Since it was written in the '60s, the track record for properly bringing Frank Herbert's sprawling sci-fi opus to life has not been good. However, it looks like in the hands of renowned filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, fans will finally get to see an accurate and awe-inspiring vision of one of the most famous science fiction novels ever written. In addition to boasting the director of such respected genre contributions as Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, Dune also features a sprawling cast of A-list actors (including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Josh Brolin), and a score by renowned composer Hans Zimmer.
Despite the numerous components to recommend it, Dune has its share of detractors. From feeling that Villeneuve won't be able to tell the multi-layered story properly to thinking that David Lynch did it better in 1984, and even that it will fail to live up to the hype its trailers have been generating, Reddit users haven't been shy about sharing a number of unpopular opinions.
Dune Is Boring And Mindless
With its richly constructed narrative, myriad royal houses to rival the aristocratic complexity of Game of Thrones, and multi-layered philosophical concepts, Dune (in any iteration) has scarcely ever been described as "extremely boring," yet denq_aurea finds its plot to be "an easy and cliche storyline" with characters "a kid could come up with."
Important to note is that this Redditor hasn't read any of the books by Herbert, which are filled with philosophical concepts that will either be categorized as riveting or boring, with very little middle ground. Aside from mind-melting passages, there's also plenty of wild moments from the Dune book series that the movies can't show.
Dune Contains Faulty Logic
One Redditor argues that because "humans overall are savvier than audiences of the past" and scrutinize every aspect of sci-fi movies today (from the fictional technology to the logic of the characters), Dune should never have been made. The faulty logic inherent to its concepts of space travel, the mining of spice, and even the proposition that humans would do away with all computers in the future indicates to them an out-of-touch perception with modern audiences.
The original book was written in the '60s, and based on the understanding of planet-building, Artificial Intelligence, computers, and space travel as it was understood at the time. More importantly, other than being a product of its era, Dune also accomplished what a lot of science fiction was doing then — it proposed what "could be", rather than "what was possible."
Dune Won't Live Up To The Hype
Ever since the trailer for Dune first premiered, fans have been primed for excitement and Redditor Idonthaveagoodname92 wonders "how can a movie live up to that hype?", suggesting that the new movie won't be able to make good on audience expectations, especially those comparing it to Lord of the Rings.
Few movies satisfy all viewer expectations, and those who will have read Herbert's novel may find the movie especially challenging to connect with its source material, but people dismissed the Lord of the Rings trailers when they premiered as well, complaining that they would never live up to J.R.R. Tolkien's books. In the end, many of the changes from the Lord of the Rings books actually helped the movies be viewed in a more favorable light.
Dune Looks Really Generic
Based on the trailers for the movie, Mobpu12 has decided that it "looks super generic and underwhelming", citing that despite an "amazing cast", the rest of the aesthetic looks "super cookie-cutter". This isn't typically the sort of sentiment that movies made by Denis Villeneuve receive, especially given that his filmography includes many titles with unique aesthetic choices.
Often directors have very little to say about the way their movie is marketed, especially when it comes to the way the producers dictate how a trailer is assembled. It's possible that what appears "cookie-cutter" now will appear much more eye-catching and interesting once the movie actually comes out.
Dune Should Pummel Star Wars
Nathanielhmoore thinks that because Dune "has a more guttural way of tackling [mature themes] that could really speak volumes in today’s social climate" it should become more popular than the Star Wars franchise. While both are viewed as "sci-fi fantasy," the two franchises are generally seen as incomparable.
It's been said that George Lucas borrowed several concepts from Dune when he created the original Star Wars trilogy, but his movies generated a multi-billion dollar, decades-old franchise precisely because he distilled "mature themes" into universally applicable themes that can be appreciated and comprehended by a much wider audience than Herbert's books. Besides, all quality pieces of genre fiction inspire one another, and now Star Wars has inspired Dune.
Jason Momoa Is Miscast As Duncan Idaho
Duncan Idaho is played by action star Jason Momoa in the new movie, and one Redditor believes him to be a terrible choice for the part of Paul Atreides' defender and one of the most skilled swordsmen to ever walk the sands of Arrakis, citing the fact that "Idaho [is] supposed to have black curly hair, and be slender/agile."
Many of the characters in the movie don't look anything like their novel counterparts, but Momoa being cast as Idaho is generally considered one of the lesser offenses. Josh Brolin, cast as Gurney Halleck, doesn't have long stringy blond hair, and doesn't even get to play the baliset!
Denis Villeneuve Is Just Remaking David Lynch's Movie
While not everyone agrees David Lynch's 1984 version of Dune properly captures Herbert's book, the filmmaker is unique enough to make his work seem original. Redditor Severe_Reason feels that Denis Villeneuve's version "is LITERALLY a remake of the David Lynch movie" rather than his own adaptation of Dune, one in which he needs "twice as long to tell literally the same story."
Most fans of Villeneuve's work would argue that while he does have something of a reputation with reboots after Blade Runner 2049, he has his own vision for Herbert's book, one that will be wholly different from anything Lynch created.
And Villeneuve Shouldn't Have His Name So Connected To The Movie
One Redditor feels that because Villeneuve "isn't a household name" and doesn't have "an impressive resume" of movies, he shouldn't have his name so attached to Dune, yet somehow also feels that David Lynch's notoriety for the 1984 version is well-deserved and appropriate.
Villeneuve has steadily increased his name recognition among cinephiles over the last decade with movies like Sicario, Prisoners, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049, so if he's not a household name, he soon will be, and Dune may be what makes him one. As for David Lynch's version, even the most ardent Lynch fans are divided about whether or not his name should still be attached to a movie some feel was beneath his talents.
Dune Should Be A Game Of Thrones Style Mini-Series
kgm2s-2 feels that because "the world of Dune is so rich and so detailed, the themes so poignant, and the characters all so memorable" that it deserves its own Game of Thrones-esque mini-series rather than a 2-3 hour movie. They would happily "watch 8 years of 10-hour-long-episode-seasons of Dune in a heartbeat," comparable to the hit HBO series' track record.
Dune was already made into a mini-series nearly two decades ago with mixed results, and as good as it is, Game of Thrones is also a cautionary tale about what happens when a creative team fails to bring an incredibly intricate plot filled with dozens of characters to a satisfying ending that fans will accept.
Dune Doesn't Deserve To Be Made
While it's been literal decades since the world of Dune has been explored on the screen, Redditor Rutard 54 feels that since the book wasn't very good, it "doesn't deserve a film adaptation at all" because it's only about "Sand dunes. Worms. Spice. [and] Space." This view is considered incredibly reductive, with a common belief that the movie deserves to be made precisely because the book is full of so much more.
Herbert's book and its sequels are considered some of the most difficult pieces of fiction to ever be adapted for film, yet regardless of the intricacy of their plots, their sprawling cast of characters, or their philosophical concepts, fans still yearn for a movie that properly captures what they represent because the scale of their story is so epic.