it has been dumbed down and reduced to a shallower paddling pool rather than an ocean of information.
Doesn’t this happen with every novel adaptation? It’s kind of in the nature of translating a book full of information to a visual medium. Things need to be communicated visually, such as Thufir’s special/unnatural ability to recite such precise information as I mentioned. Perhaps this isn’t such a problem with the 1984 film, I haven’t watched it just yet, but I know most of the complaints say it’s overstuffed and too confusing. I think the new movie has avoided being overstuffed and just barely avoided being too confusing.
That said, although I love the new film I do think we should get a long director’s cut and/or deleted scenes. I get the feeling a lot was cut, perhaps material containing a lot of the information you thought was lacking. Duncan’s actor Jason Momoa has advocated for a director’s cut, which he suggests could be “four-to-six” hours long.
There is a few things removed that have been confirmed.
- Duncan infiltrating Arrakis in the ship he was test flying but ejecting and skydive to surface (advance team)
- Jessica in the botanical conservatory.
- Gurney playing balliset
Although I would also assume scenes lost for Piter and Thuffer too the Mentat explaination.
Jessica making Love to Leto thats a big deal really let’s face it. Conception of Alia.
Some sort of explaination about folding space and that the guild navigators use the spice as in the book.
Villians short changed on the plot to oust atreides and it being piters plan although the baron claims it’s his plan. Piter as the real architect but upon his death then taking thuffer as the replacement for advice is now quite unexplainable I feel.
the traitor in the midst of arriving on Arrakis Jessica being accused although Huey does not find the message in the dead harkonen.
Over 3 hours to really do it justice given the choices of the pacing they employed people looking at one another and stuff.
The 1982 Lynch version and it’s various extended versions struggle in how to get all the information across in a streamlined way…And it’s not in the right order of sequence of scenes but if those issues were resolved it would be that bit better.