DUNE 1984 (movie recommendation)

 

"The worm is the spice. The spice is the worm."

I like the characterization of (Pre-Awakened) Paul better here, he's a lot more expressive, which makes his ascension more distinctive. Before he's like a normal happy kid, carefree, fair prince.

Then by the end he's like an all-knowing General, complete difference.

This is pretty much PART ONE & TWO in a single movie, which makes it a more complete project but the issue is because it has so much content: The pacing gets a bit messy in the second half.

Vs PART TWO's fast pacing which worked because the first movie did the groundwork first, what's where the new take shines, it splits itself up to better execute the heavier / war aspects of the story.

the 80's version has more going on, it dips into the spice connection to the worms, the true power of the voice & "weirding devices", Alia, a lot of impressive practical effects etc.

The Harkonnen's are too cartoonishly evil in the 80s version, I cannot take them seriously as a legit fighting force.

They're almost annoying tbh.

The new version did a better job showing their psychotic nature, their organization, their sterilized diseased look without making them look silly or too disgusting, which leans way too hard in one direction to make them visually antagonistic.

Again, the second half of the movie is too rushed but this is definitely a very different, authentic take on DUNE, very different filmmaking from the 2020 era DUNE movies, despite all the notes the new one's take from the Lynch movie.

PART TWO is still my preferred-

But 1984 movie is a solid adventure film that tells the same but not identical story, pacing issues in the latter half, good effects (some dated, but they're mostly practical), retro score, Shakespearean execution good filmmaking.