Awards Radar Community: Now That ‘Dune’ Has Finally Been Released…What Do You Think?

It may not seem real, but it is…Dune is out in release. Not only can you currently experience it in theaters and especially in IMAX (how I personally recommend you see it), the film is playing on HBO Max. So, even if you’re still not comfortable with the theatrical experience, there is still a way to take in Denis Villeneuve‘s epic vision for the beloved Frank Herbert novel. To commemorate this moment, which has been delayed over a year now, I wanted to make it into an Awards Radar Community Question for the weekend. Yes, as you might imagine, I’m curious about your thoughts on the movie. Ladies and gentlemen, what did you think of Dune?

As a refresher, I had this to say about a month ago out of the Toronto International Film Festival:

It’s no secret that I’ve been somewhat skeptical about Dune. For well over a year, I’ve expressed a bit of trepidation that this ambitious undertaking would be doomed to fail. For one thing, Dune has foiled many before. The source material may well be impossible to successfully adapt, at least without an epic length. So, seeing it meant to be a two part story also led to concern that we’d just be getting half a film. Well, we did get half of a film, but it’s a compelling science fiction blockbuster that sets the stage for something big to come. Here at the Toronto International Film Festival, this is a movie that sucks you in. Now, my enthusiasm for the flick will dissipate if we don’t get the back half, but for now, I’m in.

Dune is a spectacle, through and through. Bold, serious, and dedicated to launching a whole new franchise, it’s a gamble that’s paid off. While it’s no masterpiece of re-invention of science fiction, it manages to show that the right amount of care can make something unwieldy like this work. So easily could this have crashed and burned, it not being a disaster already was a success. That it’s a very good film, through and through, is almost a miracle.

In addition to my highly positive TIFF review, I’ve done a handful of Dune interviews in the past few weeks. Among the cast, I spoke to Oscar Issac (here) and Rebecca Ferguson (here). Plus, behind the scenes, I have a chat with editor Joe Walker (here) and of course the legendary composer Hans Zimmer (here), All were gracious and eager to explain why they were so happy to collaborate on Villeneuve’s passion project.

Now, it’s time to chime in on the flick. Was it worth the wait? Did it exceed your expectations? If so, we want to know. On the other hand, if the film disappointed you or left you wanting more, we want to know that as well. All angles on the movie are open for discussion, so consider this a forum for whatever Dune chatter you want to engage in. Have at it…

What do you think of Dune? Let us know!