Dune Drifter (2020) User Reviews

I have seen a lot worst for the budjet they did a great job

[kaefab · 5/10 · 6 December 2020]

Come on first this movie does not deserve a 1 its not that bad of course clear up the fake reviews with the 8-9-10 too because it certainly does not deserve such a high rating.

The effects are quit good if you compare this to the awful asylum movies. For the budget they did a great job with that. Looking at the FX the costumes and all they where able to do this with 100k even the spaceship battle at the start of the movie are well done.

Its a sci fi very low budget movie. I am giving it a 5 for the effort also the acting was not that bad compared to today standards of beautiful people with no brain.

Not at all as bad as 1 star'ers are making it out.

[umeshrw · 5/10 · 6 December 2020]

Luckily I didn't see the rating on this before watching this movie. It's better than many 6 star movies and it certainly isn't stupidly unrealistic like even a few big budget movies. The sci-fi part is quite good and despite the low budget it's quite good what the team has achieved. The story line is a bit slow but still faster than a few of the reknowned series. That's good enough for me to watch it once and enjoy it. A good story and execution also helps.

They did their best!

[dancetvincent · 5/10 · 4 December 2020]

Let's be clear, this is film is better than the "one star reviews" would have you believe. Does it have its problems? Sure. The "nine star reviews" are also over the top. There should have been more breathing room for the setup in the beginning of the film, so that we get to know the characters better and care more for them.

Having said that, they clearly made the most out of a very limited budget... and at times I was impressed with what they managed to pull off. The astronaut suits looked pretty neat, as did the ships and the combat scenes.

Part of the problem, is that most of the story (from the second act onwards), happens on a mostly deserted planet. It's why the plot had to be pretty basic and some reviewers complain about it being slow. However, that's mostly a factor of the limited budget they had to work with.

Could it have been better? Yes, but you shouldn't go into this expecting the same experience as you would with films that have ten (or one hundred) times the budget. If you have some sort of concept of how difficult it is to make something yourself, you can appreciate that these kids did a good job... and also that there's still room for improvement!

Free speech isn't free.

[legionofthesnowzombie · 1/10 · 2 December 2020]

"How can we sell this piece of movie gold? Think damn you, think!"

"I know! Stick the word DUNE big as brass on the cover art, then add the word Drifter in tiny writing."

"Right, that's the plan, meeting adjourned."

Oh geez. This was painful to continue watching.

[theedeer · 1/10 · 1 December 2020]

This movie just was not good at all in any sense. Too bad, I looked forward to a new chapter. The fake (obviously fake to anyone unbias and truthful who actually see it) reviews are laughable. This was a true waste of time by a bad script writer and producer and I wish someone who have been honest enough to call this before it went out to the public... it was a dying horse from birth. Arrrgh as Charlie Brown would say. It is time I wish I would have spent better. If you don't like it from the first 5 minutes, it is just more of those 5 minutes put back to back to back to back. Sorry Kyle, they didn't live up to the name.

Come on, man!

[murmaider · 1/10 · 1 December 2020]

Really? It's one of the worst movies I've ever watched. Couldn't even watch it all the way. And to steal the name of a movie that's about to come out...so lame, man. So lame. Are you expecting to take some of their money by baiting people to go and watch it? Just sad... And what a coincidence, that all people that said it was good, gave it the exact same rating.....NINE stars. Are you really going to give it the same rating THE GODFATHER has?!? Have you no shame?!? Even if the story was good, it still couldn't pass FIVE stars. AND YOU GAVE IT FREAKIN' NINE !!!!!

Definitely not a sci-fi gem...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 2 December 2020]

Well, first of all I must admit that I am not really a great fan of the sci-fi genre, unless it turns out to be "Star Wars". But still, I was given the chance to sit down and watch the 2020 movie "Dune Drifter", and since I hadn't already seen it, of course I found the time to sit down to do so.

While "Dune Drifter" was semi-watchable, writer and director Marc Price wasn't really delivering a sci-fi classic with this particular movie. The plot was just way too generic and predictable.

The special effects were adequate for the movie, given it was a relatively low budget movie. And I will say that the props were definitely good. Well, aside from the suit that the 'enemy' was wearing, which was just a hardball protective outfit with a gasmask. Seriously? That was just so laughable and painful to watch, and it was so hard to take it serious.

"Dune Drifter" is the type of movie that you will watch once, then never think about it again, because the contents to the storyline and script were just so vague and mundane that there simply is no purpose to watching it a second time. Plus, the movie just can't support more than a single viewing anyway.

Initially I had thought that "Dune Drifter" might have been a mockbuster from The Asylum on the upcoming "Dune" movie. Luckily it wasn't that. But let's just be honest, "Dune Drifter" was by no means a memorable movie regardless.

My rating of "Dune Drifter" settles on a generous three out of ten stars.

Not that terrible, not great.. Never an 8 or 9.

[Akeron78 · 4/10 · 2 December 2020]

A budget take on sci-fi, and it shows. The various components of ships, weapons and suits are very recognizable and does not look like advanced technology. But ok, maybe that's what they were going for. The story is paper thin, there are some suspenseful moments that work well, and the little acting involved isn't horrible from the main character. The CGI is cheap, and I keep thinking things are too repetitive, lumpy and cumbersome. A lot of it is probably due to what we are used to seeing in more expensive sci-fi. I read a review where someone said it could have been a short movie, and it would have covered everything they needed. I second that opinion. A 25 minute feature wouldn't be out of place.

A good effort, I've seen worse.

[outlander83 · 7/10 · 7 November 2021]

Considering this is very low budget and made with effort and heart it's not as bad as many bigger budget movies I've seen.

The opening scene is a bit of a mess with how the sound was done and the "alien" we see half way through the movie is absolutely laughable but the actors are solid, the effects and props are pretty good by no budget standard. It's worth a look for the B movies Sci lovers among us.

Who knew!?

[Devils_Mentor · 1/10 · 2 December 2020]

Both Humans and Aliens must be getting their plasma coils from ACME Rocket Ship Parts Inc.

Oh and Alien like wearing jeans

Skip first 23 minutes, adjust expectations. Reward: a hidden gem

[PaxD75 · 10/10 · 11 January 2021]

9 minutes to travel to an Alien stronghold. 4 minutes to survey area along with minor communications. 10 minute space dogfight. Total: 23 minutes of a bunch of two-manned fighters, everyone in helmets, all talking. We have no idea who anyone is, we feel nothing about what's happening, we don't connect with a single person.

Story begins around the 23 minute mark when one of the two-manned spacefighters crashes on an Alien planet.

You can completely skip the first 23 minutes and loose absolutely nothing. It's (nearly) meaningless. Even the sfx is pretty bad during this sequence. It exist only to tell you that earth is in conflict with an alien species and during the conflict one of the ships crashed on the planet below. That's it.

The story is about being stuck in a desolate place, inhospitable and dangerous. Early on, it even has elements of horror. There is a palpable desperation and fear that's portrayed brilliantly by Adler (Phoebe Sparrow), who is essentially a one-person act. This is her film and she delivers.

In order to enjoy this film, skip (or fast forward) the first 23 minutes. It means nothing and its frenetic (crazy) pace is in sharp contrast to the rest of the film. Secondly, expect a _slow_ emotional drama - with touches of horror, fear, exploration, some action and finally... the force of will driven by desperation.

This isn't a cutesy, cartoony hollywood blockbuster aimed at children and heralded by video game playing armchair warriors. There's a sense of realism. This turns many people off that want to be entertained by glitz and a Jack Slater ('Last Action Hero' - one of my fav films) kind of star.

It deserves better than it's current 3.2 rating (by 568 as of 10jan2021). I'm rating the film from the 23 minute mark (which is basically where it starts) at 8 - but giving it a 10 to offset the soul-sapping rating of 3.2. If you can adjust your expectations (this isn't Star Wars) and skip that dreadful, first 23 minutes: you'll find another hidden gem.

Slow to Build.

[DarlingLlama · 6/10 · 5 December 2020]

For people confusing this with Dune Anything, if they would just read the description of the movie they would figure out it has nothing to do with the HerbertVerse. There are no Sand worms, No mighty Houses, no Bene Gesserit, and no Muad' Dib, and No, the spice does not flow.

This is a raw movie. A simply made movie. Too realistic for most people. A movie for hardcore sci-fi fans who will stick it out through all the unpleasant screaming in the beginning, the somewhat bland darkness of space, and the simplistic props and wardrobe.

But alas, no one wants to use their imagination anymore, so when they see simple costumes they immediately crap all over other peoples hard work.

You don't like what this director did, that's fine. How about you make a movie so we can all see how well you would do...

This wasn't a great film, great story, or great acting. The movie IS long and tedious. But the last 10 minutes make it worthwhile as things come together and some questions are answered.

Will I ever watch this again? No. I am content I saw it once, though.

I liked it (I include a few little spoilers)

[Randy-Dreammaker · 5/10 · 7 December 2020]

Dune Drifter is a pretty good space movie. Reminded me of the first short film I produced. They even used the same alien costuming I used with the black outfits and the gas masks.

One of the funny things about this movie, is during a wide shot of the protagonist crawling along the ground, two cars passing by in the distance are unintentionally filmed in the scene. Who would of guessed they'd have cars on other planets.

The alien volcanic planet with a toxic atmosphere that the movie ultimately plays out on, had a river flowing in it, weeds growing, and a sky with clouds. One would assume that a planet with lots of water, vegetation and clouds would have a breathable atmosphere. Interestingly, the protagonist never decides to explorer or check on whether the river contains water. Why wouldn't checking the river to see if its fluid is water, be a top priority?

The aliens, reminded me of the putty creatures in the Power Rangers t.v. series.

Other things that stand out are the compatibility of the ship parts despite being completely different kinds of ships, designed by two entirely different species, from different worlds. Yet the protagonist walks right up to this foreign ship, knows where to look and finds a needed part to repair her ship.

It almost feels like a major connecting scene was left out between the time it takes the protagonist to walk to and return from the alien antagonists ship. Before leaving the co-pilots body is intact. Upon return the co-pilots head is shown melted, without any reference or explanation.

Something that seemed highly unbelievable is how the alien weapons were unable to penetrate their alien uniforms, yet a stray shot was able to destroy their ship.

My favorite part of the movie is when the protagonist presses a adrenaline button on their suit and becomes super badass. If the writers had implemented more of these kinds of action moments into the movie, it would have been a much better movie. This particular scene was truly epic and the highlight of the movie.

I gave this movie a 5 Star Rating because the effects were well done, the story overall is compelling and kept me interested, it challenged me to put myself in some of those situations and wonder how I might react or handle them, and it has at least one epic scene.

It's worth a watch if you like space movies and it comes up on your favorite video service.

Cinematic Excrement - Dull

[fastpuppy · 1/10 · 2 December 2020]

Why is so much of this movie shot with such tight shots on the "actors"? Seriously, about 45 minutes of this 90 minute movie is practically shot up the actor's nostrils?

The result is making an already dull movie almost unbearable.

The story is bad, the directing is bad, the acting is bad. The dialog is idiotic. The "special effects would be laughable in a movie made decades ago. The texture mapping on the space ships is especially poorly done.

Everyone involved in this film should seek other careers.

Someone decided this would be good for movie night because of the deceptive name and artwork they were duped into thinking it was a Frank Herbert movie - It isn't. We watched it (frequently hitting fast forward) more to punish the person who selected it.

Worst Sci-Fi Movie I Have Ever Seen

[reellycynical · 1/10 · 2 December 2020]

I had to try. I love SciFi, but i knew this was going to be a roll of the dice.

I lost.

This movie was stupid from the very first 10 seconds of the movie - all the way until the end.

The special effects were pathetic - like..... horrible. A Middle School class could do better with some flashlights and plastic wrap. Story? Dumb. Acting? Equally dumb.

Run for your life.

What is the code?

[nogodnomasters · 2/10 · 6 December 2020]

Following a very noisy Star Wars type battle in the vacuum of space, Phoebe Sparrow is marooned on a planet and needs to cannibalize an interchangeable part from a crashed enemy alien ship. I expected them to copy "Enemy Mine" at this point, but they did not.

Very boring.

Guide: NO swearing, sex, or nudity

Not Terrible! Held my attention.

[pritchetts114 · 5/10 · 8 April 2021]

This was not a stinker, despite the bad one star reviews here, especially if you grew up watching way cheesier sci fi than this. Low budget yes, but well done low budget. The only cringe-worthy scene is the phalanx of Earth ships in space early on. The name of the movie bears no relation to the story, but it got me to look. Don't expect big budget effects. This is a fairly well done character study of someone trying to survive, not a sweeping space opera.

B movie SciFi

[falcon0929 · 6/10 · 2 December 2020]

It's definitely not going to win oscars but for a low budget flick it actually wasn't bad. Pacing was overall fine, acting was sub par and it wrapped up very fast but that's to be expected in B flicks. Worth a one time watch for those not afraid of B movies.

Bad Movie

[theedeer · 1/10 · 1 December 2020]

Looks like old Star Wars stuff, except without the acting and thrill of the Star Wars movies. We watched, we yawned, we turned the volume down and we gave knowing looks, eye rolls and laughs. Sorry guys it just wasn't put together well by a great team. Not everyone is a writer director or actor.

It's small and broken, but still good. Yeah... Still good.

[S_Soma · 8/10 · 19 March 2021]

Based on the prevalence of excessively negative reviews of this movie around here, I would say that a lot of the reviewers are seriously lacking in perspective.

Without doubt, DUNE DRIFTER is a low-end, low budget sci-fi picture and does suffer from many of the ailments that naturally result from that status.

But it's simply unfair to be so completely down on this movie. It does genuinely rise above its circumstances and tries to tell a passable story with what it has to work with.

It is very easy to point out its readily apparent flaws, not the least of which is its name. Unfortunately, the name DUNE DRIFTER really does get everything off on the wrong foot, sad to say. It's clearly one of those movie titles that some management weenie has chosen in hopes of glomming extra attention through a mistaken association with the legendary Dune stories. It does a disservice to this poor movie because it effectively coats it with cinematic marketing slime even before the opening credits. It's a much better movie than this sort of appalling behavior would suggest. It wouldn't surprise me if many of the reviewers were angry at this movie before they even saw it because they recognized this behavior.

The comparisons to ENEMY MINE are legitimate; it's basically the same story in most respects except there is no friendship that blossoms. It's total warfare from beginning to end. The comparison is so close, as a matter of fact, there's no point in giving much of a synopsis. Space battle, two damaged combatant ships crash land on nearby planet, fight for survival ensues, human wins over execrable aliens and departs. The end.

I would be lying if I claimed it was all good. More than a few low-budget cinematic sins are present. Our heroine has a blaster that only irritates the enemy (yes, it actually has THAT trope...). Human space ship parts and alien spaceship parts are interchangeable, apparently. Endless amounts of screen time are devoted to characters doing almost nothing while trudging across desolate wastelands. And the list goes on, unfortunately.

But basic fairness requires the granting of credit where credit is due. A movie should be judged by the realities of what it ever COULD have been given the circumstances. Given its limiting realities, it probably rates a 7 or 8 within its caste.

If you doubt me, before watching DUNE DRIFTER, I strongly recommend you go watch JURASSIC GALAXY. You should really get a firm grasp on what kind of garbage low budget sci-fi CAN be before you pass judgment on DUNE DRIFTER.

It has its warts and zits, but it's still worth watching for all that.

VERY confused at these reviews

[johnmanno-77961 · 7/10 · 25 December 2021]

First of all, perhaps nobody who reviewed this movie has seen movies upon which it was based. No. Not Star Wars. It was based on very gritty art films from the 70s that dealt with war, the Vietnam war specifically. So you have to approach it with that mindset.

So you're going to get confusing camera work, long, long takes, slow pacing, and VERY simple plot.

There's a gentleman on here who was in the Air Force, and said that the director was totally wrong about how those fighter pilots would REALLY act in a combat situation. Again, this is not a documentary, first off, and secondly, it's made painfully obvious that the troops were raw and poorly trained, the defense mounted by the humans was poorly organized, and that the humans were seriously outgunned and outclassed by the aliens.

Of course, this ain't Godard. So no, there's not much there there. But what there is of the film is interesting and quite well done, actually.

Doing non Hollywood sci-fi is a thankless t, because nearly everyone wants "slick". They want the extremely high budget, very predictable, standard scripts replete with all the standard tropes. A movie that doesn't offer that is automatically and unequivocally branded as "bad". That's simply unfair.

Poor copy of Enemy Mine

[trigaming · 1/10 · 16 May 2022]

To me it appears the writers and director either never saw the movie Enemy Mine or stole the basic plot directly from it. The enemy is called the Drekk and in the movie Enemy Mien the enemy is call the Drak. There were so many stupid things that are in the film. Personal weapons that can barely stun an enemy yet blow a 6-foot-wide hole in a ship, an obvious survival tent which is labeled as an Emergency Lifebuoy but is called a life raft, the worst personal gunnery skills I have ever seen - even for pilots, a monster that can physically rock back and forth a heavy duty space fighter yet can barely rip a hard light holographic tent - which by the ways continues to function as the ripped portions flap in the wind, the list goes on. When the gunner, who I believe earlier stated she had never seen a Drekk before, actually kills one and then she just walks away not even curious enough to pulls its mask off to see what it looks like. I will not even get into the silly helmets and visors they wore nor that pathetic opening space battle with every fighter pilot and gunner broadcasting on the comms all at the same time and visuals at that. Trully very painful to watch.

The only reason I gave this movie a 1 is that you cannot rate it a zero.

Bad with a misleading title

[rob-79786 · 1/10 · 4 April 2023]

Dreadful movie... poor production, poor acting and dreadful effects.

And a misleading title trying to leverage off Dune franchise which it has nothing to do with. So the marketing of the movie is based on deception.

Probably people will watch it for similar reasons that people watch movies like attack of the killer tomatoes .. it is so bad it is perversely entertaining...

The production quality and effects remind me of 1970s episodes of Dr Who, except that Dr Who had better writing and Acting.

I have watched low budget SciFi before that tells a good story by focusing on storytelling and does not try to insult viewers with poor effects and production.

noooooooo!!!

[thepoggo · 1/10 · 3 December 2020]

So, 10 users review this with 9/10????? please don't waste your time!

Panting and crying does not equal drama

[james_piombini · 2/10 · 16 January 2021]

There are two moments in this film you will be happy to see on screen, and one of them is the appearance of the credits .