Showing posts with label Dune Part Two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dune Part Two. Show all posts

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Dave’s Movie Database: Best Rated Movies by Year (1913-2024)

Dave’s Movie Database:

Best-Rated Movies by Year,
1913-2024

These are the best-rated movies of each year based on an aggregate of the sources at the Ratings and Reviews” page on this site.



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Originally posted 8/15/2019; last updated 3/9/2025.

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

The Top 10 Movies of 2024

Dave’s Movie Database:

Top 10 Movies of 2024

These are the top 10 movies of the year based on their overall status in Dave’s Movie Database.

#1. Anora


This romantic drama was written and directed by Sean Baker. The title character of Anora (Mikey Madison) is a sex worker who marries Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. Vanya’s family tries to have the marriage annulled. Won Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, Producers Guild of America for Best Picture, and Writers Guild of America for Best Original Screenplay. 5 Oscar wins, including Best Picture. See DMDB page.

#2. Dune: Part Two


This and 2021’s Dune serve as director Denis Villenueve’s epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 sci-fi novel. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, and others return alongside new cast members Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, and Florence Pugh. 5 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. See DMDB page.

#3. Wicked


This is the first of a two-part adaptation of the blockbuster 2003 stage musical. Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande is Galinda, the future Good Witch of the North in this reimagining of events from The Wizard of Oz told from the witches’ point of view. 2024 box office champ. Winner of National Board of Review – Best Film. 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. See DMDB page.

#4. Inside Out 2


The sequel to Pixar Studios 2015 animated blockbuster sees the return of Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, and others revoicing their characters alongside Maya Hawke, Tony Hale, and others. As Wikipedia says, “The film tells the story of Riley’s emotions as they find themselves joined by other new emotions that want to take over Riley’s mind.” Oscar-nominated for Best Animated Feature.

#5. The Brutalist


Brady Corbet directed, produced, and co-wrote this epic period drama with Adrien Brody starring as László Tóth, an architect and Holocaust survivor who immigrates to the United States. Golden Globe winner for Best Drama. 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. See DMDB page.

#6. Deadpool & Wolverine


The third movie in the Deadpool series paired the titular superhero (Ryan Reynolds) with Wolverine. Hugh Jackman portrayed the character from the X-Men series over nine films. Although his character died in the 2017 film Logan, a multiverse story allowed his return in this movie. The first two movies were made by 20th Century Fox, but the third was developed by Marvel Studios after Disney acquired Fox.

#7. Conclave


This political thriller is based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. The story focuses on Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) organizing a conclave to elect the new pope. He ends up investigating secrets and scandals about the major candidates. Winner of the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Picture and Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Cast. 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Won Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

#8. A Complete Unknown


Timothée Chalamet secured an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of a young Bob Dylan in this musical biopic focused on the iconic folk-rock poet’s pre-fame years through the controversy over Dylan going electric. 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

#9. Moana 2


This was a sequel to the 2016 musical animated film from Disney. Auli’I Carvalho and Dwayne Johnson reprise their voice roles from the original film. As Wikipedia says, “Set three years later, it follows Moana reuniting with the demigod Maui and assembling a wayfinding crew to find the lost island of Motufetu, break its curse, and reconnect the people of the ocean.”

#10. Nickel Boys


IMDB.com: “Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys chronicles the powerful friendship between two young African-American men navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.” Winner of Writers Guild of America’s award for Best Adapted Screenplay. 2 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.


Other Links:
Originally posted 2/28/2025; last updated 3/3/2025.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Dune: Part Two released

Dune: Part Two


Released: February 6, 2024


Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures


Genre: sci-fi


Box Office (numbers in millions):

Domestic: 282.14 Worldwide: 714.64


Adjusted for Inflation:

Domestic: -- Worldwide: --

Directing: Denis Villenueve


Screenwriting: Denis Villenueve, Jon Spaihts


Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken



Review:

When director Denis Villenueve took on the daunting task of adapting Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 sci-fi novel Dune, he made the wise choice to stretch the complicated story line over two movies. The first movie, released in 2021 (see that review here), focused on the House Atreides arrival on the planet Arrakis and the assassination of their leader, Duke Leto. That forced his son, Paul (Chalamet) and his mother (Ferguson) to retreat to the desert and the primitive world of its native people, the Fremen.

That leaves the second part to focus on Paul ingratiating himself into the Fremen’s way of life, being accepted by their leader Stilgar (Bardem) and becoming romantically entangled with Chani (Zendaya). Paul finds himself at the center of a prophecy to become a messiah figure for the Fremen as he rises up to lead the attack against the House Harkonnen responsible for killing his father.

Like the original story, the movie focuses on the danger of charismatic leaders who become too power-hungry. In Paul’s bid to oppose the evil Harkonnen’s, there is a lingering threat that he could also succumb to the same temptations.

The movie does tend to subscribe to the “‘natives good, white colonialists evil’ narrative” RN in depicting Fremen culture “as largely good, its problems caused almost entirely by evil outsiders.” RN For example, the book depicts the Fremen as a hierarchical, male-led society but the movie downplays these aspects.

Regardless of any reservations about the movie, the result is “an impressive film version of one of the most famous of all science fiction novels.” RN “The acting, storytelling, and visual images are all top notch.” RN


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Wins: ?

Nominations: 5, including Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects


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First posted 3/2/2025.