‘Their mission… was doomed to fail’
Planet Dune is a 2021 science fiction mockbuster film about a space crew on a desert planet mission who are hunted by giant sandworms.
Directed by Glenn Campbell and Tammy Klein (Shark Side of the Moon) from a screenplay co-written by Lauren Pritchard and Joe Roche. Produced by James Mahoney (line producer) and Brendan Petrizzo (supervising producer).
The Atomic Blonde Entertainment production for The Asylum stars Emily Killian (Alien Conquest; Apocalypse of Ice; Meteor Moon; The Chosen), Anna Telfer (Tomorrow; Aquarium of the Dead), Cherish Holland (Monster Hunters), Manny Zaldivar and Sean Young (Bone Tomahawk; Parasomnia; Doctor Jekyll and Ms. Hyde; Dune 1984; Blade Runner).
Plot:
A space crew on a mission to rescue colleagues on a marooned base on a desert planet turns deadly when the crew finds themselves hunted and attacked by the planet’s apex predators: giant sandworms…
Our review:
With its emphasis on fending off attacks by giant sandworms, Planet Dune has more in common with the Tremors movies rather than Denis Villeneuve’s epic blockbuster. Anyone expecting anything similar would be foolhardy anyway. The Asylum’s mockbusters have never adhered much to their inspirations with a title spin often being the only real connection.
As regards the CGI effects, the worms get plenty of time on screen and are a mixed bunch; when they’re moving through the sand they look ok but when there are any interactions with humans things get hokey. The spaceship and planet effects are fine.
While performances are generally a little above the norm for The Asylum, Planet Dune falls down is with regards to its storyline and dialogue. Scenes of wandering around on the planet drag on slightly and there’s a surfeit of bickering and sniping that soon becomes tiresome. A curious focus on moonshine in an attempt at quirkiness also seems pointless. That said, if viewer expectations remain pretty low, this is a passable effort for those with a desire to see Tremors in space.
Other reviews:
“CGI effects range from correct to poor (especially the worms), acting is OK up to good for the main characters. Second roles can be bad, though. All in all, I was entertained for an hour and a half. So this is decent, even great if you consider the very low budget. To me, the weakness of this movie is in the story itself…” Nihildarn
“Sure, this was by no means top of the line CGI to rival Hollywood blockbusters, but it was fairly good for a movie by The Asylum. So it seems that the people at The Asylum are upping their game. The acting performances in Planet Dune were fair. Nothing outstanding to be experienced here, though.” Paul Haakonsen
Release date:
Planet Dune was released on Digital on Friday, October 29th and was also shown theatrically in some US cities.
Cast and characters (in end credits order):
Sean Young … Captain Chase
Emily Killian … Astrid Young
Anna Telfer … Ronnie
Cherish Holland … Rebecca
Manny Zaldivar … Brad
Sienna Farall … Marilyn
Ramiro Leal … Harley
Clark Moore … Hawkins
Mo Smead … Dave
Grant Terzakis … Bryant
Anton Kas … Vasily
Sharon Desiree … Space Force Control
Christopher William Johnson … Space Station Officer
Stephen Brewer … Space Station Officer
Michael Yale … Space Station Officer
Audrey Latt … Space Station Officer
Ashley Reign … Bridge Assistant (uncredited)
Tammy Klein … A.I.(uncredited)
Scot Derwingson-Peacock … Space Force Control (voice, uncredited)
Technical details:
87 minutes
Related:
Dune (Denis Villeneuve, 2021)
Dune Drifter (Marc Price, 2020)
Dune World (Mark Polonia, 2021)
Trailer:
