Dune 2 Has Fixed One Of The 1984 Movie’s Most Disappointing Scenes In The Best Way

There were many problems with David Lynch’s Dune movie, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has already changed one of the biggest ones perfectly.

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune has already outclassed David Lynch’s take on the classic science fiction book in a number of ways, but Dune: Part Two is fixing another huge problem the 1984 movie suffered from. Based on Frank Herbert’s book, Dune: Part Two will continue the story of Paul Atreides and his journey to become leader of the Fremen of Arrakis. While Villeneuve’s movies weren’t the first adaptation of the book, the Dune 2021 version changed much from the 1984 version for the better, and Dune: Part Two is poised to continue that trend.

There were many problems with David Lynch’s movie, from the changes it made to the original book to a downright silly scene included in the 1984 version of Dune. Many of those problems made the story less enjoyable, but one of Lynch’s greatest mistakes in Dune undermined a central part of the entire story. Luckily, Villeneuve learned from past errors and changed a pivotal scene in Dune: Part Two for the better. The change brings his movie closer to Herbert’s original book, and Villeneuve seems to have handled it in the best way possible.

Movie
Release Year
Director
Paul Atreides Actor
Worldwide Box Office Gross
Rotten Tomatoes Score

Dune
1984
David Lynch
Kyle MacLachlan
$30,979,816
37%

Dune: Part One
2021
Denis Villeneuve
Timothée Chalamet
$433,780,722
83%

Dune: Part Two
2024
Denis Villeneuve
Timothée Chalamet
TBD
97% *

* Rotten Tomatoes score subject to change upon official release

Dune 2 Has Changed The “Long Live The Fighters Speech” From 1984

Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides Says The Line In Fremen

In Herbert’s novel, Paul gave a speech to the Fremen in which he declared, “Long live the fighters.” The scene appeared in the 1984 film, and it was also glimpsed in the Dune: Part Two trailer, but there was a major difference between the two. In Lynch’s film, Paul says that line in English, whereas in Villeneuve’s, Paul delivers the line in the Fremen language, which is how the scene played out in the book. It’s a small detail, but the change has a huge impact on Paul’s character, the plot, and even a central theme of the entire story.

Why Dune 2’s Scene Changes Are So Important

They’re More Faithful To Frank Herbert’s Book

The attention to detail in Paul’s speech highlights one of the many strengths of Villeneuve’s films: their reverence for the Dune books. Changing Paul’s speech to include the line in Fremen keeps the pivotal scene true to the book in the best way.

His iconic speech played into his controversial role as a messiah figure to the Fremen, and delivering the line in their native language went a long way in convincing them to follow him. The messiah plot is central to Dune‘s message, and the speech is a pivotal moment in it, which makes the fact it was changed back for Dune: Part Two even better.

Dune: Part Two‘s attention to accurately depicting the original Frank Herbert book is one of its main strengths, and the sequel will get to deliver on the setup 2021’s Dune already provided. Dune: Part Two has a star-studded cast, Villeneuve’s incredible visuals, and a plot that is more loyal to the original books, which could be the perfect storm for success. Dune: Part Two could be one of the best science fiction movies ever, and the changes to Paul’s speech will certainly help it achieve that distinction.