Dune was the best sci-fi film of last year for many. Tonight on TV is its trashy knock-off Planet Dune, from mockbuster hotbed The Asylum.
Dune is considered by many fans to be one of the best sci-fi blockbusters of recent years. No wonder other studios are trying to profit from the hype surrounding the film. For example, the trash factory The Asylum, whose shameless rip-off Planet Dune is on TV today.
This is what the sci-fi film Planet Dune is about
The Asylum makes its money with so-called mockbusters like Transmorphers or Independents War of the Worlds. These are films that are similar to big cinema highlights in title or story, but are produced much more cheaply. Often the lack of budget can be seen everywhere, not least in the quality. And Planet Dune is no exception.
The closeness of the title to the great model is little more than bait here. The Asylum work is not about squabbling noble houses, space wars or a dark psychedelic resource. Rather, a top pilot (Emily Killian) is sent on a rescue mission, during which she and her crew crash-land on a sand planet. And from then on she has to watch out for giant sandworms.
Sci-fi copy burns up Blade Runner legend
Trash-copies in general and Asylum productions in particular can be charming if the tension is right and they don’t take themselves too seriously. With Planet Dune, the opposite is the case. There is endless bickering in dialogue about trivialities, the humour falls by the wayside. Not even the best actors and actresses can change the insipid result. And among them, for some unknown reason, is Blade Runner star Sean Young.
