306: Dune: Part One

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[00:00:59] Let's get to Dune from 2021 or also Dune Part One. It's directed by Denis Villeneuve, the great Denis Villeneuve. Stars Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, list goes on.

[00:01:19] And the synopsis is a noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its air becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.

[00:01:30] So I wanted to tackle this one now because part two has just come out and I'm dying to see it. I cannot wait. I'm absolutely going to see that in theaters because I did not get a chance to see this one in theaters.

[00:01:42] I was in military training, so I didn't get a chance. Unfortunately. I had read the Dune novel in college. I think I had seen the David Lynch movie around that same time, too. Had forgotten completely about it really until this one came out.

[00:01:59] I loved Denis Villeneuve long before this with Prisoners, with Blade Runner, Sicario, Arrival. Like he is undeniably one of the best filmmakers working right now. And I'd say maybe one of the best filmmakers of all time. He is unbelievable in a variety of ways.

[00:02:17] And if you have not seen most of his movies or if you've only given him one watch, go back and watch him again and definitely see Dune part one and go see Dune part two in theaters.

[00:02:28] I've even seen it and I'm telling you to go see it. I know it's going to be great. So I'm a big sci-fi fan. Besides that, I didn't know or didn't remember much about the original novel going into this first one.

[00:02:44] Loved the cast, loved the trailers from it. I think Denis Villeneuve, his eye for amazing, bold imagery is unparalleled really in this day and age. And I think the movie, even without having seen part two, I love this film.

[00:03:01] I think it is one of the best along with Blade Runner 2049, one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century. Easily like everything from and really it's hard with a movie like this that there's not a lot of plot.

[00:03:17] And you can even say the same thing with Blade Runner 2049, but this one it's hard to even really talk about why exactly or how exactly it does everything so well and why I love it so much because from the surface, it's like,

[00:03:31] well, it looks amazing. It's got a great score. It's got great performances, yada, yada, yada. And you could say that about a lot of movies, but there is such a resonance to me in this film, even from the first image that I was immediately captivated

[00:03:50] and it really stuck with me even first time I watched it and I didn't rewatch it for maybe another year, year and a half. Like so many of those scenes, the direction and I don't want to repeat myself,

[00:04:03] you know too much but he can do everything from really strong memorable imagery to strong storytelling, to emotional resonance, to suspense, action like he can do everything so well and it is it's crazy to think about because he really kind of came out of nowhere.

[00:04:23] You know, he did Prisoners and Enemy and Rival and he was just suddenly like people are like this guy who is this guy? This guy is amazing. How do we not know about him before and this is probably my second or third favorite of his films.

[00:04:38] I think Sicario is still my first that was the first one that I saw and that one still sticks with me the most and this one is definitely at least on par with Blade Runner 2049 maybe better

[00:04:49] and I think that part two seeing part two is going to make this one even better. So stay tuned for that review coming up. The overall world like if anyone has seen the documentary Yodorowsky's Dune,

[00:05:03] watch that because that is about the early version of Dune that was supposed to come out but never could really get produced and financed and the world of Dune is so vast, so extravagant and rich in terms of worlds and characters and ideas,

[00:05:19] designs like it's really hard to compact that even to a two-part movie like he's doing but he does a good enough job to where you can feel that complexity and huge rich world and the sandworms one of the best parts of the movie in terms of the design,

[00:05:39] the action sequences, the look of the sand suits where it allows them to breathe like that. Anytime there's a movie especially in the case like this where people are wearing hoods and capes in the desert amazing. I'm immediately going to love it

[00:05:55] and that's a small thing but I really like that. Timothee Chalamet being this seemingly chosen son and being unsure of his place in the world and those memories and flashbacks or dreams of Zendaya's character and how that's I know that's leading into the second part.

[00:06:15] Jason Momoa one of his best roles. He's excellent. Josh Brolin is a great counterpart to Timothee Chalamet and Oscar Isaac. Rebecca Ferguson is excellent like it's again, I feel like all this stuff I'm saying is kind of normal complimentary stuff to a movie like this

[00:06:33] but to me it's on a whole other level compared to the majority of sci-fi movies fantasy like way better than the Star Wars films recently way better than the Star Trek better than Marvel like Denis Villeneuve's filmmaking and storytelling is on a whole other level

[00:06:51] and I cannot wait to see what he does in the next 10 20 years because he is unreal and I know that there is a bit of a distance in this movie. I think for on a emotional level it is quite challenging

[00:07:05] like there's a lot of things that aren't fully explained in terms of dynamics between certain factions and families and then between certain characters and the some of the more mystical ideas and concepts of the movie so it is really needing I'd say at least two

[00:07:22] or three watches to really grasp it. I've seen it that many times. I'm still catching on to new things and learning new things. So if you don't fully understand it or you're not fully grasping everything in terms of an emotional level or thematic level give it a chance.

[00:07:39] I think that's very much intentional considering Denis Villeneuve and if you're unsure of part one go ahead and see part two again. I think it's going to be an amazing experience. So that one is a heavy heavy five out of five.