An excerpt from my script review for Dune which will be available 10/25/21:
1.) Marketability of the Idea
One of the mistakes I think a lot of people make is thinking Dune will be along the same style lines of Star Wars.
Never having read the Dune books, I sat down to watch the 1984 film two or three times, all resulting in me falling asleep.
Now, where Star Wars is a “western set in space” there needs to be a similar classification for Dune, maybe “political drama set in space”.
Although both are in the sci-fi genre, it’s not fair to pit one against the other directly, a mistake many reviewers seem to be falling victim to.
Before this film came out, I took time to understand the universe this was set in, because I know how excited fans are of the film, TV series, and the books.
(Apparently the boss read the book a while back and was luke warm to it.)
All of my “research” was via YouTube videos, and there was one particular one (that I can’t find now naturally) which talked about the troubled past of the films, starting even before the 1984 version.
Here’s a quick reference though…
What works here is the fact that these houses have been warring over a single planet for decades. A planet that makes whatever house controls it rich.
Overseeing it all is a jealous Emperor, who’s not against tricking houses into war if it means he secures power.
That’s cool, and once the audience gets past the awkward names and places, there’s a lot to enjoy here.
How’d audience appreciate this current version though?
(Not a bad opening weekend!)
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