DUNE (2021)
Label: WBHE Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 155 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: DolbyVision HDR10 2160p UHD Widescreen (2.39:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa , Javier Bardem
Synopsis: “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Lady Bird), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Synopsis: “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Lady Bird), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
This is my third watch of Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune and it's gets better with each watch, I saw it in theaters first with my son, and will admit that while I loved it from the get-go the seemingly abrupt ending did feel a bit awkward, most likely due to the fact that I've spent forty years watching Lynch's version and I am accustomed to seeing the "whole" story in one sitting. That said, this film has an epic feel and the extended duration that allows the story to breathe nicely. I am not sure how clear it would be someone who is unfamiliar with the story and coming in cold, but having seen Lynch's version many times, and hearing for years what's missing from it, I thought it was handled very well; though I sort of missed the voiceover narration from Lynch's version, but I might me in the minority on that one.
I also think the cast is well chosen, with Chalamet (Don't Look Up) inhabiting the role of the would-be heir to Arakis, Paul Atreides, quite well, and Rebecca Ferguson (Doctor Sleep) as Lady Jessica, Paul's Bene Gesserit witch mother, and Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina) as his duty-bound father Duke Leto Atreides both killing it. On the other side we have the House of Harkonen lead by Stellan Skarsgård (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and his nephew Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista, Guardians of the Galaxy). Skarsgård's Baron is a grotesque slug of a man, think Jabba the Hutt by way of Kurtz from Apocalypse Now, the latter of whom Skarsgård is clearly giving a nod to with his perfromance. Heck, I even like Jasom Momoa as Duncan Idaho even though he's playing himself as he seems to do more often than not these days, and we have Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men) as Gurney Halleck, and while he's no Patrick Stewart (who played Gurney in Lynch's version) he won me over.
The worldbuilding is quite sumptuous as well, House Atreides at the start of the film is the ruling House of the lush ocean planet Caladan, until they are tasked by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV to replace House Harkonnen as fief rulers of Arrakis, the contrast of the moisture rich Caladan to the arid landscape of Arakis is startling, with rigid architecture to match, and a wealth of cool tech like the Ornathopter and the spice-mining rids. The drama is also nicely rich with plenty of palace intrigue and betrayal.
So far it's a stunning, richly detailed adaptation and I am not so patiently waiting for the sequel that has already been announced. I'm a fan, I still prefer the Lynch version at this point but after the sequel or maybe even a third film that could change, I believe this sci-fi epic is in good hands with Villeneuve, if you have not see it yet I say jump on it, you're missing out.
Audio/Video: Dune (2021) arrives on 4K UHD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in 2160p UHD widescreen (2.39:1), a gorgeous film with a stunning UHD presentation that has painterly textures throughout, the DolbyVision HDR10 color-grading affording the golden and sand-blasted highlights quite a bit nuance with terrific fine detail in the close-ups of the lavish costuming. The blacks are also quite deep with excellent shadow detail, which is great as long swaths of the film are taking place in darkened corridors.
Audio comes by wat of English Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD MA 5.1 with optional English subtitles. Like the video the audio elements sounds superb, with crisp cleanly delivered dialogue, the affected sound of the "voice", and the soundstage feels epic and the desert sounds of sand-blasting wind cut through the room with ferocity, as do the action sequences and urgency and impact of the hand-to-hand combat.
Extras come by way of an assortment of EPK style featurettes averaging about 5-6 minutes each exploring the adaptation and production with behind-the-scenes footage and interview with the cast and crew. These total about 84-minutes in all. The 2-disc release arrives in a black keepcase with a slipcover featuring the same dull floating heads artwork, inside there's a redemption code for a digital copy of the film.
Special Features:
- The Royal Houses (8 min)
- Filmbooks: House Atreides, House Harkonnen, The Fremen, The Spice Melange (10 min)
- Inside Dune: The Training Room, The Spice Harvester, The Sardaukar Battle (12 min)
- Building the Ancient Future (7 min)
- My Desert, My Dune (5 min)
- Constructing the Ornithopters (6 min)
- Designing the Sandworm (6 min)
- Beware the Baron (5 min)
- Wardrobe from Another World (3 min)
- A New Soundscape (11 min)
- The Royal Houses (8 min)
- Filmbooks: House Atreides, House Harkonnen, The Fremen, The Spice Melange (10 min)
- Inside Dune: The Training Room, The Spice Harvester, The Sardaukar Battle (12 min)
- Building the Ancient Future (7 min)
- My Desert, My Dune (5 min)
- Constructing the Ornithopters (6 min)
- Designing the Sandworm (6 min)
- Beware the Baron (5 min)
- Wardrobe from Another World (3 min)
- A New Soundscape (11 min)
