I want to state upfront that I’m not a fan of Denis Villeneuve’s work. In my opinion, he’s an overrated filmmaker whose main skill seems to be convincing less discerning viewers that they're seeing something profound. I am also a massive Dune enthusiast; these books have been among my favorites since I was a teenager. So while I had some hope for this adaptation, I braced myself for disappointment. What I received ended up being somewhere in the middle ground. It’s an acceptable film—not great, thankfully not awful, just okay. It corrected certain errors made by David Lynch's 1984 version, but still managed to miss other aspects (including things that Lynch got right). It was also a surprise to see how much Villeneuve directly borrowed from the earlier film, both in terms of visuals and sound. The costumes were a significant letdown. If you weren’t aware of the story's setting, judging solely by the clothing in this *Dune* would lead you to believe it takes place only forty or fifty years in the future rather than the twenty thousand years that is actually depicted. The stillsuits from Lynch’s film look futuristic and otherworldly, like something genuinely capable of keeping someone alive in a harsh desert environment. The new desert wear looks more suited for a casual dirt bike ride in today's world. The casting was generally good; however, with the exception of Paul, Chani, and Rabban, I thought the original cast was superior. That earlier film, aside from the questionable choice of Kyle MacLachlan, really demonstrated how to select actors who were perfect for their roles. Setting comparisons aside, this film covers roughly the first two-thirds of the first novel. I’ve always felt that this story would be better told as a high-budget TV series (or even a mini-series) instead of a single movie. I still believe there was too much material crammed into this one film, but it represents a move in the right direction. The film largely adheres to the book's narrative, although some unnecessary alterations were made, most notably the changes to both the gender and storyline of Liet Kynes, which subsequently affects Chani’s story. Most other modifications are minor and ultimately unimportant. Filming in Norway, Jordan, and Abu Dhabi resulted in stunning visuals that work well on a large screen. It's evident that considerable time, effort, and money were invested in the sets, which looked authentic to their intended locations. The acting was consistently of a high caliber, but unfortunately, many names and terms from *Dune* were mispronounced. That, along with what I can only describe as Hans Zimmer’s recurring soundtrack sound effect—like a fart—is likely to disrupt the viewer's immersion. I was also surprised by what was left out; naturally, some cuts needed to be made given the density of the source material, but it doesn't really make clear just how vital melange is to the function of the empire and its society. Also, the concept of mentats is largely ignored—you might not think this is particularly important, but it’s central to many aspects of the *Dune* universe. Overall, it isn’t a terrible movie. Despite its shortcomings, I still believe that the 1984 Lynch version is better.

Source on TMDB