David Wheatley

If you read the books and hoped for more fidelity in the script you are disappointed. If you envisioned two primary characters, Paul and Chani as formidable fighters with a physical presence you are disappointed. The actors picked for their fame do not look like they did any training never mind enough to be believed. They look like the scrawny undernourished version of Steve Rogers before he drank the serum. Not believable in scenes where physical presence is required. and not good enough actors to do the job when lacking the physical presence, all melodramatic music and cinematography aside. Paul's mother Jessica does what's asked of her. No more. The rest of the actors and set are fine but the story rests upon the shoulders of two famous young actors who worked hard to act but follow a script with limited dimension for material calling for more. This movie is itself stuck with being a frustrated early teen story inserted into cosmic scifi, trying to catch the Star Wars magic and not Frank Herbert. Zendaya still looks and plays the part of an early teen frustrated with boys. Her love interest is played by someone who isn't believable in as physical a role and doesn't look at all like he cared to prepare for the role.