I had never read any of the Dune books nor had I seen any previous movie adaptations, so the story was completely new to me. I think because of that I was missing something by watching the movie. There was much that was unexplained that would be known by someone who read the books, but was lacking for someone without any previous knowledge of the story. Which is strange, given that the movie was overly long. There was certainly plenty of opportunity to fill in the Dune novice.
This movie was a mixed bag. There was some really slow and dull stretches of the movie, mixed in between parts that were either intriguing or were good action scenes. Instead of building to a crescendo, the movie waxed and wane. Just when I would start to lose interest during a slow part, something would happen that would keep me going. Overall, the story presented was interesting. There was good action and good effects. The world building was pretty good, but it could also be a snooze fest. I think the movie would have been better served had it been about a half hour shorter and had a better pace.
Much like the second Lord of the Rings movie, Dune just kind of ends with no resolution. I feel as if a movie should have some level of resolution, even if it’s part of a series. Overall, I would give the movie a slight thumbs up, but in this case, my thumb would only be pointing slightly upward—maybe like a thirty degree angle. And while I will watch the next movie in the series, I won’t be running out to the theater on opening weekend.
