TV/Movies Megathread

[celedhring]

Dune 2 - felt this one is rougher around the edges than the first one. There are lots of additions to the plot of the book which intend to clarify Paul's arc and his reluctance to become the chosen one, but imho they are executed rather clumsily. The political side of the story is also pretty confusing.

Still, it's visually breathtaking (the production design is just a treat, one of the few movies I'll probably end up buying the inevitable coffee table book), and Zendaya manages to hold the emotional core of the story together. She's amazing in this.

[FunkMonk]

Dune 2 - felt this one is rougher around the edges than the first one. There are lots of additions to the plot of the book which intend to clarify Paul's arc and his reluctance to become the chosen one, but imho they are executed rather clumsily. The political side of the story is also pretty confusing.

Still, it's visually breathtaking (the production design is just a treat, one of the few movies I'll probably end up buying the inevitable coffee table book), and Zendaya manages to hold the emotional core of the story together. She's amazing in this.

He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!

[celedhring]

Dune 2 - felt this one is rougher around the edges than the first one. There are lots of additions to the plot of the book which intend to clarify Paul's arc and his reluctance to become the chosen one, but imho they are executed rather clumsily. The political side of the story is also pretty confusing.

Still, it's visually breathtaking (the production design is just a treat, one of the few movies I'll probably end up buying the inevitable coffee table book), and Zendaya manages to hold the emotional core of the story together. She's amazing in this.

He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!

There's a scene where they go like "I'm not the Messiah*! / Only the Messiah would say he's not the Messiah!" and I immediately thought of Life of Brian

*Subtitute for the Dune-ish word they use somethingsomethingGraib

[Crazy_Ivan80]

*Subtitute for the Dune-ish word they use somethingsomethingGraib

abu graib? :p

[FunkMonk]

Dune 2 - felt this one is rougher around the edges than the first one. There are lots of additions to the plot of the book which intend to clarify Paul's arc and his reluctance to become the chosen one, but imho they are executed rather clumsily. The political side of the story is also pretty confusing.

Still, it's visually breathtaking (the production design is just a treat, one of the few movies I'll probably end up buying the inevitable coffee table book), and Zendaya manages to hold the emotional core of the story together. She's amazing in this.

He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!

There's a scene where they go like "I'm not the Messiah*! / Only the Messiah would say he's not the Messiah!" and I immediately thought of Life of Brian

*Subtitute for the Dune-ish word they use somethingsomethingGraib

Yeah that was very funny. Got a good laugh from the audience in my theater. Javier Bardem played the comic relief really well considering the overall tone of the movie. 

I think Villeneuve said Life of Brian was one of his influences for the movie and it shows.

[celedhring]

My favorite moment of the movie was the Geidi Prime scene - Villeneuve gives no fucks and I'm all for it 

[FunkMonk]

Yeah the Geidi Prime stuff was my favorite bit of world building in the movie and of course it was visually astonishing.

Also Austin Butler was crazy good

[Maladict]

Yeah the Geidi Prime stuff was my favorite bit of world building in the movie and of course it was visually astonishing.

Also Austin Butler was crazy good

Agree with all of that. I wasn't blown away by it though, it's a good movie but the story could have been handled better. Can't figure out how to do spoiler tags so I'll leave it at that.

[celedhring]

Yeah the Geidi Prime stuff was my favorite bit of world building in the movie and of course it was visually astonishing.

Also Austin Butler was crazy good

Agree with all of that. I wasn't blown away by it though, it's a good movie but the story could have been handled better. Can't figure out how to do spoiler tags so I'll leave it at that.

Yeah, that's the same impression I got. Great big ideas and visuals, and some imho smart decisions regarding the plot (like making Chani a skeptic). But the execution wasn't perfect. The plot feels pretty wonky in places, and all the last third feels incredibily rushed - and this is a 3-hour movie.It's one of those "this is really good but falls short of greatness" movies.

I feel like Villeneuve has this thing where he's really smart and "gets" what's the best big picture version of all the stories he tells - Blade Runner, Arrival, Dune, etc..., but then the scripts themselves feel a bit too mechanical.

Sicario remains his best movie overall, imho.

[FunkMonk]

 I have to agree with the critics that Christopher Walken was woefully miscast.

[Grey Fox]

You guys should watch Incendies.

[celedhring]

You guys should watch Incendies.

Not a fan but for some weird reasons (the play was super famous over here and I ended up getting sick of it).

I'm a big fan of Prisoners, though.

[Maladict]

I have to agree with the critics that Christopher Walken was woefully miscast.

He reminded me a lot of Geert Wilders which made it more interesting. 

[Valmy]

Yeah, that's the same impression I got. Great big ideas and visuals, and some imho smart decisions regarding the plot (like making Chani a skeptic). But the execution wasn't perfect. The plot feels pretty wonky in places, and all the last third feels incredibily rushed - and this is a 3-hour movie.It's one of those "this is really good but falls short of greatness" movies.

Now maybe I just haven't seen as many truly great movies as you have, but I do think this movie achieved greatness. I was shocked at how well he adapted that story. It's a damn miracle. I feel very similarly to how I felt about Peter Jackson's LOTR, which also had a long litany of issues but was ultimately amazing.

I didn't actually feel like the end of the film was rushed, once Paul accepted that the only option was to become a genocidal tyrant the primary tension of the story (at least the one told by the film) was resolved. Time to finish it. Dragging it along for the inevitable would have been tiresome.

I do, though, generally agree with most of the criticism about the film I just don't think it makes it not a brilliant piece of adaptation.

If a better version of Dune comes out in my lifetime I will be amazed.

But now it looks like there will be a Dune: Messiah film to follow it and that...is intriguing. The books get more bizarre and harder to adapt as we move forward and nothing after God Emperor of Dune is worth adapting IMO.

I do hope they don't do what the miniseries did and end it after Children of Dune. "I, Leto II, have put humanity on a Golden Path...that we will elaborate on not at all."

[celedhring]

Yeah, that's the same impression I got. Great big ideas and visuals, and some imho smart decisions regarding the plot (like making Chani a skeptic). But the execution wasn't perfect. The plot feels pretty wonky in places, and all the last third feels incredibily rushed - and this is a 3-hour movie.It's one of those "this is really good but falls short of greatness" movies.

Now maybe I just haven't seen as many truly great movies as you have, but I do think this movie achieved greatness. I was shocked at how well he adapted that story. It's a damn miracle. I feel very similarly to how I felt about Peter Jackson's LOTR, which also had a long litany of issues but was ultimately amazing.

I didn't actually feel like the end of the film was rushed, once Paul accepted that the only option was to become a genocidal tyrant the primary tension of the story (at least the one told by the film) was resolved. Time to finish it. Dragging it along for the inevitable would have been tiresome.

I do, though, generally agree with most of the criticism about the film I just don't think it makes it not a brilliant piece of adaptation.

If a better version of Dune comes out in my lifetime I will be amazed.

But now it looks like there will be a Dune: Messiah film to follow it and that...is intriguing. The books get more bizarre and harder to adapt as we move forward and nothing after God Emperor of Dune is worth adapting IMO.

I do hope they don't do what the miniseries did and end it after Children of Dune. "I, Leto II, have put humanity on a Golden Path...that we will elaborate on not at all."

Without wanting to get too much into spoilers, it was the way they made Paul embrace the prophecy and the following heel turn that I found unsatisfying.