5 ms·

I don't know if it was just me or the theater I was in but I felt like some of the effects in Dune were second rate. Was a bit disappointed, especially during d

I don't know if it was just me or the theater I was in but I felt like some of the effects in Dune were second rate. Was a bit disappointed, especially during desert scenes. I wish I could think of a counterexample of good CGI from modern cinema. Actually, I remember certain parts of Interstellar, for example the black hole and the 5-dimensional book shelf, were really well done. I think I was able to suspend my disbelief and just have my mind blown by them.

belval 5y ago
I don't want to discount your experience, but this does seem like an unpopular opinion considering Dune won a lot of prizes for the special effects[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(2021_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(2021_film)
- davesque 5y ago
  I don't want to act all offended and everything, but I honestly don't understand why a list of rewards is a counterpoint to my personal opinion. I'm aware that everyone loved the movie. I don't care and I'm not just trying to be a troll. Update: Actually, your response makes sense if you assumed, reasonably, that I actually wasn't sure how I felt and wanted expert opinions. Left some other similar comments further down in the thread. Sorry to snap back like I did.
  - belval 5y ago
    > I don't know if it was just me or the theater I was in but I felt like some of the effects in Dune were second rate. Your comment starts with a statement that seem to imply that you doubt your own assessment. The list of awards is a strong signal that the effects were not "second rate". Thus my comment confirming that seems to be an unpopular opinion.
    - davesque 5y ago
      [This was a bunch of needless snark so I voluntarily removed it] Update: Actually, I think you're right. I misrepresented my opinion as weakly held as though I was asking for a more authoritative source on the matter. So your response was appropriate and appreciated. I'm realizing now that I feel more strongly about it; like it wasn't just a matter of the theater having a bad projector.
  - jonny_eh 5y ago
    > but I honestly don't understand why a list of rewards is a counterpoint to my personal opinion Because it's an opinion from people that supposedly understand the subject matter more than anyone, so caries more weight.
Tarsul 5y ago
the strength of the new Dune was in its sound design. At least that was the decisive factor that gave me goosebumps (I think). But the CGI deserves a shoutout wrt the design of the flying vehicles. On the whole I agree with the article, earlier movies (and Tarantino movies) felt more real due to them being filmed in real life.
- exhilaration 5y ago
  I hope the sound design you're referring to doesn't include the dialogue, because me and the two other folks I watched it with in theaters couldn't understand half the dialogue. It was like the Dark Knight rises all over again.
jspash 5y ago
The blue-eye effect looked to me like the first colourised movies where they hand-painted the actual film. It really put it me off. I don't know if they were meant to be "glowing" or if the colour just "bled" outside the contours of the eyes. Either way, I wasn't a fan. The rest was fine though. I've often thought that it's silly to spend so much time creating a huge digital scene with lots of detail only to pan by it in less than a second. Dune got that part right. Linger!
- Joeboy 5y ago
  > The blue-eye effect looked to me like the first colourised movies where they hand-painted the actual film. That's how they did the blue-eye effect on David Lynch's 1984 version (with hand-painting, probably not drawing directly on the film). Don't know if that maybe influenced Villeneuve's version.
AndrewStephens 5y ago
It is hard to think of a good example of CGI from modern films because good CGI is invisible. There are an incredible number of effects shots in modern films and TV, everything from removing backgrounds to replacing stuntpeoples faces with the stars. Most of it you will never even notice unless you look. I don't disagree with the article entirely but I think the landscape of film has changed so much over the years that it is hard to make a comparison. The rise of superhero films has meant that blockbusters these days have to include comic-book style CGI characters, spaceships, and citywide destruction that is always going to look fake because it is literally incredible (as in non-credible) to our eyes. Dune is an interesting case because we can directly compare Dune 2021 to Dune 1984. Both SFX powerhouses of their times. Dune 1984 does contain some very impressive shots but nobody is going to say that it looks better than 2021.
- tshaddox 5y ago
  > It is hard to think of a good example of CGI from modern films because good CGI is invisible. There are an incredible number of effects shots in modern films and TV, everything from removing backgrounds to replacing stuntpeoples faces with the stars. Most of it you will never even notice unless you look. But there is a distinction between CGI that is truly invisible to the average viewer, and CGI that is extremely photorealistic but is depicting events that very clearly could not be shot practically. I think there's a lot of scenes set in space, or in extremely bizarre environments, that simply must be CGI but which looks as photorealistic as I can imagine (but of course, there are plenty of funny quotes of people saying that about imagery from the 90s that looks laughable now).
Apocryphon 5y ago
Funnily enough, I felt some of the practical effects in Dune were lackluster relative to its acclaim and high production, as well. The orinthopter in the sandstorm looked too much like a child's toy. The aerial shots of Arrakeen City looked neat as a display model, but not enough like an actual city.
Daishiman 5y ago
Having seen that movie and a bunch of similar movies with well-done effects a lot of color work, the quality of the theater is extremely important. It, like Mad Max, shines on high-quality projectors with lots of illumination, and both fall flat if you can't have the contrast levels high enough. In theaters with modern digital projectors, it's a feast.

belval 5y ago

I don't want to discount your experience, but this does seem like an unpopular opinion considering Dune won a lot of prizes for the special effects[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(2021_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(2021_film)

davesque 5y ago
I don't want to act all offended and everything, but I honestly don't understand why a list of rewards is a counterpoint to my personal opinion. I'm aware that everyone loved the movie. I don't care and I'm not just trying to be a troll. Update: Actually, your response makes sense if you assumed, reasonably, that I actually wasn't sure how I felt and wanted expert opinions. Left some other similar comments further down in the thread. Sorry to snap back like I did.
- belval 5y ago
  > I don't know if it was just me or the theater I was in but I felt like some of the effects in Dune were second rate. Your comment starts with a statement that seem to imply that you doubt your own assessment. The list of awards is a strong signal that the effects were not "second rate". Thus my comment confirming that seems to be an unpopular opinion.
  - davesque 5y ago
    [This was a bunch of needless snark so I voluntarily removed it] Update: Actually, I think you're right. I misrepresented my opinion as weakly held as though I was asking for a more authoritative source on the matter. So your response was appropriate and appreciated. I'm realizing now that I feel more strongly about it; like it wasn't just a matter of the theater having a bad projector.
- jonny_eh 5y ago
  > but I honestly don't understand why a list of rewards is a counterpoint to my personal opinion Because it's an opinion from people that supposedly understand the subject matter more than anyone, so caries more weight.

Tarsul 5y ago

the strength of the new Dune was in its sound design. At least that was the decisive factor that gave me goosebumps (I think). But the CGI deserves a shoutout wrt the design of the flying vehicles. On the whole I agree with the article, earlier movies (and Tarantino movies) felt more real due to them being filmed in real life.

exhilaration 5y ago
I hope the sound design you're referring to doesn't include the dialogue, because me and the two other folks I watched it with in theaters couldn't understand half the dialogue. It was like the Dark Knight rises all over again.

jspash 5y ago

The blue-eye effect looked to me like the first colourised movies where they hand-painted the actual film. It really put it me off. I don't know if they were meant to be "glowing" or if the colour just "bled" outside the contours of the eyes. Either way, I wasn't a fan. The rest was fine though. I've often thought that it's silly to spend so much time creating a huge digital scene with lots of detail only to pan by it in less than a second. Dune got that part right. Linger!

Joeboy 5y ago
> The blue-eye effect looked to me like the first colourised movies where they hand-painted the actual film. That's how they did the blue-eye effect on David Lynch's 1984 version (with hand-painting, probably not drawing directly on the film). Don't know if that maybe influenced Villeneuve's version.

AndrewStephens 5y ago

It is hard to think of a good example of CGI from modern films because good CGI is invisible. There are an incredible number of effects shots in modern films and TV, everything from removing backgrounds to replacing stuntpeoples faces with the stars. Most of it you will never even notice unless you look. I don't disagree with the article entirely but I think the landscape of film has changed so much over the years that it is hard to make a comparison. The rise of superhero films has meant that blockbusters these days have to include comic-book style CGI characters, spaceships, and citywide destruction that is always going to look fake because it is literally incredible (as in non-credible) to our eyes. Dune is an interesting case because we can directly compare Dune 2021 to Dune 1984. Both SFX powerhouses of their times. Dune 1984 does contain some very impressive shots but nobody is going to say that it looks better than 2021.

tshaddox 5y ago
> It is hard to think of a good example of CGI from modern films because good CGI is invisible. There are an incredible number of effects shots in modern films and TV, everything from removing backgrounds to replacing stuntpeoples faces with the stars. Most of it you will never even notice unless you look. But there is a distinction between CGI that is truly invisible to the average viewer, and CGI that is extremely photorealistic but is depicting events that very clearly could not be shot practically. I think there's a lot of scenes set in space, or in extremely bizarre environments, that simply must be CGI but which looks as photorealistic as I can imagine (but of course, there are plenty of funny quotes of people saying that about imagery from the 90s that looks laughable now).

Apocryphon 5y ago

Funnily enough, I felt some of the practical effects in Dune were lackluster relative to its acclaim and high production, as well. The orinthopter in the sandstorm looked too much like a child's toy. The aerial shots of Arrakeen City looked neat as a display model, but not enough like an actual city.

Daishiman 5y ago

Having seen that movie and a bunch of similar movies with well-done effects a lot of color work, the quality of the theater is extremely important. It, like Mad Max, shines on high-quality projectors with lots of illumination, and both fall flat if you can't have the contrast levels high enough. In theaters with modern digital projectors, it's a feast.