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Breathlessly paced, Infinite features plenty of chases, fighting, gunplay and destruction, all presented with slick professionalism. But we’ve seen it all before, and because it spoon-feeds the entire premise almost immediately, there aren’t any real narrative surprises. That might make it a passable time-killer on Paramount+ (where Infinite first premiered), but I can’t imagine anyone ever being compelled to visit this forgettable film a second time.
There’s something wrong with any movie where the best moment is the first one, when Jack shoots his mark point-blank in an alley. Afterwards, anything resembling action ceases and Expired descends into interminable scenes of the three main characters wallowing in sorrow. The film’s glacial pace only exacerbates all of its shortcomings. While there’s an earnest attempt at a poignant resolution, chances are the viewer’s patience will expire long before then.
Dune does what so many other adaptations fail to do. It remains faithful. It trusts in the beauty of storytelling that Herbert once mastered. It expands on his ideas only so much as to offer the audience a better glimpse as to the possibility beyond them, gearing them for their glorious purpose yet to be fulfilled. As the sequel begins its production, I remain a fan as optimistic as ever. Even knowing the book’s latter half carries the brunt of its zaniness, I have the upmost faith that the totality of Villeneuve’s vision will leave a lasting impression on film for years to come.
Dune is a terrific film that looks great on Blu-ray and, more importantly, holds up with repeated viewings. Visually and narratively, there’s so much to take in that seeing it more than once is practically essential.
Coherence is seldom ambiguous or overly confusing. During moments it does choose to confound the viewer, the film ultimately follows-through with revelations that are not-only eye-opening, they make complete sense within the context of what’s already transpired. Swapping-out spectacle & special effects for convincing characters & intriguing ideas, this wonderful sci-fi obscurity deserves to find a wider audience.
Cosmoball is certainly pretty to look at, though the CGI action and characters look like they belong in an animated cartoon. But for a movie that appears tailor-made for those with short attention spans, it’s unnecessarily long and the messy narrative takes too much personal effort to decipher. Better to forget the plot and enjoy the shiny things ‘till the novelty wears off.
Movie Burner Entertainment 