My Take on Dune: Part One & Two

From Cameron Cooper’s blog:

I know I’m really behind on this! I saw Dune: Part Two a while ago and even wrote a post about how excited I was to see it here. But hey, at least I’ve had time to mull it all over.

First off, let me start by saying that Dune is one of my all-time favorite books. We’re talking top five, easily. And on certain days, it claims the #1 spot. So, I approached these films with a mixture of hope and apprehension. But after watching both, I can confidently say—I liked them! Denis Villeneuve’s vision was grand, immersive, and thankfully not nearly as self-conscious and “hip” as David Lynch’s 1980s version.

Let’s Start With the Positives

There’s a lot to appreciate in these films. The world-building is stunning, the scale is epic, and the special effects are fantastic. Villeneuve captured that sense of vastness and desolation that’s so central to Dune‘s story. I even got used to Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, despite my initial doubts about him being a little too young for the character’s later arcs. By the end of the second film, he’d grown on me—credit where it’s due.

But There Were Some Misses…

One casting choice I just couldn’t get behind: Duncan Idaho. It felt all wrong to me. Duncan’s character is such a crucial part of the story, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t quite click with this portrayal.

The Big Departure from the Book

Now, let’s tackle the elephant in the room: the changes made to the plot. I had a similar experience with The Lord of the Rings films. When I first saw them, I was uncomfortable with how they deviated from the books. But over the years, watching the extended editions every Christmas has turned into a tradition, and now, I appreciate those films as their own beautiful reimagining. In fact, I find the LotR books a bit slow to get through these days!

But here’s the thing—I don’t think that’s going to happen with Dune. The departure in this case feels more disruptive. The ending of Part Two is a prime example. In the book, we get a grand finale, a culmination of the events we’ve been building up to. But in the film, it’s a cliffhanger, dangling us over the edge while we wait for Part Three. It left me feeling ripped off, and I think that’s a major structural change that can’t be ignored.

Will I Rewatch It?

Overall, I did enjoy both movies, and I’ll probably go back and rewatch them at some point. But I don’t see them becoming the kind of annual pilgrimage that The Lord of the Rings films have become for me. Maybe they’ll age differently, or perhaps Part Three will bring it all together in a way that changes my perspective.

But that’s my take—what about you? Did the changes in Dune throw you off, or did you find yourself swept away by the adaptation? I’d love to hear what you think!

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Cameron Cooper is a Stories Rule Press author of science fiction — mostly space opera.

Check her SRP books out here.