected turn at the end of the picture I particularly liked. The action in “Dune: Part Two” is absolutely incredible. Some of the best set pieces of the genre… but they’re unfortunately few

and far between. Even the climactic battle at the end of the movie is over in just a matter of three minutes. But Paul’s first “worm ride” earlier in the picture? A sequence that’s perfectly staged, explained, and photographed. Unlike its counterparts in previous adaptations, you fully understand the stakes and rarity of what he’s attempting. Another scene where Tim and Zendaya attempt to take out an enemy ornithopter with a rocket launcher is impeccably choreographed with rising tension throug

hout. All of these great moments are scored with intense music from returning composer Hans Zimmer. Which is brought to the fore with a particularly loud sound mix that gives the PG-13 rated film an intense auditory foundation. So when the music does drop to near-silence? That when you know things are serious. Besides our attractive leads, returning to the cast are: Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem with Austin Butler, Florence

Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Léa Seydoux joining the ensemble. Each and every performance is wonderful - even if many of their individual character arcs felt particularly unbalanced. Bardem, for example, has plenty of great and even humorous scenes early in the picture… but he’s given almost nothing of substance to do in the final hour, seemingly reduced to a mere cameo in the climax. Meanwhile, Butler receives twenty minutes of development in the middle of the picture, which includes a stirri

ng gladiator fight. Perhaps this lengthy detour was an attempt to make up for his exclusion from the previous film… but this extra backstory was not narratively necessary, and completely killed the pacing. And I think what this adaptation proved is that even in the most capable hands, when everything is executed to cinematic excellence… this particular portion of Herbert’s story just isn’t something I get excited about. Sure, the worm riding is exciting, and the final thirty minutes are fantasti

c, but so much of the middle hour didn’t grab me. It’s a lot of brown caves, people drinking poison, and way too many dream sequences. The political posturing, world-building, and assassinations of Part One are definitely more my speed. So as good as the end result is, I’m afraid the source material is to blame for my less than thrilled reaction to Part Two. Ironically, the only people who seem to agree with me are the meddling studio executives from Universal who had David Lynch remove the midd

le of the story for his 1984 film. Unfortunately, that movie got mostly everything else wrong, so not much upside there. I seem to be alone with my slight – and I do want to stress, slight – displeasure here though, as this picture premiered on Letterboxd as the 21st rated movie of all time! Sadly, it isn’t one of the best movies of all time. I don’t even think it’s the best picture in this two-film franchise. Despite the limitations of its meandering screenplay, this is still a hugely impressiv

e cinematic adventure that delivers excellent character moments, gripping spectacle, and gorgeous visuals. Although it fell short of my lofty expectations, “Dune: Part Two” is a really GREAT film - and one worthy of seeing on the biggest screen possible. And please, go easy on me in the comments! That will do it for this episode of Movie Night – but I’ll be back in couple weeks for the return of my annual Oscar Special, as I rate and review all ten Best Picture nominees. So make sure to SUBSCRIB

E so you don’t miss that. Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula - thank you for watching, and - as always - have a good Movie Night.