Filmmaker reacts to Dune (2021) 

FIIIIIIIIINAAAAALLYYYYYYY❤😂 I was low key afraid you just went ahead and watched it! I'm more than excited to see your reaction.

The emperor sent House Atreides to Arrakis to die, so it's only fitting that their arrival should be announced with the sound of bagpipes. It's essentially an epic funeral procession.

19:30 Stripping Leto wasn't just about disrespect. The best way to search for weapons/devices is to strip off all clothing. In the Duniverse, assassination has been honed to a fine art. They even have different words for "poison in food" and "poison in drink". It's like how English has different words for water that falls from the sky: rain, mist, hail, sleet, snow. Because of this, hearing the word instantly tells us the dangers that are present. For example, the word "hail" let's us know the primary threat is getting hit with rock-like pieces of ice, whereas "sleet" tells us that roads and sidewalks could be slippery. So, if someone yells "chaumas", everyone instantly knows that there is poison in the food. If they yells "chaumurky", they know there is poison in the drinks.

In the books, Yueh knows the baron will kim him, he just wants confirmation that his wife is also dead and no longer being tortured, which the baron gives him. He willingly joins her in death, pretty tragic

19:16 This whole scene of Duke Leto slumped naked in the chair always makes me think of those Renaissance chiaroscuro paintings of Christ after the crucifixion.

I swear, Dennis Villeneuve makes the most immersive sci-fi films.

Saw this in true IMAX (1.43:1 screen) in SF when it first came out. Truly a breathtaking experience, and the new one was just as amazing. Denis really pulled off some magic with these movies

Timmy Chalamet + his drip in this movie (and Dune part 2) is pure anime.

The Dr. knew what he was doing. His wife was being tortured constantly. Once he betrayed the Atreides, he knew the Baron would have no more use for her, and she'd be out of her misery.

22:30 The Baron is probably breathing the goo. In real life, we have perfluorohexane, which you can actually breathe. Considering the poison was in a gas form, it makes sense that the treatment would be applied directly to the lungs.

My understanding is the reason the doctor works with the Baron is not because he trusts him. He knows they are torturing his wife and will keep doing it until he does what they say. He does what the Baron asks so the baron will kill his wife and "free her from her agony"

Nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture but won for Best Original Score Best Sound (Editing and Mixing) Best Film Editing Best Visual Effects Best Production Design Best Cinematography. It's one of best adaptations of Frank Herbert's classic novel.

The thing I found interesting was how Dune Part One took its time telling part of the story covered in Dune 84 and then Dune Part Two sped up the chronology of the remainder so 2 years worth took place within 9 months. The sound of Part One and Two was truly phenomenal. In the cinema it was almost a whole body experience the way it thundered. In each adaption so far the Baron has had a different representation. 84 had the manic sadist side, the miniseries had a theatrical schemer flair and Parts 1 & 2 had a cold brutal focused Baron.

I can't wait for you to react to the second film. The way they introduce Freyd Rautha and the Harkonnen Planet is amazing.

Dr. Wellington Yueh was performed by Chang Chen of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as Lo "Dark Cloud" Xiao Hou, the desert marauder who stole Jen’s comb.

As a french canadian, i am so SO proud of what Denis Villeneuve is doing to sci-fi cinema!

6:15 I think that how much Dune focuses on showing ties into how Villeneuve doesn't much care for dialogue. In an interview he mentions how he loves when the filmmaking is focused on the intimate and emotional aspect of the characters or world space. He understands its importance and it isn't to say he dislikes dialogue, but he prefers to focus on what the film medium is best at. And that's the visual storytelling. His favorite shot within Dune 2021 is actually Paul first landing on Arrakis, reaching down to feel the sand between his fingers, because it's such a pure and human reaction and experience.

For me, Dune is like Pride and Prejudice: every decade there will be another one made, and I love all of them. In the David Lynch Dune Paul is unambiguously the messiah; In the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries he is Prince Hamlet of Denmark, and will have his revenge and his crown; and in the Villeneuve productions he is Lawrence of Arabia - an dangerous charlatan who also happens to be a magician. My favourite part in all three versions are the representations of the Voice. It's good to represent how frightening it would be to meet someone who doesn't need agreement or consent control to others. Just horrible! :)

I love these movies so much. They just ooze the vibe I got when I finally got around to reading the first book. My only regret is I never got to see Part One in theaters, but I've since seen Part Two twice in IMAX.

Its still kind of wild to know how Hans Zimmer and the other artists/musicians involved did not one, not two but THREE soundtracks for Dune: Part 1. Each soundtrack is unique and fun but all 3 serve a purpose. You have the soundtrack that was made for the movie, the Sketchbook which acts as extended demos for the film and lastly, you have The Art & Soul of Dune, which is more or less the ambient soundscape version of the Sketchbook. That soundtrack is named after the same book that features the artwork done for Dune. What I really liked was that you can tell the differences of each motif or theme when the music involves the the ancient houses, the characters and planets. For example, with House Atreides, they have the proudful bagpipes. House Harkonnen has the infamous "war horns" as its called but its actually a cello or violin that was distorted and manipulated into sounding like brass. The Sardaukar have that ominous throat singing and the Bene Gesserit have a series of 3 women singing, whispering and chanting. I also love the use of wonderfully rich orchestral parts with the electronic and synthwave-ish elements balanced out. It sounds familiar and ancient but also otherworldly and weirdly alien. You get a mix of Blade Runner 2049, Dunkirk, Man of Steel, Interstellar, Gladiator and Dark Phoenix.

The worms liquify the sand by making it vibrate so that they can pass trough it more easily. Love that detail, how foreboding it feels and the way it is portrayed. The T-Rex water ripple from Jurassic Park on steroids.

I watched an interesting video on what inspired the architecture of Arrakeen. The artists took ideas from real world examples by conceptualizing these structures that look like it would keep the interior cool while also letting a bit of light in. Even those structures in Dune 2 that look like they were carved away from the side of a mountain were inspired from a real civilization who treated water like currency. It’s all very cool.

“Ship a lot of water to here” That’s one part that was not talk about enough to explain the power the Spacing Guild have over the empire. The Spacing Guild isn’t cheap to play UPS for anyone.

Dr. Yueh knew exactly what he was doing. Having been slightly trained by his Bene Gesserit wife, he had enough of an ability to tell if the Baron would tell the truth about keeping his part of the bargain, to free his wife from her agony. Yueh knew that freedom from agony was her death, and that 'joining her' would also be his.

Favourite scene has to be the scene where Jessica is given the criss knife by the maid. Just chills everytime

btw, Dr Yueh does know that the Baron was going to kill him. It's not spelled out in this adaption but bear in mind that he gives Leto the poisoned tooth and that the poison fills the room -so Yueh expected to be killed by the poison gas and knew he wouldn't be leaving that room either way.

Thank you for highlighting Oscar Isaac's performance! His leadership and compassion percolates thru Part I that the question I kept asking myself watching Part II was "Would Leto be proud of you, Paul?" "What would Leto think of this? "

Whoa, 16:29 I just noticed something, the Sadu Kar throat singer does the same exact hand gesture as Paul in Part 2 when talking about the paths of destruction he sees in the future and how only one way works out. Look at the hand gesture, it’s identical.

That shot at 9:22 of the Baron running his hand over his scalp seems to be a not-so-subtle nod to Brando doing the same thing in Apocalypse Now

AYYYEE OUR MAN JAMES JUST DROPPED A DUNE REACTION??? LETS GOOOOO also the reason the 1984 version included the “two parts in one” is because the studios behind the film didn’t want there to be two separate parts so they kinda forced Lynch to combine them which didn’t make some fans happy lmao at least that’s what i heard 😭

Regarding your question about not knowing how Dr Yueh can put his faith on the Baron, apparently Yueh knew he would die, but his whole intention was for his wife to stop being tortured.

The reason they don't use shields in the dessert is because the force field triggers the worms into a frenzy. Combat in the dessert is unconventional relative to 'shield combat'.

the way it's described in the book, doctor Yueh pretty much knew that his wife was dead and that the baron would betray him. He went along with the plan, just so he could have his revenge on the baron through Leto's self sacrifice.

You should look into how the visual effects for the 1984 Dune were made. They came up with some astounding methods to achieve things people assume were done with computers.

the doctor didn't put his faith in the baron, he knew he was going to die. He put his faith in the duke and hoped he maneuver the duke close enough to murder the baron - something the doctor could never manage to do directly. He knew they would not let him close enough to kill the baron.

You said that Calladan looked like an Alien set in the first Dune. There was an aborted Dune film from the 70s, and that design team moved to the Alien movie. Those films gave a shared DNA.

I think the worm hole space ship is a clever design meant to mirror the shape of the sand worms and the origin of the spice, spice being necessary for interstellar travel. Worm Hole - Sand Worm - Not a coincidence. The Spacing Guild knows who they owe for their ability.

Fun fact: The duke did not save those spice workers just because he was a "good guy". In the books it was highlighted that he specifically saved them because he had a respected arrakis in the helicopter with him. So he did it to make a positive impression with her which pays off at theh eend of the movie when she helps them. It also reinfforces the benne gesserit propaganda of the "messisah"

hell yeah. Just saw part 2 last night. Really enjoy your reaction vids

Literally just saw this movie for the first time a few hours ago. And then I see this video on my recommended. What a coincidence lol

In the older version there’s is so much stated exposition yet they leave out so many important things

Hey James, you keep using the word "original" for the David Lynch Version. Did you know there was a project to film "Dune" even before that? Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky was going to direct it, and assembled an amazing team of actors, composers and visual artists. They had a sript and a finished storyboard. The pre-production work was going on for a couple of years even. It was going to be the most grand epic film ever made , but the studio pulled the plug on the project right before filming was going to start. Later, Ltnch was called in to make the film with a seriously down-scaled budget, as the studio stil held the rights to the title. The story of this, the best film never made, is told in a documentary called "Jodorowsky's Dune". It is amazing, and a must-see for any aspiring filmmaker. (And I believe it is funny and spectacular enough for a reaction even)

The scene with the Barom in the steam bath, anyone else get Brando/Kurtz/Apocalypse Now vibes?

I know a few others have already recommended it, but I'm still suggesting you do the miniseries as well. Budget and *some* acting notwithstanding, it still does a really good job of adapting the (first three) books.

Seen dune 2 twice and going again Sunday.

Imagining you on all fours like M3gan running through the sand from the worm gave me a chuckle 😂

For future reference, the director's name is pronounced phonetically as 'de-knee vill-nerve' with the 'r' being almost silent.

21:25 I thought that at first, that a Fremen wouldn't let someone sneak up like that, but she was about to ride the Shai-Hulud so maybe it was a moment of religious fervor so she wasn't aware of her surroundings I suppose

I also have a soft spot for the TV version of Dune. Sure it has the least budget of all adaptations, but it also is quite faithful to the books and has its own unique style.

In the book, when Paul killed Jamis, he inherited his wife and kids. They were obviously deleted in the new movies, but in the david lynch version you can still see the boys in the background. They never have any lines, but they were left in some scenes where children would only belong because their dad was there - like standing at the front of a bunch of warriors actively training for war.

Glad you watched part 2 in theatres. I always feel sad for reactors who don't let themselves see movies like this in cinemas. Nearly any movie is better experienced in theatre imo but particularly something using IMAX and sound design like a director like Villeneuve does is a true loss to never see in theatre

I’ve seen Dune 2021 a lot and many more reactions to it. This is the first time I realized it wasn’t Dune 2020.

Just today I was reminded that the first film I saw Rebecca Ferguson in was Life (you’ve probably seen it but if not - an interesting sci fi film), and not Doctor Sleep as I’d originally thought. Oscar in that dining room is a renaissance painting. Denis did such a great job with that scene especially I felt. I mean.. sure it’s Oscar Isaac but also it’s just a great visual detail. I like looking at that part. I wonder if we will get to see Jason Momoa again 🤔🤔🤔🤔 Super interested in your Dune pt 2 vid and your views on Chani’s character specifically as compared to the ‘84 version. Toodles! ✌🏼

"Look at these Daft Punk weirdos man. It's like if Daft Punk was just heavy metal" I would be very interested in that

As much as i love part 1, part 2 exceeds it in every way (which makes sense considering its the climax of what part 1 set up). Its to part 1 what Empire was to A New Hope

Denis is absolutely badass. First film I ever watched on my new home theatre with 120” projector and big surround sound, was Sicario. Been a fan ever since. Dune 2 is sublime.

Amazing movie... can't wait to see you react to PART 2 it's even better!

You might also want to check out the miniseries Dune and Children of Dune from 2000 and 2003.

The scale of this movie is unreal. The music is🔥 The actors are amazing

One of the many great things of this adaptation is the script, people don't say that much but what they do say reveals so much of their background, attitude and lore and still feels natural. Except for the "this is only the beginning" right at the end, the beginning of what? A "you haven't seen anything yet" would make more sense.

18:45 What do I do? To quote Austin Powers, "first I plan to soil myself. Then I'm going to regroup and come up with a new plan."

Saw Dune 2 in Boston’s best IMAX theater and it was without a doubt a Mount Rushmore ‘Thank GOD I saw this in a theater’ movie going experience for me. Up there with Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting (hey I’m from Massachusetts, and it’s a damn great movie), Kill Bill (both) and No Country for Old Men. Still can’t get over how hard Denis Villeneuve cooked in these 2 movies.

I think Lynch was braver in some ways. He kept aspects of the story in there that I think Denis is afraid to touch. Part of what makes the first few Dune books so great is the strangeness and complex world building.

I just want more, I wish this was a miniseries instead of films. the film format and time constraint just doesn't feel long enough.

Sense of scale? Seeing it on a full size IMAX screen…DAMN!

this cast is STACKED!

I left this comment on your 1984 Dune video, but I can't unseen the Eren Yeagar comparison now that you've made it

This reaction should have been a two parter. 😂

I agree that Denis' film is masterful in the showing rather than telling. But it is made better when you have a base knowledge of the lore to interpret the showing. I think this viewing you are benefiting from the telling in the first, and it allows you to appreciate it even more.

2:46 - 2:47 the weird overlapping music in the video made me think I had music in another tab open for a second until I paused the video to check

GIMME MORE SPICE! Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a great day!

This a masterpiece

There is a version worth the hunt down, it may have been a mini series, but it was 7 to 10 hours (3-4 VHS tapes) of great cinema. May take a few sittings to finish it though :)

Good reactions to both the 1984 and the 2021 film versions of Dune. Although I haven't studied movie-making, I can appreciate various strengths and weaknesses of both film versions (leaving aside the TV mini-series). I read the first three books of the Dune series before 1984, so I did have that added layer of knowledge about the story being told in both cinema versions before seeing either one. Personally, my preference is for the longer narrative approach that builds up the characters in the newer movies, even with narrative divergences from the book source material. And I enjoy the grand and intimate styles of visual storytelling. My younger cousin, who saw the 1984 version at a formative time in his life, still prefers that version and has some concerns about changes and choices that are different from the book in the newer one compared to the changes and choices in that earlier one. And both my cousin and I are fans of the Frank Herbert-authored books, and yet have these different opinions about the movie adaptations - while we can appreciate and enjoy both versions.

Dune part two in the cinemas was easily the best cinematic experience of my life, hopefully its fantastic when it comes out for home viewing too.

I’m surprised you didn’t watch this in theaters when it came out. It was an experience including the second one that just came out

7:20 "They're still giving a lot of time to build with, especially with their main character here." You mean Duncan Idaho, right?

I really would like to see you react to the SYFY miniseries Dune adaptation because for me that version has the right balance of show and tell whereas the dialogue in Dennis's version, even in both parts, is missing some key details that would flesh out the world and would help explain what's going on and help improve what he shows in the movies.

I gotta be honest. I might be one of the few people who doesn't really like the Denis Villeneuve version of Dune. When Part 1 came out, I watched and loved it. But the wait for Part 2 was not only long, but also got longer as it was postponed. So I read the novel, and I loved the novel so much. Dune Part 2 was my most anticipated movie, I counted down the days until it came out, and when I watched it, I felt let down. Guess this is mainly a complaint from the adaptation point of view, but I just did not think it was adapted right. I guess everyone has that one. Be it fans of novels, comic books, games and etc, who are not happy with the adaptation of what they like. With respect to Denis, and everyone who did really like it, I am hoping Dune gets like a modern HBO miniseries adaptation in the next 20 years or so (An adaptation of this franchise seems to happen every 20 years). The time constraints of a movie, do disservice to the incredibly dense novel, and Denis has a negative view on extended cuts (both Dune movies have like 90 minutes of actual deleted scenes, that he cut out and said that nobody will ever see).

Oh man can't wait for you to see dune 2

Dune now gives me the same sense of anticipation I had when waiting for the Lord of The Ring films to come out. Cant wait for you to do Pt 2. Austin Butler is a revelation.

Lynch also Disowned his own film, and refused to acknowledge it as his own, or part of his legacy.

Excellent insights, as usual. One of the _major_ issues with DUNE (1984) is that Lynch's hands were tied and bound in cement by the producers. He wanted to Show-Not-Tell, as is his intrinsic nature, but the producers were trying to sell DUNE to younger audiences to play off the _Star Wars_ fervor (yeah, let that one sink in for a second). With it being his first true Hollywood film, he had to put in those massive exposition dumps and rewire the opening to effectively dumb it down. I *still* think he created a flawed masterpiece with what he had. Saw it opening night and Young-Me was like, "I think I'm seriously stoned." XD (And you're totally right... that Father-Son scene is Oscar Isaac at his finest. Totally defines the characters).

Love these movies bc they were an EXPERIENCE of Cinema. Saw Part 1 3x in theaters Part 2 seen it 2x. Really hoping for a Dune Messiah.

The second book (Part 3) may never get made as we know it, because by the end of Part 2 (no spoilers), they have clearly made changes and used specific quotes from the book showing that the characters are literally and knowingly taking one of the different paths than the one followed in the books. In an instant the readers know that a large number of important events and main stories from across several books are no longer possible. And the average moviegoer will have no idea it even happened, because they can only see the path they are on, as if the act of watching was itself some sort of meta commentary.

The baron gives me Col Kurtz vibes in his mannerisms

I'm happy I jumped into the universe of Dune by watching the 2021 version.... I can't imagine watching another one first and know half of what is going to happen and not have everything introduced to you in a way that the 2021 version did. It would have been way less wtf's.

You need to checkout the Dune miniseries. They are amazing, and so far the most book accurate adaptation

It should be noted that the exposition dump in the beginning of the 84 version was a studio addition. Without it there would be much less telling in that version.

Dune part 1 and 2 are my favorite movies of all time. The books are even better. Great reaction!

Please see part two in cinemas while it’s out

Great reaction bro! 👍🏿

I absolutely love the Dune universe and story, and I’m so very pleased with this movie, it really did the book justice, at least the first part of it. I SO badly want to see Dune part 2, but I’m too broke to go to the theater. I wonder when it will be available to stream, it’s killing me.

Yeah, there wasn’t much of Duncan in the Lynch version. A shame really, because the late Richard Jordan was a hell of an actor in his own right. I imagine there’s much of his Duncan Idaho in the “lost” unused hour or so of footage.

W REACTION can't wait to watch this today ❤

I watched this film 5x because i agree its rewatchable, obviously i tried watching it in different devices/formats too just to see if i felt different about it. But 8:32 why am i now noticing that there is a castle hewn in the rock? i never realized we got to see the outside of house atreidies before!

Get into IMAX to see Dune 2. I think this is the LOTR of our generation

James, you like John Carpenter so his 1974 dark humour sci-fi movie Dark Star is a low budget gem of a movie!

Oh man here we go! I just saw Dune 2 for my 4th time last night, on 70mm IMAX 🔥

Funny thing is i did read the books, most of them as Dune has a lot of follow up... Watching the Lynch movie i never expected a straight adaptation, and it was a great experience. Great music, scenes, actors and that weird touch Lynch brings to everything he directed. D.V. Adaptation is spectacular, and both are welcomed, because the books are a grandiose and epic story, they deserve the dedication shown in both adaptations. Sadly the D.Lynch version didn't get as much freedom as Denis had.