Kirk Botchway

I really wanted to like this version of Dune but the film doesn’t do itself many favors, even though there are things I genuinely appreciate. The production design is easily the standout everything from the suits and uniforms to the ships and tech feels unique and kind of polarizing in a way that gives the movie a strange, fantastical identity, especially for an 80s film. The music is also great, loud and immersive, and it really sells the scale of what’s happening. And honestly, I might even prefer the design of the sandworms here over the newer version, it’s one of the few areas where this film actually stands out in a big way. The problem is everything else just falls apart. The pacing is a complete mess, it feels less like a movie and more like a rushed recap, with no time to breathe or process anything. Major moments just happen back to back with no buildup, like Paul meeting Chani and then suddenly declaring he’ll love her forever within the span of 5 minutes mind you, even though the audience barely knows her. And that’s kind of the issue across the board, the characters are incredibly flat Chani has almost no personality or purpose beyond being a love interest, and honestly, no one in the cast feels convincing. The performances come off stiff and lifeless, like everyone’s just reciting lines instead of actually acting, and even Kyle MacLachlan can’t really elevate Paul, who ends up feeling like a generic, emotionless “chosen one.” What really hurts the film the most, though, is how it completely misses the core message of Frank Herbert’s story. Instead of being a cautionary tale about charismatic leaders and the danger they pose, it plays everything straight like a heroic, almost Star Wars-style narrative. The Fremen are reduced to a passive group that immediately accepts Paul with no resistance or thought, which strips away any nuance or tension. There’s no real sense that what Paul is doing could be dangerous or morally questionable, it’s all framed like a straightforward victory and now has essentially become a white saviour story. Because of that, the film loses what makes Dune interesting in the first place, and it ends up feeling like a visually cool but fundamentally misguided adaptation.