Jodorowsky's Dune

PG-13

Released Mar 21, 2014

1h 28m

Documentary

List

98%

121 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky discusses how he would have adapted Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel "Dune" for the big screen.

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Critics Consensus

Part thoughtful tribute, part bittersweet reminder of a missed opportunity, Jodorowsky's Dune offers a fascinating look at a lost sci-fi legend.

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Karl Quinn

The Age (Australia)

Pavich makes great use of the legendary and massive Dune flipbook Jodorowsky touted around Hollywood in the mid-'70s.

Aug 31, 2018

Full Review

Walter V. Addiego

San Francisco Chronicle

Pavich shows us many images from the storyboard, and even treats some to a simple form of animation to suggest how the movie might have looked.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 4, 2015

Full Review

Philippa Hawker

The Age (Australia)

The phantom film is, by its nature, always rich with possibilities.

Rated: 3.5.5

Sep 12, 2014

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... it is exciting to imagine, and that imagination is what powers the film: the sense of artistic freedom, idealism, freewheeling creativity at work in the preparation, and the excitement he raised in his warriors...

Apr 6, 2024

Full Review

Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

An embellished narrative of Alejandro's [Jodorowsky] caprice to make a film as big as his sacred mountain, as elevated as the narrative of the novel... [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 1, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

While the documentary drools over what might have been, it also aggrandizes Jodorowsky, suggesting that no artist was purer or more revolutionary at the time

Rated: 3/4

Feb 18, 2022

Full Review

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Jason L

This is such a heartbreaking and incredibly sad story for fans of Jodorowsky but the movie tells the story well. RIP Jodorowsky's Dune, the greatest movie never made.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/10/24

Full Review

Antoniofranco D

Maybe the greatest film never made

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/16/24

Full Review

Shael

This shows one of the most creative endeavors from a visionary who lacked the support to develop what would have been a timeless masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/26/23

Full Review

Alec B

I think a lot of the "what ifs?" are entirely unrealistic and to claim that all the major studios passed on the film because they were afraid of Jodorowsky's ideas is pretty ridiculous (it was probably just because of money) but I suppose it's easy to get nostalgic for an idea as great and insane as this was. Whether or not Jodorowsky would have "changed the world" with this film is debatable, but I don't think anyone can disagree that we were denied something that would have been totally unique.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

Pavel S

It is said a man will come and find in the gift of Dune his inward eye. He will look where we cannot...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/11/23

Full Review

William L

"I needed a really fat guy to play this evil character who floats around because he's just too darn fat to exist otherwise. So ... Orson Welles." That's not a direct quote, but it's not far off either. While Jodorowsky himself is kind of a trash person (flashes of that insanity actually show up in the documentary, alongside the grautitous worship from all sides) and there might be some leaps when talking about the level of practical influence the failed Dune actually had on later projects, this exploration of an unmade science fiction epic is still quite the experience as a retrospective. Production members showing a clear passion for the project (if, surprisingly, not for the source material, which was commonly skipped over, or 'raped' as Jodorowsky enthusiastically put it) with decades of time to reflect and contemplate beyond simple disappointment and anger combines with genuinely interesting and distinctive material. It's not so much a dissection of the creative process as it is a testament to the power of personality and emotional investment, and a story about finding inspiration in failure. Someday, computers will advance to the point where the collection of crazy storyboards and very specific actors will be translated into as faithful a recreation as can be made. And then people will realize that maybe this insane man wasn't going to deliver the world to the promised land of sci-fi quite like everyone thought. (3.5/5)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/10/22

Full Review

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Frank Pavich

Director

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Actor

Amanda Lear

Actor

Brontis Jodorowsky

Actor

Chris Foss

Actor

Christian Vander

Actor

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky discusses how he would have adapted Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel "Dune" for the big screen.

Director: Frank Pavich
Producer: Donald Rosenfeld
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Snowfort Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Violent and Sexual Images|Drug References)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 21, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 8, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $646.5K
Runtime: 1h 28m

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