I was so excited for this movie....that I actually prepared myself for it being incredibly mediocre. I didn't want to be overly disappointed when it didn't meet my expectations. Being a massive Frank Herbert fan, I've read the first book several times. The second, Dune Messiah, is admittedly my favorite, but the OG book is very solid.
I also love the David Lynch 1984 Dune, which I grew up watching with my dad. I feel like I can quote half the movie at this point. It has it's problems & criticisms, but I still consider it a fun movie. That version cut a fair number of scenes from the book. I was interested, going into Villeneuve's version, in seeing what scenes might be included now that the movie is in two parts.
Dennis did a seriously amazing job! We saw it in IMAX. I didn't feel like that added much to the experience, but I was glad to see it in the theater. The vibe of the movie reminded me of Bladerunner: 2049 (it was only after the movie that I realized Dennis had directed that one too!). The score was so appropriate and very atmospheric. There was so much cool visual world building done in a way that I felt reflected the intentions of the book. There were so many small things that were carried in from the text! When the Atreides were first flying into Arakeen, I immediately noticed the palm trees in front of the palace. Such a small detail, but they do have some significance to the intention behind the world of Dune. God I loved Timothee in this too, the entire cast was spectacular. The only major piece that Villeneuve changed was changing Liet-Kynes's character from an old white man to a middle-aged Black woman. In the context of Arrakis, it felt way more appropriate and natural anyway.
I'm still reeling from seeing it, I'm glad they've already greenlit part 2!
Rocco from Mega64 talked about how it was great that he, as someone who hasn't read the books, now has this entire new universe to explore. He expressed how he was happy he could turn to the internet for some of his questions and be met with a rich wiki deep with all of the Dune lore. I think it's great that this has brought the wonderful world of Dune to more people!
