The third attempt at an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, director Denis Villenueve’s (The Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 ) film is, overall, very close to the book in terms of story, with most of the minor changes being made to aid in the transition from book to film as well as modernize this 1965 novel (like making the scientist a woman instead of a man).
On the other hand, some of the changes I did not understand, as they didn’t add anything to the narrative nor were they better than the original idea (like Paul getting his blade from Chani and not his mother’s native servant). Similarly, some of the visions the main character had (which were included in the trailer) depict how the first book (and, I presume, the following movie) will end, which is a choice I'm not convinced by.
I also think some more worldbuilding information should have been given to the audience, especially at the beginning, instead of the somewhat repetitive Chani visions. The Bene-Gesserit and how they control everything from the shadows, why there aren’t any robots or sentient machines, why the Sardukar are so dangerous, etc. I know it’s not the most interesting part of a movie, but for people who hadn’t read the book, some of the interactions made little sense.
The soundtrack and visual effects were really well done, which isn’t that big a surprise for a several-hundred-million-dollar movie in 2021 but still worth mentioning. I also thought the costuming and set design were quite good; the stillsuits, the clothes, the interiors, no complaints there. My only fault would be that in one of the shots, Paul’s footwear looked like your run-of-the-mill sneakers, which definitely was immersion-breaking even if not a significant problem.
With regards to the acting, it was ok but not anything special. I’m by no means a movie guru, but the performances were far from those by, say, Michael Richards as Kramer (Seinfeld), Joaquín Phoenix as Joker (Joker) or Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty (Blade Runner). They were good enough to keep you in the story but not jaw-dropping or memorable in any way.
The themes should have been made somewhat clearer, even if it meant deviating slightly from the source material. I know you don't get to understand a lot of it until you're deep into the books (I myself didn't get it from the first book) but audiences are going to think the theme is the opposite of what it really is.
As for the ending, it should have been Paul and Jessica walking into the desert, which happened around the 2 hour 10 minute mark. It continuing made the movie a bit too long and also eliminated the possibility of the next one starting with them in the desert, which would have been a great opening in my opinion.
Overall, it’s not the best movie for people who haven't read (at least) the first book. A lot of ideas will be lost due to a lack of context as it’s by no means an easy movie to follow. That said, hardcore science fiction fans as well as people who’ve already read the books, I would expect to really enjoy this movie.
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