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| -rw-r--r-- | content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024.md | 129 |
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diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index 1c839d5..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Dune" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-14T18:10:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3006 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -abstract = "The Dune series" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3006 - identifier = "dune" - post = "series" -+++ - -{{< menu "brain-rot-dune" >}} -Dune -{{< /menu >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021.md deleted file mode 100644 index 73c9ed4..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,145 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Dune: Part One (2021)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-13T21:33:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-dune" -abstract = "My review of an adaptation of the first part of an amazing book" -aliases = ["/brain-rot/dune/part-one-2021"] -rating = 4.75 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-dune] - weight = 3001 - identifier = "dune-part-one-2021" - parent = "denis-movies" -+++ - -I'd like to call myself a Dune fan, but I am not. -I have finished my Dune adventure on _Heretics_ and only now am I planning to finish the saga[^fn:1] -Though, I think this still puts me well above most people calling themselves fans now. -I loved eveything I've read, but I have never reached the end. - -_Dune: Part 1_ is the second movie based on the 1956 Frank Herbert's classic SciFi epic. -Well, it is not. -It is the third attempt to show the first half of the book. -There was the David Lynch verion (which I adore) and there was a TV Series. -There were also games, but only two of those have any resemblance to the plot of the book. -So yeah, Dune was considered impossible to transfer to any other medium. -Sadly, I still have to agree. - -I think everybody (and their dogs) know what _Dune_ is about but: -_Dune_ is a story of distant future, where all powerful houses rule the known universe. -The technological progress was halted thousands of years ago, after a thinking machines raged a war against humanity. -After their defeat it was forbidden to create such machines. -Arrakis (aka Dune) is a sand planet, the only known source of _Spice_ - a narcotic allowing humans to traverse time, and therefore spaceflight. -Spaceships are operated by mutated humans, who after exposure to Spice can see into the future and steer the ships. -Now, the Emperor orders the control of the planet to be shifted to th House of Atreides. -The previous stewards, House of Harkonen will not make it any easier. - -Ignoring the mutants, this sounds like a run-of-the-mill SF series. -But _Dune_ It is also story of social engineering spanning millennia, of false prophets, and a million other crazy things. -The first book keeps it _almost_ sane, but there is a significant dictionary attached, and the first time reader will need to use it extensively. -Later the saga goes completely off the rails. -We'll get back to this. - -Note, that _Frank Herbert_ wrote only the first few books. -After his death, his son - _Brian Herbet_ took over and wrote dozens of other ones. -The quality differs significantly, as I've been told. -I've read the _Houses_ trilogy, and it was quite nice. - -Now that we've got the introduction out of the way, let's go to the movie. -Let me start with saying that I adore it. -It's not what I'd want (as the young vloggers say "hear me out face value it's as close to perfect SF movie as they go. - -_Dune: Part 1_ is directed by Denis Vileneuve, who previously directed some of the greatest SF movies of this century - _Arrival_ and _Blade Runner 2049_. -His other movies are also amazing (I can't recommend _Enemy_ enough), so I was pretty stoked when it was announced that he will direct _Dune_. -I am no longer a movie buff[^fn:2], but he may very well be my favorite living director. - -Technically, I can not find any fault with the movie. -The story makes sense (I'll return to Lynch in a second), which by itself is an achievement. -The acting is superb, and works as a reminder that TV series are still not on the level of the greatest movies. -The special effects are astounding[^fn:3]. -The music is, for the most part, at least great. -I hated the main theme with screaming lady. -Music is supposed to work with the movie, not to hide it with loud noises! -But that's the only thing I disliked. - -{{< img-c "dune-part1-001.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" >}} -Jessicas portrayal is amazing. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "dune-part1-002.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" >}} -ALL costumes are amazing -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "dune-part1-003.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" >}} -CGI is amazing. -The movie looks amazing. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "dune-part1-004.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" >}} -Have mentioned how amazing this movie looks? -{{< /img-c >}} - -I loved the tempo of this movie, as I never enjoyed action-packed shoot fests of the _other franchise dominating cinema for decades_. -Everything is slow - the actors speak slowly, the scene have time to breath, the camera is moving on a low gear. -Even things fall down slowly! -This adds an amazing dream-like feeling to most scenes. -Sometimes I felt like I'm watching a _Tarkovsky_ movie and not a big budget Hollywood blockbuster. - -And this the greatest and worst thing here. -It's meditative. -You feel like yoy are in a trance. -You fully buy accept you see here. - -But the world of Dune is weird. -It is full of things that make you go "huh?". -It has mutants who traverse time, but it also got mutants who are computers. -There are reanimated corpses, living furniture, hollow planets, vision quests. -Denis omitted everything that was not essential to the plot, and what he left, he grounded in reality by omitting the _wtf_. -There are not even the crazy names! -Some strange things he left, but they are shown without explanation. -It's just there, without any context. -But, to be fair - context would only add confusion. - -But this is where _Lynchs_ version shines. -It makes little sense, it is rushed - sure. -But it conveys how twisted the world is. -It's not a trace, it's a full on narcotic trip straight out of some hippie story. - -And this is why I don't think that this movie is a _great_ adaptation of Dune. -It is a _great_ movie on its own. -It perfectly adapts the adaptable and pretends that there is nothing else. -It makes _Dune: Part 1_ the hit that it is, and it allowed us to get _Part 2_. -But since making this move appeal to mass audience is not my problem, I'd like to see the full picture. - -It'd also like to see the world less cold. -The architecture is devoid of heart, it's brutalistic. -It looks amazing (I think I mentioned that), but the crazy colors and abstract layouts we see in Lynch version is something else. -It's a Vileneuve style. -It looks exactly like his previous movies - it's controlled, clean, _cold_. -As much as I loved it in his other works, I'm not sure if it fits the degenerate houses we meet. - -But that's just me. -As it stands, this is a groundbreaking movie which makes me want more. -Not only more of _Dune_ but more of serious, intelligent SciFi movies. -We had those and may get more! - -It's better in any conceivable way compared to all previous attempts at adapting the source material, and I think all my nitpicks are kina moot. -It fits 2024 esthetic and it's crazy intelligent. - -Highest recommendation from me. -4.75/4 - -And, hey! -Sardukars no longer look like welders! - -[^fn:1]: Right after finishing the Witcher saga. -[^fn:2]: not to brag, but I was a semiprofessional film critic during college years. - I had a press pass and all! -[^fn:3]: Ornititopthers look just like in the _Dune_ game! - This strangely works with how believable everything is. - All flying ships have this strange physics, which I have hard time explaining. - They are not like you X-Wings, but they fit the world. diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024.md deleted file mode 100644 index e3fcd21..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,129 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Dune: Part Two (2024)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-16T16:44:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-dune" -abstract = "My review of an adaptation of the second part of an amazing book" -aliases = ["/brain-rot/dune/part-two-2024"] -rating = 4.75 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-dune] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "dune-part-two-2024" - parent = "denis-movies" -+++ - -It's here, it's finally here. -_Dune_ joins the very small club of SciFi books with amazing adaptations. -When _Part One_ hit the screens, people were amazed that it was so good. -Now, with _Part Two_, we hear that it's even better than the first one! - -But I was very skeptical. -The trailers seemed to indicate a train wreck. -They were full of explosions, angry screaming guys and the taglines about war. -Dune was never _about_ war. -War was in there, but it was never the point. -But cinema, SciFi especially, loves special effects, and big-booms are amongst the most used. -I dislike a lot of SciFi movies from the USA, as the (so called) spectacle is all there is[^fn:1]. - -But what the hell, I chose an IMAX experience nevertheless. -The first _Dune_ was breathtaking, so why not? - -And then the movie started, and my worries were replaced with anger. -What the hell is this? -Soldier banter? -Puppy-eyes? -Joking? -It's a SciFi war movie. -There are preparing for the _specle_ -_Dirty Fremen Dozen_! -_Independence Day of Arrakis_! - -{{< img-c "dune-part2-001.jpg" >}} -Arrakis 90210 -{{< /img-c >}} - -But, just as the action moved to Giedi Prime, the movie completely transformed. -What was mediocre, became absolutely marvelous! - -Now, after seeing and rethinking the movie, it makes sense. -It's a not _sequel_ to _Dune_, but _part two_. -It doesn't start in act 1, as that was in the last movie. -The first chunk of this movie is a cool-down after the ending in of _Part One_. -Both _Dune_ movies should be treated as one long movie. -Much more than Kill Bill, as we have no clear _ending_ between the two. -_Part One_ ends with finishing of the Harkonen attack plot, which only ignites events of this movie. -And looking at it as one one big movie, I have to say: wow! - -They made some changes to Herbert's text, but I like them. -Fremen are no longer a singular force that Paul uses. -The movie version of them is divided, having different cultures. -Maybe it's too black and white, but it's a nice change. - -Similarly, Chani become a multidimensional character. -And while yes, Jessicas portrayal makes Chanis character shine much less, it's still a great change. -But the way Rebecca Ferguson plays Jessica is nothing short of wonder. -She starts scared, but loyal to both, Paul and Bene Gesserit. -After becoming the reverent mother however she becomes menacing. -With this comes another change - Alia is not born here. -She is talking with her mother telepathically, but at the end of the movie she is still to be born[^fn:2]. -That's a dangerous change, but it works perfectly because the tone Jessica uses when talking with her - calm, silent, almost a whisper, yet still menacing. -I can not stress it enough - Rebecca is perfect here. - -But the biggest change is the introduction of scenes from _Dune Messiah_. -You see, _Dune_ was often seen as a savior story. -Paul was to be the good guy, who comes and saves the day. -This is as far from what Frank Herbert envisioned as possible, so he wrote a short sequel book. -This movie vision introduces plot points and scenes taken directly from that book, so the meaning behing the story is much more obvious. -I think it's a good change, as we already see folks arguing against _Dune_ due to this misconception. -This way it defends itself. - -{{< img-c "dune-part2-002.jpg" >}} -Jessica in all of her glory -{{< /img-c >}} - -Luckily, this movie is much weirder than _Part One_. -While last time Dennis omitted a lot, here he shows more _things_[^fn:3], but still there is no context. -We see the finger of the Baron, but we never learn what actually is there. -It comes as an Easter Egg for old time fans, which is nice as it takes nothing from the story. -But then there is Geidi Prime which is monochromatic, empty and cold - in the scariest way. -I'd love to see more of this side the world, but we got it spot on. -And Fayd? -Where Lynch gave us half-naked Sting, Austin Butler is a psychopath. -This is the Beast we all deserve! -This is the stuff nightmares are made of. - -I am happy to report that this is not a war movie. -It's _Dune_ full of plots within plots, mysticism and (lastly) war. - -Unfortunately, once again I am not happy with the music. -While most of the tracks are good (or great), the main theme is even worse than last time. -It's now layered over a lot more noise, making it this much more annoying. -It decreased my enjoyment of many of the greatest scenes. -Luckily, there is also new theme so this screaming woman may not follow us into the third movie. - -So, _Dune Part II_ is an excellent movie, but _Dune_ the complete story is a marvel. -It's the greatest thing I've seen in American SciFi in a very long time. -It's what it should be. -While not flawless, it's as close to what I'd imagine as a _perfect_ _Dune_ as it comes. -The movie gets a 4.75 from me (same as the first one), but looking at both _Dunes_ as a single movie? -Then it goes to a 5. -I don't think we will get anywhere close to this level of quality anytime soon. -What _Baldurs Gate III_ made for cRPG, _Dune_ makes to _SciFi cinema_. - -And, I love that Christofer Walken is once again in the Dune universe. -He warned us about the Worm years ago. - -{{< img-c "dune-part2-003.webp" >}} -Fayd in all of his glory -{{< /img-c >}} - -[^fn:1]: I still remember how bored I was when I watched _Iron Man 3_. - The last decade of the movie runtime was filled with a non-stop battle. - The movie stopped and all was left was CGI. -[^fn:2]: Kinda fitting. - _Arrival_ had a very similar take on what a human is. -[^fn:3]: No chairdogs though |