Dune (2020)

[Z...]

It was impressive to see those worm scenes and feel the whole cinema shake, I loved it.

Indeed. Can’t remember the last time i was so immersed in a movie.
Even started thinking about a trip to Jordan.

 

[DianaRose94]

Bit late on this one but just watched both movies after finally reading the book. I enjoyed them as action movies, but if I hadn't just read the book I would've had absolutely no idea what was happening. Perhaps having just read the book has made me too harshly critical also, but there was just too much missing IMO.

There is no Hawatt, the plots and intrigue are largely missing, the visions are not elaborated on. Understanding of the planet such as the water, the Makers and the vision of Liet-Kynes is not really fleshed out (seems like a missed opportunity to throw in some climate change/environmentalist propaganda). Little of what is going on in Paul's spice-enhanced, prescient mind is shown properly. Why does he have to go Jihad again? Motivations of many characters are not clear. Little is explained of the spice or the connection with the guild and space travel. The antagonists are made to seem too foolish, like cartoon villains, and lack the cunning they possessed in the book.

The second movie in particular just seems like an action movie, one that spends so much time bashing religion and fluffing up Paul's relationship with Cheni that there was just too little time left for the plot to really make sense.

All in all they're fun if you've read the books, but if not then I wouldn't bother.

I've only watched the 1st movie so far, but what you said was my issue. I've read the three first book in the Dune series and Dune (the 1st book is my fave novel of all time) but if I didn't have a good grasp of the story already, I would've been completely lost and I wouldn't have understood the plot. Also, I wasn't happy that the philosophical aspect and politics seems to be a bit lost. However, I thought that the acting and cinematography was excellent, though I'm not sure I was too fond of Zendaya as Chani (she's a bit one note imo).

From everything I've read about the second movie, it seems to be a good movie, but it doesn't seem to capture the essence of what Dune was about. In the books, while Paul does lie to the Fremen about his status as a messiah, he actually truly is a kind of messiah of humanity. But in order to save humanity, he will have to commit extreme atrocity and he's aware early on of the kind of atrocity needed, but the question is, is he willing to lose his own humanity in order to save the human race (end of the book 2 gives the answer). Also, the end of the movie in regard to Chani (her leaving Paul) is puzzling because Paul's love for Chani and his desire for her to escape a certain fate drives the 2nd novel, Dune Messiah. Also, the 3rd book, Children of Dune, is about the children he had with Chani.

I hope that if there's a 3rd movie, it won't turn into a girl power type of movie with Chani and Irulan against Paul because that would really not be what the book and series were about.