Although I have very little knowledge on the novel itself, I watched Dune in IMAX on Monday and thought it was the best science fiction film I had seen since Blade Runner 2049. The reviews are correct - the film's scale is so vast that it is incredible that Denis managed to craft a coherent story.
Prior to watching the film, my main concern was a picture that felt less like a Denis Villeneuve movie and more like a mainstream, Hollywood compromise. Luckily, this felt like a Villeneuve film from beginning to end. Structurally, I found it quite similar to Sicario. The film's first half is quite heavy in its world-building elements, and the protagonist is much more of a guide for us to understand the functions of an unknown world. But by the midpoint, the film becomes relentless and visceral as the characters try to survive on Arrakis. Whenever people describe Dune, they explain it as "Game of Thrones but in space" - I felt that it really lived up to that description particularly in the second half of the film.
The cinematography is masterful - nothing felt false or CGI-heavy to the point of unbelievability. Again, Denis did an incredible job of immersing us in a world that felt plausible despite taking place thousands of years into the future. The photography was monochromatic and gritty. The cinematography and design choices in relation to the Harkonnens were the standout element for me. In fact, the scenes involving them were my favourite in the whole movie. They feel like such an overwhelming threat that you question how the Atreides will overcome them.
In terms of the above poster's concern with a compromised adaptation, I never got that sense throughout the film. The litany of fear is said by Paul, but it could be more overtly presented in Part II (in order to shape a distinct emotional arc for the character). Also, there is so much Islamic and Arabic imagery in the forefront that I never got the sense that they were downplaying that element. Upon arriving on Arrakis, there are women in headscarves pointing and surrounding their new colonizers - hoping that there might be the Mahdi/Lisan al-Gaib. Additionally, there is imagery that is akin to madrassas in the Middle East. Denis just took a more subtle, visual approach to presenting the Arab-influenced world, which makes sense considering this is a film afterall.
This was an incredible cinematic experience that I urge everyone to watch in IMAX. You are really walking away with a different experience if you watch this on TV or on your laptop. You can feel Hans Zimmer's score in your seat as you plunge into Arrakis' sweeping vistas and the Harkonnens' H.R. Giger-inspired planet.
Also, I am surprised that this managed to get a PG-13 rating. There are so many deaths and dark imagery that it really teeters on an R rating. The ending of the film is another highlight for me - it does not feel like some sanitized hero's story. It concluded in a way that felt harsh and violent, especially by Hollywood standards.
Again, I have not read the books, but I really left feeling that this was the best cinematic experience I had in years.