Peter Moseley

Having read the books back in the day and been wowed by them in terms of the detail of the worlds Herbert built, I was nervous about this latest attempt to bring the story to the silver screen. Especially when other big budget adaptations have failed so massively (a recent attempt by a streaming service fresh on the mind). However, those worries were unfounded. The film is a visual spectacular, built for the big screen, by someone who has a clear feel for the story and the books. It is the book come to life. It's probably the best representation of the book that cinema can make, given the amount of back story and nuance that is in the internal monologues of the characters. I wonder whether folk who are not familiar with the book will feel differently, but there is plenty of spectacle, intrigue and action to entertain. So it can't be perfect, not for a discreet film. The book would need a series of this quality and with the same appreciation of the source material as Mr Villeneuve clearly has to get close to that. However it is the best version to date and probably for some time, in the way that the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy is viewed. The worlds are somehow how I imagined . I have no idea how Mr. Villeneuve managed to get inside my head to do that. The images stay with you. The majority of the film is faithful to the story, so much so, you can forgive the odd alterations for cinematic effect. The casting is largely spot on. The only downside is the fact that part 2 is not a done deal. That would be a travesty not to complete the project, although part 2 has some tough things to deal with from a cinematic point of view. On the whole, if you loved the books, see the film. You won't be disappointed.