nick’s review published on Letterboxd:
I know, Dune is as technically perfect as any other Denis Villeneuve work, but it's also at the same time boring, vapid, and overlong. There's a reason why I've been holding off reading Dune the book or watching the Lynch version, and that's because everything about the story feels hopelessly boring, and Villeneuve's insanely hyped, critically acclaimed version only reinforces my perception of it.
My main critique of these larger-than-life, action-packed productions is the fact that they focus so much on the visuals and outward sensations, eventually they lack nuanced emotions that connect with the audience who may prefer these inward aspects. Dune unfortunately is the prime example of such vicious tendency.
Unlike Villeneuve's previous masterpieces where actions and emotional resonance are balanced perfectly, Dune feels like it has the sole purpose of showing off its crazy budget. The cruelty and blood bath of futuristic power struggles are presented in the most detached and arcane manner possible. It ultimately feels like a project made exclusively for the diehard novel fans, while for the general audience, and especially the arthouse crowd, Dune is no more than a sleep inducing experience to power through, or simply doze off to.
