At this point, I’ve made my thoughts on 2021’s Dune quite clear – I think it’s a revelation. Canadian director Villeneuve somehow bested an unfilmable movie, telling the first half of the story of Paul on the harrowing world of Arrakis. While the end of the movie left people wanting more (and rightly so, this was only Part One, after all), the Blu-ray delivers on even more of the unbelievable detail fans will no doubt be looking for.
READ MORE: Dune review: Bless the maker for Denis Villeneuve
Most Blu-ray discs that boast “more than an hour of content” are mostly filled with gag reels, outtakes, or pointless deleted scenes that didn’t make the cut for a reason.
The addition to Dune’s Blu-ray gives Frank Herbert fans exactly what they want: MORE.
Not only does the disc include many chunks of new art and invaluable interviews with Villeneuve and select members of the cast, but it goes into further depth about the story itself.
One feature, The Royal Houses, tells the story of each of the factions spotted in the film. Viewers will find out further information about the Harkonnens and the Atreides, and why their factions are so hell-bent on destroying one another.
Even more details are given on the enigmatic Spice Melange that all the galactic factions are fighting over, fleshing out in much greater depth just why it is so important.
However, the most incredible pieces of the special edition’s puzzle come in the creation of the epic film.
Where else would fans of the franchise learn that Villeneuve commissioned full-size, 11-ton Ornithopters for the cast to act in?
Or see behind the scenes of the full-size Arrakeen stronghold, complete with a life-sized Shai-Hulud (sandworm) mural?
Surprisingly, the most intriguing part of the Dune Blu-ray’s special features was the segment about how the sound was recorded.
The sound mixers and editors told viewers how they spent entire days in the real Jordan Desert recording and experimenting with sand, desert sounds, and atmospherics to add to the overall score (which was ultimately put together by iconic composer Hans Zimmer).
That is just the edge of the shield wall that holds back the information revealed in this expansion and unbelievable look at the decade’s biggest film.
Do yourself a favour and grab Dune 2021 on Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD now.
Buy Dune here.