Got to watch it.
Overall: great experience, very nice movie.
Closer to the book, apparently, than its 84 counterpart, but pacing wise, and though it is only part 1 (of 2 or 3?), it didn't do as well as the Lynch one.
Especially in term of the general exposition, which was mainly provided by the introduction and the "inner thoughts" in the 84 version. We are here left with a number of questions regarding important topics: who, where, when, why, how.
Questions that were all answered by the Emperor's daughter monologue (not that it was that important that she was the emperor's daughter, considering how little importance she had in the story) followed by the Emperor's audience with the Guild. These two scenes managed to set the whole story.
We are deprived of that in Villeneuve's movie.
We vaguely know who the protagonists are, though we don't know what their motivations are, nor what their relations are to one another.
Atreides and Arkhonens hate each others "for some reason", but they just appear to be regular enemies. In Flynch's movie, the Baron had clear and outspoken animosity toward the Duke.
In Villeneuve's movie the Emperor is but a distant figure. Powerful and feared, apparently, but there is nothing to justify any of these traits.
The Spice being a "big deal" isn't really tackled either. We are told it is essential to space-travel, while it is only one of its attribute (and perhaps not the most crucial one).
The water on Arrakhis is a subject that is not tackled either. Ok, it is a desert, it is scorching hot, so water is an issue, we know that from our own world. But in Dune, water goes farther than that, to the point the Fremen "recycle" their dead in order to preserve as much moisture as possible. Sure, they spit (aka share the gift of their body moisture) as a sign of respect (and apparently for cooking?), but that's something we also do in our world (to seal a contract for instance). So... in Villeneuve's movie... I don't know it could have been better tackled imho. Oh and, for some reason nobody is sweating?
Though these few things can be seen as negative by their absence, they can also be seen as a positive thing in the sense that their absence allow the audience not to be overloaded with information. And thus allow it to enjoy the visuals.
The visuals are really something.
The designs are as well defined as they were in the 84 version (though less goofie), allowing each faction to clearly stand out.
The desert stillsuits were probably better in the previous movie though, but that's just me opinion on that.
Same goes with the Sardaukars, but only to some extent. The "cheap" industrial look given by the black metallurgic suits had something more ominous and threatening than the modern grey armors. But the depiction of their world was pretty cool, throat singing mental conditioning ftw!
The ships and shields got a well deserved (and needed!) update. Bye bye flying milk boxes and minecraft armors.
The cast did a very good job as well.
Bautista makes an amazing Rabban and Skargard a great Baron. I am glad, to some extent, they got rid of the kind of psychotic, sadistic punk portrayal of the Arkhonen. But as the same time it removes part of what makes them so brutal and monstrous.
Lady Jessica isn't the useless damsel in distress anymore and Duncan got treated properly.
Paul on the other hand seems a bit bland and lacking in term of "volume". I don't know how to phrase it, but something is missing.
I had concerns, or questions rather, when it was announced Dr. Lyet would go through a gender swap, but in the end it turns out to work pretty well and even better than in the previous movie. Though, again, her characters send us back to the exposition issue regarding, notably, the Emperor. That entity is mentioned a lot in her scenes, but at this point it is nothing but a name (or title rather) thrown around.
I may have one very important regret though:
We didn't get to see the pug.
Where is the pug? What happened to it? Where is it?? Gurney was supposed to be leading the charge against the Arkhonen with the pug in his arms!
WHERE IS THE HOUSE ATREIDES' DUCAL PUG?!
If something happened to it, I swear to God I'm going to commit multiple war crimes.
