The first three quarters of the movie were a close enough interpretation of the source material to be acceptable and entertaining. The forced love story between Paul and Chani, however, veered too far away from the book in an attempt to create a tragic romance for the sake of a Hollywood ending, and ultimately ruined the movie.
Spoilers. For those who haven't read the book, the romance between Paul and Chani (sounding like 'Johnny' when Timothée Chalamet says it), is not a source of tension. The falsely created subplot, in which Chani declares Paul a false prophet, and the overall sour-faced, disgruntled demeanor that Zendaya portrays during the last quarter of the movie, are fabrications by Denis Villeneuve. The bigger question is, does this enhance or take away from the overall story? Absolutely, without a doubt, this detracts from the story because it shifts focus from the central nemesis of the film while simultaneously failing in an attempt to create a love story that the audience cares about.
To cap it off, the final close-up on Chani emitting a pouty, quivering chin is a failed attempt to evoke heartbreak we should care about.
Denis was trying way too hard to create the Trinity/Neo romance and somehow force it into his version of Dune, which up until this point did a superb job of sticking to the pages of the book. Dune part one: excellent. Dune part two: ruined by a flat, forced, zero-chemistry, poorly executed, made-for-the-movie heartbreak story. Or perhaps it's simply a poor performance by Zendaya, who came across as far too unlikable. I've talked to others who didn't read the book and felt the same way. Either way, it's a miss.
Spoilers. For those who haven't read the book, the romance between Paul and Chani (sounding like 'Johnny' when Timothée Chalamet says it), is not a source of tension. The falsely created subplot, in which Chani declares Paul a false prophet, and the overall sour-faced, disgruntled demeanor that Zendaya portrays during the last quarter of the movie, are fabrications by Denis Villeneuve. The bigger question is, does this enhance or take away from the overall story? Absolutely, without a doubt, this detracts from the story because it shifts focus from the central nemesis of the film while simultaneously failing in an attempt to create a love story that the audience cares about.
To cap it off, the final close-up on Chani emitting a pouty, quivering chin is a failed attempt to evoke heartbreak we should care about.
Denis was trying way too hard to create the Trinity/Neo romance and somehow force it into his version of Dune, which up until this point did a superb job of sticking to the pages of the book. Dune part one: excellent. Dune part two: ruined by a flat, forced, zero-chemistry, poorly executed, made-for-the-movie heartbreak story. Or perhaps it's simply a poor performance by Zendaya, who came across as far too unlikable. I've talked to others who didn't read the book and felt the same way. Either way, it's a miss.
Tell Your Friends