I think Villeneuve is deliberately going for a sort of real world realism, rather than the over the top ridiculousness of the Lynch version. I respect that. So far he hasn’t made a bad science fiction film.
It’s fitting that Villeneuve should make this his next project after Blade Runner 2049. Ridley Scott was the original director attached to the Dino De Laurentiis production in the late 70’s / early 80’s, and he ended up leaving the project to go direct Blade Runner.
Ridley Scott’s version, it’s worth noting, also would’ve split the book into two films just as Denis is doing here, with a style greatly influenced by Battle of Algiers.