Dune 2-Film Collection (DVD)

4.5 stars (Review of Dune Parts 1 and 2) When I read DUNE in the 70s, I loved the book! Beautiful characterizations, dense and richly detailed. I remember thinking that no one should ever try to make it into a movie. Particularly with so much subtext and internal dialog, squeezing everything into such a visual medium -successfully- would be next to impossible. The earlier movie attempts did not give me reason to change my mind. But three seems like it is the charm. The third attempted remake by Denis Villeneuve nails the essence of the main story and themes, and the cast nails the characters so well that I (almost) don’t miss what is missing from the book. Of course, purists will notice that there are departures from the book, but the changes still felt true to the book’s spirit. DUNE and DUNE Part 2 together tell the story of Paul Atreides, House Atreides and the events of the first book of Frank Herbert’s DUNE trilogy. Both movies are visually beautiful. They really do deserve to be seen on a theater screen. The interior sets are dark and grand and create the perfect atmosphere for the story to play out. The desert vistas are mesmerizing. (I love the sandrider sequences!) I cannot picture a better cast. DUNE Part 1 introduces the Great House of the Atreides family. A young Paul Atreides is the only son and heir. Commanded by the Emperor, House Atreides has no choice but to relocate to, and assume rule over the planet, Dune (AKA Arrakis), from the current ruling Great House and rival, the Harkonnen family. Dune is the Empire’s sole source of a vital and valuable spice substance. Of course, interference, treachery and betrayal from many directions ensues. Amidst maneuvering by the Emperor, the Houses, and a powerful, secretive sect called the Bene Gesserit, the Atreides family struggles to survive. DUNE Part 2 picks up immediately where the first movie ends with House Atreides apparently wiped out by treachery. Paul and his Bene Gesserit mother, Jessica, have survived and escaped to the desert and an uncertain future with the wary band of indigenous Fremen. The story’s focus expands from the political maneuverings of Padishah Emperor, the Great Houses, the Bene Gesserit, to reveal more of the indigenous people of Arrakis (Dune) with their customs, way of life and their own factions making a bid for their planet and their future. Meanwhile, Paul is making a transition from young son of a great house and outworlder, to acceptance and leader among Dune’s Fremen, and on the precipice of becoming a religious figure based on prophecies planted long ago by the Bene Gesserit. He is also increasingly drawn to a young Fremen woman, Chani. Movie-Chani’s character is actually an improvement over book-Chani. Her character has been filled out (as opposed to rewritten) and I like it. Frank Herbert, like most science fiction writers of that era, could write brilliant stories, create imaginative alien worlds and lifeforms…. but most couldn’t for the life of them write a decent female character. Without turning her into a superwoman, Villeneuve made her real and authentic to her world. Frankly, I feel the movie ending surpasses the book in the honesty and the emotional impact of Chani and Paul at a painful crossroads instead of the book’s pat, stand by her man ending. I held my breath when the first movie was announced, fearing the worst, and went from pleasant surprise to real enjoyment. When the second was announced, I held my breath, fearing that it might suffer the same problems that the vast majority of sequels fall victim to, but was quickly and happily engrossed. DUNE Parts 1 and 2 are science fiction at its best; rich, engrossing characters that don’t get lost in the intrigue, sweeping drama and adventure. I would strongly recommend, whether or not you’ve read the book.

Not sure what all the downvotes are for in regards to the quality of this release. The set does not come with blurays, so the extras from the first film are available in digital through Movies Anywhere when you redeem your card. The IMAX stuff has never been promised or suggested for any of these releases. Both of these films make up the first book of the Dune series, hence why I value them as a two pack. The slip happens to be the best art out of all the products, and it unites the coverage of both films well. The picture and sound is outstanding, and the storytelling is on point. Another high mark for the director and his crews. Denis Villeneuve has made Dune finally fit for the big screen, and this release is absolutely fantastic for any 4K collector out there. Personally, I find most of the Dune products pleasing, but the aesthetics here are top notch, and I don't need or want the blurays. These are fairly long films, and the bitrate hovers around the 50-60Mbps average for both. Very good for how long they are. Excellent sound and picture, and the films are definitely one of a kind. This is my preferred package of the films. Some may like the steelbooks, but I thought the slipcover here was high quality and felt great in hand. Easy recommendation.

Quality Product

Both films are incredible, with 2 being the better of the two. Audio and video quality are reference level (great job not screwing it up WB).

NOTE: AUDIO ONLY REVIEW If your goal is to hear what a modern 4K disc can truly deliver, Dune 2 on 4K UHD is about as close to a reference-quality demonstration as you’ll find. Hans Zimmer’s score and the film’s sound design are presented with authority, depth, and precision—every subtle layer, whisper, and earthquake-level thump is reproduced faithfully. At reference level (0.0 dB), the dynamic range is staggering. Quiet desert scenes are eerily calm, letting you hear the tiniest detail in the soundscape, while the climactic sequences erupt with controlled power. The contrast is thrilling without ever feeling exaggerated or fatiguing, which is exactly what reference-level listening is about. The LFE channel is spectacular. Bass hits with depth, impact, and texture—you feel the rumble of sandworms, yet the lows never overwhelm the rest of the mix. Subtle rumblings, explosions, and atmospheric low-end effects are distinct and articulate, even during the most chaotic sequences. Surround and Atmos implementation is nothing short of remarkable. Overhead effects are precise, immersive, and entirely natural. The soundstage is enormous, enveloping the room front-to-back and top-to-bottom. Pans are smooth, and environmental cues feel like they inhabit a real space rather than floating artificially. Dialogue clarity is impeccable, even in the thick of action. Hans Zimmer’s score is wide, textured, and integrated without overpowering speech or sound effects. Every element occupies its own space in the mix—this is audio engineering at its finest. Streaming simply cannot compete. Compressed formats lose subtlety, headroom, and the sense of scale that makes this disc set so compelling. If your system can handle it, the Dune 2 4K discs reward critical listening in a way few films do. Bottom line: This collection is essential for anyone serious about reference-level home theater audio. The mix is cinematic, immersive, and technically precise—perfect for systems capable of revealing every nuance of high-quality 4K disc audio. ⸻ Audio System Used (Reference-Level Playback) • Listening Level: 0.0 dB (reference level) • AVR: Denon AVR-X4500H • Power Amps: • Emotiva (~145 W/ch @ 8 ohms) • Monolith M7100X 7-channel amp • Speakers: • Front L/R: ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 • Center: ELAC Debut 2.0 C6.2 • Surrounds: Monolith T5 towers • Rear Surrounds: KEF Q150 • Atmos: ELAC Debut 2.0 A4.2 (front), ELAC IC-DT61-W (rear height) • Subwoofers: Dual REL T/1003 (10”) • Disc Player: Panasonic UB420

Great movies and great value for Parts 1 and 2, together in 4k Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Looks fantastic and the sound is particularly great. Literally no one can make the Dune book today without modernizing it, and director Denis Villeneuve did it and kept their themes and messages in a masterful way. The “not like the book” people, these are called MOVIES. If you want the book that is a different section of Amazon. For the people that think IMAX ratio missing is no big deal, it has nothing to do with the screen that you are watching on. YOU ARE LITERALLY MISSING PARTS OF EVERY FRAME. Villeneuve looked down an IMAX camera when he filmed the movie, and did so for a reason. It was a ******ing awesome theater experience. Only a few select theaters got the print and I’m luckily close to one. In 16:9, this version, you are LITERALLY MISSING CHUNKS ON THE BOTTOM AND TOP OF THE MOVIE. IMAX is open matte which means it’s frame/picture has more top and bottom. It is closer to a square. These are 16:9 so the BOTTOM CHUNK and TOP CHUNK of EVERY FRAME IS CUT OFF. Another way to say it is this version is zoomed in, to fit your tv, the whole way through. I look forward to the trilogy collectors edition, one day, that has all 3 movies, optionally, in IMAX. Otherwise this is 5 star review for the value. IMAX would’ve been the cherry on top.

I got the disc quickly, and the digital copy was still good and i'm very happy with the whole process. I have bought 4k discs before that the digital copy was no longer good, which was very irritating. I would prefer to have the disc and the digital copy, but it seems like there are companies out there that you can buy it from a store and the digital copy will have expired.Even though you just bought it from the store and they won't honor it. I had that happen recently at target. But no problems here.

I love this remake (acting, plot, story, visuals) 👍, but am here to comment on the transfer to 4k UHD for this specific set. Many other "4k UHD" titles look like crap with a grainy fuzzy picture - as if 1080p source material was digitized to send a 4k UHD HDR formatted signal to the TV, but without capturing the original 4k camera data, or at least attempting some kind of upscaling during transfer to disc. THIS set however looks GREAT, so thumbs up to Warner Bros for not ripping us off!