The movies focus on what can be visually impactful. The books on what is emotionally important. But while these latest movies are not bad, even with several excesses typical of the time, the 80's one is superior in respect to the story.
There is no "better" one way to experience Dune's story, when I read the books, I truly felt no need for a movie. The prose is descriptive enough to allow us to build the environments by ourselves. If you are a reader, you really don't need the movies.
How does that translate to a medium that is a hybrid of visuals and words? I've yet to find an answer. Some authors excel in the "Show Don't Tell" part, others keep a strong narration to help with what can't be shown, others choose to use a "telepathic" access to everyone's thoughts in order to allow access to what we would never be able to know otherwise. Etc...
There are no standards in this medium, YET. I hope they take a good long while to be adopted. It is interesting to see how different people tackle the issues that all face.
I do have some preferences already, but, they are not set in stone. Each time I start a new project, there's always some trepidation on the discovery of how are they going to do it... Unfortunately, most of the times it is exasperating to see how they fall in the same errors and pits many have before. But, those exceptions, oh, they are worth it. Even when sometimes they fall flat because the story is underwhelming, sometimes they surprise me.
Oh, but these are just p.... stop... don't... there's uncapped potential here. Even when sex is a part of the story, there's immense room to go above and beyond it, while, obviously, enjoying it. That is one of the worst problems this medium faces, the P0rn dilemma. Too little and no one cares, too much and the story dies.
Can this even have literary value because it includes themes that typically literature avoids? I think so. But is this a "game" or a "book"? Neither. This is a hybrid medium that can go in both directions at the same time. I only ask authors to not limit themselves and to explore this medium limits without fear.
/Rant
:: Drops down from the soap box, picks it up and vanishes in the shadows ::
Peace