Negative Positive
Title: Read the book instead
Review: In Dune, Frank Herbert crafted a complex society with extreme deftness. The book contains so many layers that one can read it again and again -- as I have at least once a year for the past 30 years -- appreciating it anew each time. OTOH, this movie is so cartoonish and ham-handed, that it made me squirm with discomfort. All of the subtlety of the book was discarded in favor of special effects and carpet-eating performances. Possibly the most distressing feature was the transmutation of Voice from a special physical ability developed through diligent effort into a mechanically-produced effect. Since one of the underlying tropes of the book is the development of self, this betrayal of the essential unity of the piece was shocking in the extreme. Save your money, and read the book!
Is the review positive or negative? 