Blade Runner 2049 vs Dunes

Posted by Weekly-Batman@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 17 comments

Both very present in my youth, courtesy of my late dad (along with LOTR, 2001, Alien etc.). Read the first Dune and all the LOtR young because of him. Always had a love hate relationship with Dune. His love of sci fi has lead me to follow all the Blade Runner /Dune movies. This is interesting because of the obvious great CANADIAN director behind both but where do you stand Gen X, having surely absorbed the books, 80’s movies (& in Dunes case weird late 90’s TV series)? I’m going new Blade Runner over new Dune. There was always something about Dune I couldn’t get right into.

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17 Comments

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CrankyDoo@reddit

I cannot fathom all of the Blade Runner 2049 love. It was…ok, but it will never top any of my favorites lists. What did I miss?

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RVAblues@reddit

Fathoms of subtext.

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One-Earth9294@reddit

I like Dune about as much as I liked the David Lynch Dune. Which is to say I like it but neither one is an all time favorite or anything. From an art direction standpoint I actually prefer the old one in a few ways. Both versions have a lot of glaring omissions, too. BR2049 is an all time top 10, maybe top 5 film for me. Not the kind of thing I'd expect everyone else to agree on it's just my kind of moody noir and the story hits for me. It makes a lot of statements about experience and existence and I think it doesn't shy away from trying to answer its questions and does a great job handling them all. As opposed to the original Blade Runner which I don't think answered any of its questions, if any of the versions really even know what they're asking. It's a very well done film that feels like a platitude at heart. Does that thing that Ridley Scott is guilty of very often where the film looks immaculate but feels maybe a bit off or hollow.

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RVAblues@reddit

Wholeheartedly agree. BR2049 is so good on so many levels.

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RVAblues@reddit

I have no idea why Blade Runner 2049 flopped. I thought it was a masterpiece.

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IthotItoldja@reddit

Dune 1 > Blade Runner 2049 > Dune 2

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OreoSpeedwaggon@reddit

I feel like aside from the similar level of atmospheric world-building, there isn't really much that the "Dune" series and the "Blade Runner" series have in common. "Dune" really focused on traditional epic military-political storytelling and character-driven intrigue amidst a futuristic, sci-fi setting involving multiple worlds. On the other hand, "Blade Runner" is more grounded to a specific area on Earth (even though the story's universe is much larger and involves off-world colonies), and it's more rooted in classic noir suspense and mystery, but with the addition of AI and existential themes. Both are great IMO, but I have trouble comparing them to each other because they're quite different in my mind.

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Grunge4U@reddit

Blade Runner has always been one of my favorite movies and IMO it's one of the best sci fi's ever made. The sequel was great, staying true to the original story line. I could never get into Dune and haven't tried the new one.

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MyriVerse2@reddit

Blade Runner is vastly superior. Not 2049.

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SelenaMeyers2024@reddit

I like to pretend dune 1 and 2 is just a really long amazing movie... 1 was lacking bc the end was too abrupt (no mini story arc like lotr 1).. as a pair with 2 simply incredible. 2049 was a really good movie .. but much fewer edge of your seat moments ... Much more cerebral if that's your thing.

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Weekly-Batman@reddit (OP)

I’m not gonna argue that but the question is about the new generation of media.

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root_fifth_octave@reddit

Was really impressed they managed to recapture some of the Blade Runner feel for the new movie, made decades later. Generally liked it. I don’t think Philip K Dick would have a problem with it. Dune part I didn’t hit for me, but I enjoyed part II more. Still partial to the David Lynch maybe, but the book is a tough act for anyone to follow.

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Weekly-Batman@reddit (OP)

I was young and subjected to watching Lynch’s Dune, while familiar with the books which in my opinion were inferior to LOTR, and it left a far more uncomfortable feeling than other sci fi movies of the day. I grew to realize this was the power of Lynch. I appreciate that movie far more now, and probably more than the remakes

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root_fifth_octave@reddit

It’s kind of insane they pulled David Lynch in at all for a big budget sci-fi film. Just one of those movie outliers, I guess. Always loved it, but saw the movie long before I read the book.

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Weekly-Batman@reddit (OP)

I brought my dad to see Ep 1 Phantom Menace when it premiered - I hated it for many reasons, 1 being the Dune type politics. He loved that part lol.

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Any_Pudding_1812@reddit

i love the lunch dune. saw it twice at the cinema and didn’t understand it at all but still liked it. read the book later and then rented the movie on video and finally understood it. the new dunes i liked enough. will watch again at home at some stage. new blade runner. i’ll be honest. i can’t even remember what it was about. i’ll have to rewatch. i remember liking it but not enough to be excited or happy about it. there’s a lot of new films i really like. Beau is afraid I watched 3 times in 3 weeks. likewise pretty things. i saw to st at the cinema 3 times then again at home another 3! haha some good stuff coming out.

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Weekly-Batman@reddit (OP)

Still watching the 2049 movie, haven’t seen it since before the new Dunes but in my opinion, far superior. The perfect sci fi blend of near future