D Hoda

I found this film deeply disappointing. Dune is a lifeless film that speeds through the first half of the book at a breathtaking pace. There wasn't a moment of character development or a hint of world building. Every scene was empty and lifeless, no refugees, no workers, just desolation. Nothing happened to anyone who wasn't a main character (to the point where the value of water isn't even shown). The sand worms were almost entirely absent with the exception of a 2 second shot of a worm still submerged in the desert. Most of the dialogue is taken directly from the books which is normally a plus, however it is mostly delivered in whispers, and far too quickly. The score is good, but often overbearing. On the positive side the adaptation of the personal force fields was excellent, as well as a real attempt at staying true to the book. This adaptation is not without it's charm, but primarily this film strikes me as more flawed then David Lynch's attempt. The second half of the book has fewer plot points, so the pacing of the next film is suspect. Dune is a hard book to adapt, and I feel they missed the mark by a mile.