I like BR2049 but I love the original.
Film Dune
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BR2049 is a masterpiece.
BR2049 is the pinnacle of all art.
Youse are all fecking idiots.
Said Fergie, once.
Said Fergie, once.
No Vangelis in the second Bladerunner film - except where they recycle Tears in Rain.
Other than that, I agree that Bladerunner 2049 was a bit too slow. I think it's a really strong film (easily 4/5), and visually it's absolutely amazing. But as a whole, I think it's not in the brilliant category.
I really enjoyed Blade Runner: 2049. Not perfect, but it had some damn good world building, cinematography and action sequences with the plot being decent if maybe a little slow.
Saw Dune 2 today. Liked it about as much as the first one. It was ok, nothing amazing, certainly not up to Villeneuve's best films like Arrival. Maybe it's about I'm super familiar with the source material and its previous adaptations, I just felt this film is being seriously overhyped by critics.
My main issue was that it was way too long considering how much they cut out of the book. Stuff like: Thufir Hawat with the Harkonnens; creepy child Alia (and therefore Alia killing the Baron); Count Fenring; Paul and Chani's first child being born and then being killed. Some of these omissions were due to Paul's time with the Fremen being cut to a few months rather than a few years, but I think that in itself was a mistake. I think especially Alia's relationship with the Baron will be a bit different when she goes cuckoo for coco puffs considering they never actually met in real life - that's if they ever get as far as adapting the third book . Tbh this trend towards longer and longer films is a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
My main issue was that it was way too long considering how much they cut out of the book. Stuff like: Thufir Hawat with the Harkonnens; creepy child Alia (and therefore Alia killing the Baron); Count Fenring; Paul and Chani's first child being born and then being killed. Some of these omissions were due to Paul's time with the Fremen being cut to a few months rather than a few years, but I think that in itself was a mistake. I think especially Alia's relationship with the Baron will be a bit different when she goes cuckoo for coco puffs considering they never actually met in real life - that's if they ever get as far as adapting the third book . Tbh this trend towards longer and longer films is a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
So went to see this and where it is probably up there in being a really really good film I think all the hype has somewhat spoiled it for me. It’s great, very good performances and looks spectacular but all this talk of generational performances and stuff seems somewhat far fetched.
Yeah, try to ignore they hype but I'd really recommend that anyone who enjoys a good cinematic experience see it on a big screen.
If you sit down with your arms folded thinking "go on then, blow my tits off Denis...", you'll enjoy it less.
Chalamet is a generational talent. The Mbappe of Hollywood.
"Silence!!!"... Immersive, impressive, jaw dropping at times. I would just say that I watched the 1st one again few days ago and it is probably somewhat even more engaging in terms of connecting to the story or the characters. Which is actually exactly what 1st movie is supposed to do, but it doesn't fall behind this one at all. As a whole, it is pretty much perfect cinema, so hats off to Villeneuve once again. Every actor (aside from weird choice in Walken who is basically Walken and not the emperor the whole movie) brings their A game as well. Shoutout to Bardem who is borderline hilarious and Chalamet whose transformation by the end of the 2nd was brilliant.
I was sad at the lack of Hawat. Mentats in general got a pretty raw deal across the two parts.
Saw it yesterday, thought it was mostly very good but wasn't super blown away by it as a whole.
I though visually it was excellent. The acting and the way it's presented is all top but like others have said it felt a bit rushed which is tough for a nearly 3 hour film.
I mainly wasn't sure about plot changes from the books (spoilers ahead) as they've obviously massively sped up his time with the fremen. Paul has an infant son (who is killed when the sietch is raided, giving it all more emotional weight) and Alia is born and is like 4 or 5 in the books? So he's there for years. He also falls into a coma after drinking the water of life, whereas here he's just... unconscious for half a scene? It loses its impact.
It essentially becomes a film about some OP guy who barely gets a scratch laid on him for entire franchise (until the final fight needs a bit of drama). I know it is quite like that in the books but it took a lot more time.
Also as people have already said, rubbish villains really. I know it's kind of the point in the books that the fremen numbers are so high that if they believed and rallied they'd outnumber them easily but the battle (whilst looking incredible) was over so quickly it felt like we were deprived of more of that spectacle.
Rabban was also pointless, just screaming in every scene before dying in the world's shortest fight. I mean if you're gonna go down the cliche action route of "Well look who's back from the dead" vs "I'm avenging everyone you killed", at least make it a fun fight to watch? They build up this history between them and then it ends in two swings of a weapon. Same with the baron. I can't even remember how he died in the books and I know killing him wouldn't be hard but they had Paul basically come in and euthanise him.
Also I know he's very much a believer in the books too but they turned Stilgar into a meme basically. People in the cinema were laughing at most of his scenes which felt a bit out of place for an otherwise serious movie that didn't really use dark humour.
I didn't intend to write all that
but yeah, enjoyed it still. Sandworm bits looked incredible.
EDIT: Also found it weird they left out Feyd trying to cheat in the final fight. I thought they were planting seeds for that with the drugged prisoner thing because he clearly didn't want to fight them 'fairly' but it just didn't happen.
I though visually it was excellent. The acting and the way it's presented is all top but like others have said it felt a bit rushed which is tough for a nearly 3 hour film.
I mainly wasn't sure about plot changes from the books (spoilers ahead) as they've obviously massively sped up his time with the fremen. Paul has an infant son (who is killed when the sietch is raided, giving it all more emotional weight) and Alia is born and is like 4 or 5 in the books? So he's there for years. He also falls into a coma after drinking the water of life, whereas here he's just... unconscious for half a scene? It loses its impact.
It essentially becomes a film about some OP guy who barely gets a scratch laid on him for entire franchise (until the final fight needs a bit of drama). I know it is quite like that in the books but it took a lot more time.
Also as people have already said, rubbish villains really. I know it's kind of the point in the books that the fremen numbers are so high that if they believed and rallied they'd outnumber them easily but the battle (whilst looking incredible) was over so quickly it felt like we were deprived of more of that spectacle.
Rabban was also pointless, just screaming in every scene before dying in the world's shortest fight. I mean if you're gonna go down the cliche action route of "Well look who's back from the dead" vs "I'm avenging everyone you killed", at least make it a fun fight to watch? They build up this history between them and then it ends in two swings of a weapon. Same with the baron. I can't even remember how he died in the books and I know killing him wouldn't be hard but they had Paul basically come in and euthanise him.
Also I know he's very much a believer in the books too but they turned Stilgar into a meme basically. People in the cinema were laughing at most of his scenes which felt a bit out of place for an otherwise serious movie that didn't really use dark humour.
I didn't intend to write all that
but yeah, enjoyed it still. Sandworm bits looked incredible.EDIT: Also found it weird they left out Feyd trying to cheat in the final fight. I thought they were planting seeds for that with the drugged prisoner thing because he clearly didn't want to fight them 'fairly' but it just didn't happen.
I might be remembering it wrong, but isn't the battle for Arrakeen basically over just as quickly in the book?
They should have done more with the fear stuff. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration and yet here it's just... ignored? Does it not bring total obliteration in Villeneuve's mind or something 
A pitch-perfect sequel, I thought it eclipsed the original.
Going to see this tomorrow night.
I wasn't overly bothered by the Harkonnens in part 2. I think we all got what was needed from them in the first film. I don't think either Herbert or Denis had a great deal of interest in them outside of their love for all things evil and twisted. They were cartoon villains really, in the film and books.
They're not much of a big player in the grand scheme of things.
So I was relieved when the story returned back to Paul, Chani and the Fremen after a period with the Harkonnens.
I always felt that Herbert needed a easy go to villain to get the ball rolling with Dune and he created the Harkonnens. Everything about them, from their acts to their appearances, screams early morning cartoon villains to me. Wouldn't look out of place in He-Man: Masters of the Universe.
They're not much of a big player in the grand scheme of things.
So I was relieved when the story returned back to Paul, Chani and the Fremen after a period with the Harkonnens.
I always felt that Herbert needed a easy go to villain to get the ball rolling with Dune and he created the Harkonnens. Everything about them, from their acts to their appearances, screams early morning cartoon villains to me. Wouldn't look out of place in He-Man: Masters of the Universe.
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Someone earlier made the point that they externalised a lot of the internal conflict and I think that's right - Stilgar becomes the will of the Fremen, pushing Paul towards destiny, Chani is the part of Paul desperate to avoid it, Jessica is the manipulating hand of the Bene Gesserit underneath it all. I think Jessica gets the rawest deal in that respect, but in the context of the film I get it.Saw it yesterday, thought it was mostly very good but wasn't super blown away by it as a whole.
I though visually it was excellent. The acting and the way it's presented is all top but like others have said it felt a bit rushed which is tough for a nearly 3 hour film.
I mainly wasn't sure about plot changes from the books (spoilers ahead) as they've obviously massively sped up his time with the fremen. Paul has an infant son (who is killed when the sietch is raided, giving it all more emotional weight) and Alia is born and is like 4 or 5 in the books? So he's there for years. He also falls into a coma after drinking the water of life, whereas here he's just... unconscious for half a scene? It loses its impact.
It essentially becomes a film about some OP guy who barely gets a scratch laid on him for entire franchise (until the final fight needs a bit of drama). I know it is quite like that in the books but it took a lot more time.
Also as people have already said, rubbish villains really. I know it's kind of the point in the books that the fremen numbers are so high that if they believed and rallied they'd outnumber them easily but the battle (whilst looking incredible) was over so quickly it felt like we were deprived of more of that spectacle.
Rabban was also pointless, just screaming in every scene before dying in the world's shortest fight. I mean if you're gonna go down the cliche action route of "Well look who's back from the dead" vs "I'm avenging everyone you killed", at least make it a fun fight to watch? They build up this history between them and then it ends in two swings of a weapon. Same with the baron. I can't even remember how he died in the books and I know killing him wouldn't be hard but they had Paul basically come in and euthanise him.
Also I know he's very much a believer in the books too but they turned Stilgar into a meme basically. People in the cinema were laughing at most of his scenes which felt a bit out of place for an otherwise serious movie that didn't really use dark humour.
I didn't intend to write all that
EDIT: Also found it weird they left out Feyd trying to cheat in the final fight. I thought they were planting seeds for that with the drugged prisoner thing because he clearly didn't want to fight them 'fairly' but it just didn't happen.
Having said that, I can't remember what it was that caused Paul to decide to take the water of life in this one? In the book it was Gurney almost killing Jessica, but that obviously doesn't happen here.
Blade Runner 2049 looks incredible but it's clearly very overly long for no reason, as - save for the opening scene with Batista - is largely dull as dishwater. Also the ending is rubbish.
I feel I'm a bit of an outliar when it comes to Villenueve though.... people swear by that and Arrival as being his best works/masterpieces, when both are just style over substance and really pretty meh... definitely don't hold a candle to Dune / Sicario and Prisoners.
I feel I'm a bit of an outliar when it comes to Villenueve though.... people swear by that and Arrival as being his best works/masterpieces, when both are just style over substance and really pretty meh... definitely don't hold a candle to Dune / Sicario and Prisoners.
BR2049 plods along and there's no real reason for it.
BR2049 is absolutely beautiful and does exactly what it should be doing. Great scenario too.
But people mostly can't appreciate slowly paced films where not much happens. It's ok.
But people mostly can't appreciate slowly paced films where not much happens. It's ok.
It's not okay though. These people should be rounded up and forced to watch love island on repeat until their eyeballs bleed and then we'll laugh in their faces and rejoice with a screening of wavelength with port.
Oh I recently ended up being subjected to an episode of a really shit reality TV show, I was questioning a lot of my life choices that led me to this point.
But that's unrelated to this. I truly believe BR2049's was divisive just because of how fast paced a lot of films are these days (and the fact that for a "blockbuster" it's particularly slow). I don't understand how it can be called "boring" though, there's so much going on throughout.
The strange thing is that the original is slower than 2049.
Nothing really provokes his decision in the film. It’s just like he gradually, grudgingly, accepts his path.
My favourite director is Andrei Tarkovsky, who people would consider produced slow films, though I would classify them as patient rather than slow.
Difference is in Tarko, Bergman, Lynch, Wenders and Herzog films there's a beauty there in the lyricism of the dialogue and narrative outside of the visuals that keeps bringing me back. There's a feeling that you're watching a dream unfold on screen. Something original and fresh. You're watching something unique.
I get a sense of that in the original blade runner but not the sequel. That's not me saying the sequel is poor, far from it, but its missing that something special for me to comeback to. Maybe that world just doesn't interest me anymore because we're inundated with that future in numerous other mediums and , unfortunately, they all seem to roughly say the same thing.
Difference is in Tarko, Bergman, Lynch, Wenders and Herzog films there's a beauty there in the lyricism of the dialogue and narrative outside of the visuals that keeps bringing me back. There's a feeling that you're watching a dream unfold on screen. Something original and fresh. You're watching something unique.
I get a sense of that in the original blade runner but not the sequel. That's not me saying the sequel is poor, far from it, but its missing that something special for me to comeback to. Maybe that world just doesn't interest me anymore because we're inundated with that future in numerous other mediums and , unfortunately, they all seem to roughly say the same thing.
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I think there is substance in the style, personally.
If you want style over any substance then Zack Snyder or Bay are the ones to go for.
Is it not partly because he didn't foresee the sietch being attacked?
Yeah I get what you're saying - those directors are also amongst my favourite and I'm not saying Villeneuve is a Tarkovsky or a Malick re-gen, but I appreciate what he brings to the blockbuster genre (essentially).
As for the bolded part, it's quite possible - the bleak, disenchanted, de-humanized future that is presented in BR2049 isn't as fresh as what the original film showed for sure. That might play a part in appreciating the film.
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Really? Villeneuve was said to have played down their exaggerated evilness. In part 1 the Baron even says all he cares about is income. I actually thought that was one of the reasons why Dune 1 was better - the Baron was shown to be brilliantly cunning and patient and was thus a great foil to Atreides (and David Dastmalchian was great in his scenes), whereas yeh, part 2 had the very unconvincing psychopath guy. You need the creepy darkness, though. That's part of the fun, especially as the whole thing is a bit cartoony anyway and obviously very religious-y. Duncan, Stilgar, Gurney etc were/are a bit silly but largely fit with the universe (Stilgar is pushing it, though). As do the Harkonnen (for the most part - baldy fraud can feck off). That super weird spider gimp in the first film was a really cool extra.
Thanks to their attention span crashing from addiction to reels and tiktok.
Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 are both brilliant Sci-Fi.
Sicario and Prisoners are good films but not as good.
This may be it actually, I probably wasn't paying enough attention due to worm anticipation.
Prisoners is better than Blade Runner 2049 for me. Blade Runner looks fantastic, though.
I enjoyed Prisoners but BR2049 was incredible especially given how rare it is for a sequel to one of the best films ever made to be so good.
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I'm going to rewatch BR2049 tonight to gift myself an evening of cinematic excellence.
I think I still hold up Enemy as my favourite film from him. I like how condensed it is.
Which , strangely enough when I watched it before DV was attached to direct the BR sequel, the look and claustrophobic minimalist nature of the film was what Fancher originally saw when he was on his first draft of writing Blade Runner. The original BR was going to be , stylistically, very similar to Enemy.
Which , strangely enough when I watched it before DV was attached to direct the BR sequel, the look and claustrophobic minimalist nature of the film was what Fancher originally saw when he was on his first draft of writing Blade Runner. The original BR was going to be , stylistically, very similar to Enemy.
BR2049 is a better film as a whole than the original, in my opinion, but the first film is still very good, influential and had a peak legendary quotable moment that made it very memorable