Dune/Dune: Part One (2021) - Villeneuve revitalizes another SF boulder

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Stars assembled in a restrained color palette make up most of this poster for Denis Villeneuve's Dune

Paul Atreides is the heir in the House of Atreides, sent to rule the planet Arrakis, where the spice harvest is vital for space travel in the universe. But he and his mother soon find that they may have been set up to fail...

 

Dune is written by Jon Spaiths (The Darkest Hour (2011)), Eric Roth (Suspect (1987)) and Canadian master filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director Denis Villeneuve (August 32nd on Earth/Un 32 Août sur Terre (1998)), adapting Frank Herbert's (The Dragon in the Sea (1955-56)) same-titled 1965 novel.

Herbert's sci-fi classic has been adapted before (without much luck) by David Lynch as Dune (1984); and Chilean-French Alexander Jodorowsky's major Dune adaptation fell to pieces in the 1970s, chronicled in documentary Jodorowsky's Dune (2013). Now the novel is 56 years old and hardly modern anymore. It takes place about 8,000 years into the future but its widely spanning plot and universe feels more like a viking saga than a realistic situation we will actually find ourselves in far into the future.

Villeneuve has gathered a large, fine cast with the transfixing Timothée Chalamet (One and Two (2015)) in front as Paul Atreides. Stellan Skarsgård (The Railway Man (2013)) is made out as a giant fat villain as Harkonnen, and Jason Momoa (Pipeline (2007)) is enjoyable as the film's alpha warrior with the fitting name Duncan Idaho. His fight scenes are among the film's most exciting moments, along with flight in the Dune world's peculiar insect-like helicopters and one sandworm monster attack.

The dichotomy of harsh militaristic evil with greedy-capitalistic characteristics set against a people 'of the earth' with simple survival and fighting skills and no major power structure (here the so-called Fremen tribe which Paul goes to meet) is familiar SF fantasy territory to say the least, and there's no alleviating humor, romance or sex in Dune, which is very serious throughout its elaborate but easily followed story, most of which takes place on a desert planet, (so also no exotic lush worlds but a deliciously crackling sound design.) - As an experience it may therefore leave you feeling parched.

Despite the fascinating production design, costumes and engaged stars, Dune suffers from some of the same malaise that hindered Villeneuve's preceding film Blade Runner 2049 (2017) from really scoring; it is very long and serious, and it made me zone out and doze off once or twice, despite its respectable credentials. I predict it highly doubtful that Villeneuve's announced 2nd and 3rd Dune movies will ever see the light of day.

 

Related posts:

Denis Villeneuve: 2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - Villeneuve's speculative sci-fi sequel is fascinating but flawed 

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2016 in films - according to Film Excess
Arrival (2016) - Villeneuve, Heisserer and Adams head sensational sci-fi wonder
Incendies (2010) - Villeneuve's dreary and depressing, wildly overrated drama 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 165 mil. $

Box office: 103.9 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say

[Dune premiered 3 September (Venice Film Festival) and runs 155 minutes. Peter Berg was initially hired to direct the film for Paramount. Villeneuve had read the book as a teenager and said, "Dune is my world." Shooting took place from March - July 2019 in Austria, Slovakia, Norway, Jordan, Budapest, Hungary and in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Hans Zimmer elected to drop scoring Christopher Nolan's Tenet in order to score Dune, a favorite novel of his. Despite protests from Villeneuve, Dune will release in North America simultaneously theatrically and VoD at HBO Max for its first month, as is the case with all Warner Bros. 2021 titles due to the China Virus pandemic. The film's release has been pushed out almost a year due to the pandemic, and the release strategy's effect on the possibility for Villeneuve's planned Dune trilogy is yet unknown. The film has released to solid numbers in several mostly European markets yet, but has several major markets left to open in, including North America and China. A traditional theatrical evaluation requires the film to pass 412.5 mil. $ in gross to become profitable, however the streaming strategy is making the evaluation murky. IMDb users have rated the film in at #107 on the site's Top 250, sitting between Dangal (2016) and The Father (2020). Villeneuve is scheduled to return with The Son (miniseries). Chalamet returns in Don't Look Up (2021, VoD). Dune is fresh at 90 % with a 7.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Dune?

Game of Thrones - season 1 (2011) - Martin's impressive realm comes to the small screen

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Lord Stark/Sean Bean sits comfortably in the amazing throne made for the series on this gloomy poster for the first season of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' Game of Thrones

 

The following contains SPOILERS:

 

Mysterious 'White Walkers' assassinate two outposts in the forest, and Lord 'Ned' Stark (Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001))) of the North executes the home-coming deserter. The great king of the Southern capital arrives to persuade Stark to take his crown; but Stark's wife is against it, and a shocking letter reveals that their friend behind the king was murdered by the dangerous Lannisters, an incestuous power-couple of twin brother and sister. Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Blackthorn (2011))) pushes Ned's son Brandon to a great fall and subsequent coma upon his discovering their copulating. In the South exiled prince Viserys Targaryen pressures his sister Daenerys (Emilia Clarke (Dom Hemingway (2013))) to marry the killing machine wild-man Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa (Aquaman (2018))) to attain his army to ride North with on a future conquest.

Jon Snow (Kit Harington (Testament of Youth (2014))), Ned's bastard son, ventures away to join the Night's Watch, meant to keep beasts outside the Wall. Daenerys, now renamed Khaleesi and pregnant by Drogo, is attacked by her brother and threatens him, if he ever does her harm again. Stark's wife travels with the 'imp', Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage (Pixels (2015))) as her prisoner to her frightening sister for answers. Meanwhile Ned gets captured by Jaime and is wounded in a fight.

He is still able to ascend the throne, empty from the now exiled king, as he learns the disturbing true origin of Prince Joffrey, as a Lannister! Khaleesi is obsessed with the dragon eggs she was given as a wedding gift; and her power-mad brother gets himself killed at the hand of Drogo, by way of liquid quicksilver!

Tyrion's liberation has not reached Winterfell castle, where power-mad Joffrey attacks Stark, as tension rises. Joffrey is successful, as Snow joins the oath of the Night's Watch and slays zombie-like White Walkers. Through diplomacy, Ned is promised his life if he admits to betrayal in front of the people, which he does, only for Joffrey to demand his head nonetheless.

Snow attempts to flee the Watch but is stopped. Joffrey's marrying Sansa Stark, Ned's daughter, is made difficult by his brutality. Khaleesi gives birth to a possibly dragon-scaled stillborn and strangles infected, wounded Drogo to death. She then burns her witch woman and walks into the flames herself, hatching her three dragon eggs.

Game of Thrones is created by David Benioff (Troy (2004)) and D.B. Weiss (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2013, TV-series)), based on A Game of Thrones (1996), the first novel in George R.R. Martin's (A Dance with Dragons (2011)) A Song of Ice and Fire novel series.

It presents an elaborate, major fictional universe that seems to have the ability to be ever-expanding, which can be most meaningfully compared to the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien in his Lord of the Rings novels (1954-55). The tone and atmosphere is different here though, with power-madness and extreme selfishness the general rule, and episode stables are sex scenes and violent slayings.

The series has a thrilling pilot and impresses with a handsome score (by Ramin Djawadi (Prison Break (2005-17))) and great performances by Dinklage and Bean. But there are also less than exciting episodes and one that seems downright stalling (episode 9: Baelor). Perhaps the second season will immerse me more fully in the conflicts on the continent of Westeros.

 

Best episodes:
 

Episode 1: Winter Is Coming - written by Benioff, Weiss; directed by Timothy Van Patten (Perry Mason (2020, TV-series))

The world of Game of Thrones and its central characters are introduced

 

Episode 7: You Win or You Die - written by Benioff, Weiss; directed by Daniel Minahan (True Blood (2008-12))

The king is deadly wounded by a wild boar and passes on his power to 'Ned' Stark; assassination attempts are launched against both he and Khaleesi, as tensions escalate.

Related post:

David Benioff: 25th Hour (2002) or, Taking a Second Chance (novel/screenplay)

 

Watch a trailer for the first episode of the season here

 

Cost: 50-70 mil. $ (different reports)

Box office: None - TV-series

= Uncertain

[Game of Thrones - season 1 was first broadcast from April 17 - June 19 (HBO) and runs 10 episodes of around 55 minutes, approximately 550 minutes in total. Tom McCarthy directed the original pilot, which was deemed "unsatisfactory" and re-shot by Van Patten. Several episodes were 10 minutes too short for HBO, due to the creators not being used to the strict conventions of TV, prompting Benioff/Weiss to write and shoot 100 new pages of inexpensive dialog scenes, (many of the season's serious criss-cross dialogs stem from this.) Shooting took place in Ireland and Malta. The second season was ordered on strength of the reception of the pilot, which had 2.22 mil. North-American viewers. The season's ratings went from 2.2 mil. (ep. 2: The Kingsroad) to 3.04 mil. (ep. 10: Fire and Blood). Finance-monthly.com have assessed that the season earned HBO 171.5 mil. $. The season won 2/13 Emmy award nominations, an AFI award, 1/2 Golden Globe awards and several other honors. Benioff & Weiss returned with Game of Thrones - season 2 (2012); Weiss also executive produced The Specials (2009-14, TV documentary series). In 2011 Dinklage also appeared in A Little Bit of Heaven and Scat's Continental Crack-up: Part 2 (short); Bean in Age of Heroes. Season 1 of Game of Thrones is certified fresh at 90 % with an 8.38/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Game of Thrones - season 1?

Aquaman (2018) - Wan delivers a majorly satisfying, gung ho action-adventure splash

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+ Best Action-Adventure of the Year + Best Huge Hit Movie of the Year + Best Superhero Movie of the Year + Breakthrough Actor of the Year: Jason Momoa

An early Comic-Con poster for James Wan's Aquaman, crammed with characters, creatures, colors and action, - and with the stretching, muscular body of its title star in front, - feast your eyes on this awesome poster

Aquaman is the 6th movie in the DC Extended Universe, directly following Justice League (2017), and the first standalone film dedicated to the Aquaman superhero character, who has previously appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and in Justice League. It is written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Orphan (2009)) and Will Beall (Gangster Squad (2013)), with Geoff Johns (Smallville (2009-11)) and great Malaysian co-writer/director James Wan (Saw (2004)) contributing story elements, based on the Aquaman comics, created and started by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger in 1941. 

The son of a human lighthouse keeper and Queen Atlanna of the seas, Arthur as a child learns that he is born with amazing abilities related to the ocean and life there. As a distant royal 'bastard', he is despised by his half-brother, King Orm, as he is forced to step up to protect both surface and sea!

Aquaman works on many levels: Jason Momoa (Road to Paloma (2014)) is an inspired choice to lead, and he gets his cinematic major breakthrough here: Arthur is a perfect fit for Momoa's persona; strong as an ox and a lovable, irreverent drifter, who finds his place as the superhero, who is aided with charm and intelligence by Amber Heard (Paranoia (2013)) as his sexy, fiery red-haired partner and romantic interest. The ensemble cast gathered are an exciting mix of one Wan 'veteran', terrific Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring (2013)) as antagonist Orm, major dramatic stars Willem Dafoe (The Walker (2007)) and Nicole Kidman (The Hours (2002)), a fine, rarely seen New-Zealander actor Temuera Morrison (Once Were Warriors (1994)) and a major break for action veteran Dolph Lundgren (Fat Slags (2004)); voicing creatures Julie Andrews (10 (1979)), John Rhys-Davies (Kim (1984, TV movie)) and Djimon Hounsou (Biker Boyz (2003)) are even enlisted.
The story is as cut of classic, almost Shakespearean fabric; brothers that are opposites, a lost mother, a high-stakes family showdown breaking out. The elaborate layout of the underwater world evokes equal measures of Clash of the Titans (1981), Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and Star Wars, as oceanic battles mirror space-set fighting in parts of the film's 3D-envisioned CGI extravaganza. Aquaman exceeds the previous great DC action adventure Wonder Woman (2017) in terms of wow-effect and scale with the trench scenes especially an imaginative knockout.
Wan succeeds in mixing the compelling story with a sense of fun and gleeful embrace of its genre corniness, which it wears as a badge of honor: Lundgren's very casting, (he comes with campy baggage, which is only fitting), Heard's hair and the semi-comical, great masks and outfits as worn by King Orm and the other villain, Black Manta, revel in the colorful escapade that superhero comics can and should be, - radically opposed to the gloomy realism cultivated in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy (2005; 2008; 2012), a style that was attempted copied without much luck in Man of Steel (2013).
Rupert Gregson-Williams' (Postman Pat (2014)) score is a crisp, 1980's-riffing, bombastic one, almost as great as his work on Wonder Woman. Kym Barrett (Rumor Has It... (2005)) is behind the film's standout costumes, sure to become Halloween and cosplay hits.
Wan continues his great, enviable oeuvre with the brightest, shiniest action adventure in a long while with Aquaman, a sure-footed piece of prime popcorn fodder.

Related posts:

James Wan: 2018 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
The Conjuring 2 (2016) - Wan's sequel is a long horror treat with terrifying periods
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess
The Conjuring (2013) - Best horror film in 7 years   
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
Insidious (2010) - Wan's thrilling, scary ghost horror

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 200 mil. $
Box office: 1,066.9 mil. $ and counting
= Already a big hit (has returned 5.33 times its cost by now)
[Aquaman premiered 26 November (London, UK) and runs 143 minutes. An Aquaman film began development in 2004. Shooting took place in Morocco, Australia, Canada and in Italy from May - October 2017. Some sites list 160 mil. $ as the film's cost, which, if true, would be impressive and make the film's success even greater. It opened #1 to a 67.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it has grossed 306.5 mil. $ to date. It is already the most successful Extended Universe title and the first of them to cross the 1 bil. $ mark. It has set a new December record in China, where it surpassed Wonder Woman's end gross within 3 days. The film has yet to open in one major market; Japan on 8 Feb. The film's ending teases a sequel, which we can expect to be announced soon. Wan does not have his next project made public yet (bet it will be Aquaman 2 though.) Momoa returns with a voice performance in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019), in See (TV-series) and in the flesh on the big screen possibly in action-adventure Just Cause. Aquaman is fresh at 64 % with a 6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Aquaman?