6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A Duke's son leads desert warriors against the galactic emperor and his father's evil nemesis when they assassinate his father and free their desert world from the emperor's rule.
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Sting, Kenneth McMillan, Francesca Annis, Sean YoungSci-Fi | 100% |
Epic | 47% |
Action | 2% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Betrayal! War! Love! Politics! Dune has it all, and has in every incarnation since Frank Herbert first put pen to paper. The story follows Duke Leto Atreides (Jürgen Prochnow), his concubine Lady Jessica (Francesca Annis), their son Paul (Kyle MacLachlan), trusted swordsmaster Duncan Idaho (Richard Jordan), and master of war Gurney Halleck (Patrick Stewart) as they embark on a suicide mission to oversee spice-mining operations on the dangerous desert planet of Arrakis at the behest of the Emperor (José Ferrer). Spice, for the uninitiated, is the most valued substance in the Dune universe; powering spacecraft, allowing for long-distance travel across the stars, extending humans' life spans, granting religious orders like the Bene Gesserit and its Mother Superior (Siân Phillips) strange telepathic powers, and unlocking visions of the future in young Paul. However, unbeknownst to the noble Atreides, the Emperor has conspired with their sworn enemies, the Harkonnens, to eliminate their line forever. Facing attacks orchestrated by the evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, his scheming advisor and mentat Piter De Vries (Brad Dourif), and the Baron's cunning nephew Feyd-Rautha (Sting), Paul and his mother find sanctuary in the depths of the desert with the native Fremen, allying with the tribesmen's leader Stilgar (Everett McGill) and a beautiful young warrior named Chani (Sean Young).
All hail the emperor...
Comparing Via Vision's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer to the film's reigning Blu-ray release -- Arrow's high-scoring 2021 Blu-ray presentation --
reveals very minimal differences. So minimal that the two are quite comparable. The Arrow image is slightly more saturated, with actors boasting
rosier
cheeks. Compare Princess Irulan in the
Via Vision presentation and its
Arrow counterpart, as well as the
Baron by way of Via Vision and
Arrow. I actually prefer the Via
Vision
coloring (by the smallest of margins), though I can't say I notice the difference while the film is playing. Dune looks as good as it conceivably
could, barring Arrow's corresponding 4K release of course. Grain is filmic and intact, lending the presentation a welcome faithfulness to its original
photography and theatrical viewing. The film's palette is full of lovely Caladan blues and rich Arrakisan oranges, as well as suitably sickly, altogether
vile
Harkonnen greens and browns. Lynch may not have enjoyed the final product, but the film here is awash with life and color, not to mention satisfying
black levels and vibrant contrast balance. If it weren't for the more underwhelming nighttime exterior sequences, which lack pop yet are perfectly par
for the
era, the film might easily be said to look as good as new. Detail is excellent, with crisp, clean edge definition and nicely resolved fine textures, and
there
isn't anything in the way of crush, blocking or banding to sully the remaster.
But there's a decent chance you already own the Arrow release of Dune. So what makes this one tempting? That's an easy one. While the
film's theatrical cut is presented on Disc One, Disc Two is dedicated to Dune's extended television version which, I'm pleased to say, features
the same remarkable video quality. This is no mere afterthought, nor a poorly encoded add-on. This is a legitimate presentation of the film, albeit one
that delivers a new side of Dune you may not have seen before. (Visit our forums to learn more about the differences between the two cuts.)
Lynch disowned this version too, with the infamous "Alan Smithee" receiving credit, so don't be fooled into thinking this is some fabled director's cut
unearthed from a hidden tomb. But completists will find it worth watching and worth owning, whether they appreciate its alterations or not.
Dune's six-channel and two-channel audio tracks are, to my ear, virtually identical to their Arrow Video counterparts. Reviewing those particular
mixes, Jeff Kauffman writes, "The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track kicks into LFE heaven from the first moments and rarely lets up for more
than two hours. This is one of the most bass heavy tracks in recent memory, full of thundering low frequencies that will leave your floorboards vibrating
in ecstasy. Directionality and surround activity are also top notch throughout this effort. The opening palace scene with Ferrer and Madsen is a great
example, with a beautiful hall ambience filling the surround channels and various groups of people clearly and perfectly directional as they move about
the scene. All of the wonderful foley effects fill the soundfield with a wide array of aural pleasures, not the least of which are the omnipresent wind
effects on Arrakis, which whip and pan from channel to channel like an out-of-control cyclone. Dialogue is always clear and precise, though, while
directional, is uniformly anchored to the front channels, at least insofar as the main characters are concerned. I'm less fond of Toto's synth-laden score,
but it's reproduced here with excellent fidelity. The entire track has incredible dynamic range, even with its omnipresent emphasis on lower
frequencies."
And yes, the extended TV version boasts a comparable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track as well, meaning once again you'd be hard pressed to
identify which version you were watching if you didn't already know the differences between the two.
Via Vision's 3-disc Blu-ray release of Dune comes housed in a sturdy slipcase with a lenticular cover. Inside is a standard Blu-ray case and an
envelope with six art cards featuring character stills from the film. Simple, classy, solid.
1984's troubled adaptation of Dune exists in a strange state of limbo between what if and what coulda woulda shoulda been. Famously disowned and disavowed by director David Lynch, altered beyond his ability to recognize his own work, and left to wander the desert of the decades as divisively as it arrived forty years ago, the film is a curiosity that's loved by some, appreciated by others, yet panned by many. But even at its worst it remains a wholly unique and colorful realization of Frank Herbert's warring worlds and clashing space-magics, with only its much too brisk pace taking a toll on what might have been a fuller, more engrossing lore-drenched epic. Thankfully, Via Vision's import Blu-ray release (available domestically from Amazon) is a strong one, with two cuts of the film (one being an extended TV version), excellent video quality, and impressive lossless audio. Add to that a bevy of supplements including the feature-length production documentary, "The Sleeper Must Awaken," and this 3-disc release easily justifies its price tag.
1984
with Warcraft Fandango Cash
1984
Limited Edition
1984
Limited Edition
1984
Limited Edition
1984
Limited Deluxe Edition
1984
Special Edition
1984
Special Edition
1984
Special Edition
1984
(Still not reliable for this title)
1977
1999
2005
1966-1969
Extended Cut
1994
2017
The Star Beast / Wild Blue Yonder / The Giggle
2023
2009
Bonus Disc / Exclusive Packaging / Character Cards
2016
2013
2015
1983
2002
2017
2015
1982
2019
1986
40th Anniversary Edition
1984
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2009