Dune: 5 Reasons It Will Be A Massive Hit (And 5 Reasons It Will Flop)

David Lynch's adaptation of Dune isn't nearly as bad as its most ardent haters would have you believe. If taken on its own terms as a surrealist Lynchian space freak-out, it works quite well, and to fans of the book more familiar with the overall story, it plays as a decent CliffNotes version of the novel.

The problem is Lynch, who has never counted linear storytelling among his strengths, was given an almost impossible task: cram a four-hundred page novel told from multiple points of views into a two hour movie. Such a challenge would stymie many directors, not to mention one known for surrealist imagery and an obscure storytelling style.

Villeneuve recognized the inherent difficulty in adapting such a massive tome in a single movie, and so wisely opted to split the story into two films. But, will that even be enough? At what point in the story of Dune could you hit pause in a satisfying way? Cutting the book into two parts might raise its own issues if the first film doesn't contain a complete enough story to make audiences care what happens next.

Much will depend on the execution, but short-changing Paul Atreide's journey in the first film might be just as bad as trying to shove it all into two hours.