The New Review - Dune(2021)

Copyright belongs to Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures

Dune

Directed By Denis Villeneuve

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Issac, Rebecca Ferguson, and many more

Concept: Frank Herbert's legendary novel that inspired decades of sci-fi epics, including Star Wars. Sci-fi mixed with geopolitical plots at the forefront of a Messiah story. Hollywood has struggled to get this movie made... and aside from one particular critically panned classic, this is the test to see if it can be done.

Execution

Here we go...

Cast: A LARGE cast. Chalamet, Issac, Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, Brolin, Momoa, and did I see a David Dastmalchian? AND a Javier Bardem? AND a Dave Bautista? Stacked. And no part seems small. Even the ones that COULD be small serve a purpose. But breakout performances from Timothée Chalamet and Oscar Issac...... Score: 20/20

Presentation: An Epic score you would expect from a sci-fi epic film. One or two off CGI moments, but I saw an homage to old school sci-fi with a paper maché explosion and practical effects mixed with beautiful CGI. And if you feel comfortable enough, watch this on the biggest screen you can. Because Denis uses ALL of the screen real estate he could. Score: 20/20

Chronicle: So, if you aren't aware... this is a part 1. One of the biggest issues I had with the original movie was how so much story was crammed into one movie. Sacrifices had to be made, like the nerfing of The Weirding Way. This one, however, showcases what Hollywood couldn't figure out... split it into 2 movies. Focusing on the Geopolitical portion of the story, it was built around the emergence of the heir to an empire he really doesn't feel ready for. Clever uses of premonition and foreshadowing, while making it a CHARACTER ATTRIBUTE. Even the short roles of certain characters, everyone has good to GREAT character development. Only the beginning. Score: 30/30

Impact: The Novel was the inspiration for MANY sci-fi franchises. And this movie is a masterclass on how to inspire many more. Hollywood has been afraid of making this into such an epic because of the plots and subplots throughout the first book... and well... the series of books overall. Denis Villeneuve did a WONDERFUL job at making Blade Runner 2049 as a vessel to bring Blade Runner to modern audiences...... and I TRUSTED him with making Dune as amazing as he could. And... not only did he not let me down, he exceeded my expectations. And it is an example of how if you believe in the material, you should take it... and run with it. So... not only do I hope Dune inspires more sci-fi franchises, I also hope other directors look at Hollywood's fear materials... and run with them(as much as I was okay with John Carter... I would LOVE someone else to take a stab at A Princess of Mars... I've even started a fancasting for it). Hopefully this(and subsequent part 2) inspire DECADES more sci-fi epics. Score: 20/20

Extra Oomph: So this one is gonna be a little spoilery, but not for this movie... for the trilogy as a whole, as compared to the original cult classic and the novels themselves. There are FIVE actors/roles I want to point out. They are Brolin/Gurney, Momoa/Idaho, Zendaya/Chari, Bautista/Rabban, and Skarsgård/The Baron. Brolin, Momoa, and Bautista... all feel a little typecast, each with only a small role this time around(at least 2 of them will get featured more going forward... up to you to figure out which 2), but each one serving a MAJOR purpose in the story regardless. And Denis did the same thing with Bautista in Blade Runner 2049. Then we look at The Baron... I thought that was Stellan Skarsgård, but I wasn't for sure the whole movie. And dammit...... I like that. And that leaves Zendaya. I credit my friend Bob for this one... because I saw it... and he put it into words. Chani isn't featured with solid lines until the end, but she was shown as the central figure in Paul's dreams/visions throughout the film(trailers spoiled that, sorry not sorry). And with that, she had MORE character development and was used in a much better way than she is as MJ in the MCU Spider-Man films. Denis Villeneuve's vision... but Zendaya's range. Zendaya has an Emmy already. I'm calling it... she will end up with an Oscar someday. And I'm ready to see what she does in Part 2. Thank you to Denis for bringing out MORE that potential in her. Score: 10/10

Final Score: 100/100

Final Grade: A++ or S-Class

Conclusion: Frank Herbert's legendary novel has been brought to life as it should be. Stunning. Emotional. Detail oriented. Fierce action met with rich storytelling that it NEVER lost hold of. Even the battles told stories(something that I feel Star Wars lost more times than not). Sci-fi Masterclass. Denis Villeneuve does it again.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat" that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: I have some evaluating to do for where to put this movie in my top 10 of all time. That should tell how bad I want each of you to see...... no... how bad I want you to EXPERIENCE this movie. Come back and thank me later.

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Well there you go...... Dune get a 100!!!!!!!! A perfect score!!!

Full disclosure... this was going be a make/break movie. I was looking forward to it. I had very high expectations. But... I do try to be fair. Small oopsies would've been forgiven, but this one... was important to me. So if Denis Villeneuve would've screwed up ONE part in a major way, this score might've been drastically different. But I put my faith in Denis, and he did me proud... so much so, I say once he gets through this trilogy, give him A Princess of Mars... give him any other sci-fi novel and just let him go do his thing. This was VISIONARY! And it could've gone wrong in someone else's hands.

I think the delays for release due to Covid made it that much sweeter. Great things come for those who wait...... well... get me a part 2... now!

So what did you all think? Comment down below. Share the hell of this. And if you haven't seen it... go... do... so... as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

My movie of the year for 2021. What else could top it? Yeah... nothing.

Whether you watch it at home or in the theater, don't forget...

2021 Preview - Pandemic Screwed It All Edition

Credit goes to the Late LEGENDARY Dave Fleischer, co-owner of Fleischer Studios, along with his older brother the even MORE LEGENDARY Max Fleischer. If you don't know who they are, look them up... you might find a piece of your childhood...

ON TO THE CONTENT!!!

Those of you who followed the old blog will remember that I used to do a preview post at the beginning of the year. Well, surprise... COVID... and the fact that I was still on "hiatus". But I restarted this blog due to wanting to perosnally... and that it feels like the movie theaters are starting to go back to normal. Finally. So I decided it was the perfect time to do a preview post. I kinna like the format of the Top/Bottom 10 lists, so this will be my Top 10 list for movies that I'm wanting to see for the remainder of this year.

Before we get to this list, I want to share something with all of you. I have been missing the feeling of going to the movies. I'm so glad I've been able to go again. But why did we have to get to this point? COVID...

Please. If you haven't gotten your Covid shots, go do so. If you aren't going to due religious reasons, health reasons, or personal reason... at least wear a mask. And if you can't or you refuse to do even that... please stay home until it is safe... and if you are petulant enough to whine about do this because you don't care about your fellow human being, bring it on!!! Meet you in the theater parking lot, bitch!!!!!

This isn't a political matter. This is a Protect our People matter. Democrat. Republican. White. Black. Latino. Straight. LGBT.(if there is anyone I missed, I'm sorry... trying to be inclusive) We are all a part of one of the greatest groups in the world... the audience. A light smattering of people? Cool. A packed theater? I miss those. My people. Our people. Don't ruin the experience for anyone else... or We the Audience will shank you...

Masks work. If you don't think they work, find one that works for you. That is what I had to do, took a few different ones to get the right one for function, comfort, and safety... and it will now be a part of my winter attire from now on(keeps my face so warm when it is cold outside!!!!!)

Sorry... I Digress...

Be safe. Play safe. Go the movies and stay safe. Be mindful of your movie neighbor... they better be mindful of you. And let's have safe trips to the movies!!!!! WATCH ALL DA MOVIES!!!

And Let's All Go To The Lobby!!!!

We are so close to getting things back. Don't screw it up...

Still with me? Good... let's get to it!!!

There is the "PSA". Now... for the list...

Enjoy.

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Here it is... the Preview Post for the rest of 2021. Any dates posted will be considered Tentative, just in case the stupidity spreads again(don't screw it up).

Honorable Mention 1: Black Widow - July 9th: Solo film starring the MCU's hot ginger assassin. This would go in the list, but pushing it back cause it to lose its luster for me. I still wanna see it. But it doesn't matter as much as it did.

Honorable Mention 2: The Matrix 4 - December 22nd: The 4th movie in a franchise that redefined what action should be. This doesn't make the list for a couple reasons. One, not sure if the date is staying in 2021. Two, not sure I wanted a 4th one. The last 2 were hot garbage... but they closed the story. But more of Keanu Reeves kicking ass? Okay... I will watch it.

Honorable Mention 3: No Time To Die - October 8th: What is supposed to be Daniel Craig's last James Bond movie. Honestly... I don't really care. Bond is beloved by so many, but I've never been a dedicated fan. There have been more stylised Agents/Assassin types in recent years... Jason Bourne and John Wick come to mind... but I am interested because Rami Malek is the Bond Villain, and Rami is one of my absolute favorite young actors. So... we will see.

10: Free Guy - August 18th: If you read my list about Movies Inspired by Video Games, I have higher hopes for this one. But I got all the synopsis wrong. Go watch the newest trailer. Oh... Ryan Reynolds.

9: Candyman - August 27th: One of the greatest horror/slasher franchises has come back from the dead. And this time, it looks like a better twist is coming(go watch the trailer). Also... bonus... Tony Todd is back. One of the creepiest voices in horror!!!

8: Spider-Man: No Way Home - December 17th: The 3rd of the MCU Spidey movies, this one is looking to be a greatest hits of sorts. Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, and Willem DaFoe are all back for this one. Villains from the others Spidey franchises. Hopefully this works out.

7: Halloween Kills - October 15th: Anticipated sequel of the long removed sequel of the original Halloween. This last one was so damn good, it was a nice surprise to find out we were getting TWO more. Well, one more after this one.

6: The Addams Family 2 - October 1st: Sequel to the amazing animated movie from a few years ago. Animation honoring Charles Addams work, voice cast filled with LEGENDS. The only issue I had with the first one was run time. It should've been longer. Here's to hoping this one is.

5: Venom: Let There Be Carnage - September 24th: Sequel to the unexpect hit featuring everyone's favorite black sludge... but without the Spidey connection. It was corny, cheesy, and funny. A welcome addition to the superhero genre. Tom Hardy nailed it... now... we add Woody Harrelson to the mix. I'm just hoping that Woody calls Tom "Dad" just one time. I NEED to hear it. If it happens... that movie instantly gets bonus points.

4. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - September 3rd: Crounching Tony, Hidden Bucky!! The MCU is finally doing an Asian Martial arts film. Using a character with one of the weirdest(but unusable) origins. And we finally get the REAL Mandarin! Only downer is... Awkwafina. I know I had HIGH praise from her work in Raya and the Last Dragon. But... voice work. This isn't animated. So let's home she doesn't over do it.

3: The Suicide Squad - August 6th: The Non-Sequel, Non-Reboot directed by James Gunn. I love James Gunn. And this has a cast of characters that are even larger than life than the first movie. And with the spin off mini series coming, this could be a HUGE opportunity for John Cena. I really liked the first movie... even have respect for Leto's Joker. But this one looks like it will blow us all away.

2: Ghostbusters: Afterlife - November 11th: Loooooooooooong awaited sequel to the originals. No Egon, but we get his grandkids. And a Paul Rudd. Looking forward to this due to Ghostbusters being an AWESOME franchise, including two animated series AND one if the greatest movie tie-in games off time. Hopefully it doesn't break my heart. Another bonus... more Finn Wolfhard. He has a promising career left to go!

And my most anticipated movie for the rest of 2021......

1: Dune - October 1st: Technically, this a part one. But they haven't said that yet. But it is. Based off one of my favorite sci-fi book series. AND a remake of a LEGENDARY Sci-fi movie classic(with Sting too... the musician, not the wrestler). I honestly thought it would never get remade. But here we are. And I know alot of people are angry at the thought of movies getting remade("Why can't they come up with anything original?"). Hollywood comes up original movies. They still do. But sometimes... a remake is worth it. Maybe a movie would've been better with more polish special effects, for example. Our technology is MUCH different than it was when the original Dune movie was made. A remake takes NOTHING from the original and fans of the original. But a remake can introduce the stories to a new generation. A remake is a good thing about 98% of the time. And this one... will take the spice... because...

He who controls the spice controls the Universe!!!!!

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There is my list for movies I'm most looking forward to the rest of this year. There are a few more, but this is the list. Hopefully the dates stay the same...(don't screw it up).

Are there any I omitted that you want to see? Are there any on this list you are looking forward to? Please leave a comment. Share your thoughts. And Share this post.

There will be more content soon, so please stay tuned.

Hope to see you AT THE MOOOOOVIES!!!!!

P.S. Don't screw this up. Be safe. And enjoy the show...