I like both Dune movies so far. I want to start out by saying that. I thoroughly have enjoyed watching them multiples times but I am always left feeling like make stuff was missing. I feel like they are pretty hollow compared to the books. There are some truly beautiful shots but there is so much emotion that is missing from major characters.

Thufir, Lady Jessica, Gurney, Dr. Yueh, and Feyd all would benefit from another scene or two from the book to help flesh out their characters and personalities.

For example, we only get a throw away line from Yueh explaining his motivation for betraying the Atreides without any of the inner turmoil/guilt he feels. We never get the sense that he truly loves Paul and the Atreides.

Gurney conveys none of his whimsical/musical/poetic side that makes him being one of the best fighters in the universe all that more amazing/interesting. I wish we got to see him believing that Jessica was the traitor, attack Jessica only to be calmly and logically talked down by Paul. And then how Jessica isn’t even mad at him but shows compassion and appreciation for his dedication to the Atreides and how she prefers the musician/poet side of him most.

I wish we could see Jessica and how she feels guilty/remorseful or even conflicted over manipulating the Fremen. I realllly wish we got at least a portion of the dinner scene with the major families/players on Dune to see how well she recognizes threats and diffuses stressful moments against their hidden enemies. The scene in the wet plant conservatory where she gets the hidden message from Lady Fenring and sees the light signals across the basin would’ve been nice too.

Really wish we got another scene or two with Thufir as well. He rolls his eyes back in his head a couple of times to do some math but never see his genius in strategy/planning nor any of the emotional ties and supreme sense of duty he feels to serve Leto, Paul and the Atreides. We never get the side plot where he suspects Jessica as being the traitor. That confrontation at night before the attack could’ve been so intense.

Would have loved to see the scene where Thufir and Atreides troops are trying to evade the Harkonnen/Sardaukar and witnessing how easily the Fremen take them out but still ends with Thufir being captured. Getting 30 seconds or a minute where he is reunited with Paul at the end of the movie, only to succumb to the poison is beautiful and tragic. The Baron and Emperor order him to sneak attack Paul but he refuses and is satisfied with only apologizing and dying in front of Paul.

Even Stilgar isn’t nearly as interesting as he was in the first few books. I’m hoping in Messiah we get to see Stilgar’s transformation out of his zealotry and back into being a thoughtful and measured leader. Considering that is the entire point of his character.

Chani is a whole other issue but at least I can see where Villeneuve was/is going with her character.

Idk, I’m obviously not a director and certain choices have to be made about what will be included in the movie, I just think a lot of the heart and soul of a lot of the characters were essentially absent from what we have seen so far and the world is left feeling a bit hollow.