So that was the extended David Lynch Dune and the added sequences were fairly hit and miss with me. Parts at the start with the Emperor, Liet-Kynes brokering an agreement with the Fremen, making the Water of Life and more about how to ride sandworms REALLY gave more information about the setting and story. Thufir Hawat’s death doesn’t sit great but it IS a resolution to that plot point. The rest I don’t feel brought that much more to the movie.
I think the added paintings and dialogue at the beginning could have been rolled into Princess Irulan's opening monologue. Romance is definitely the weak point of this movie, where Duke Leto's love for Lady Jessica shows through mostly in pillow talk where she insists they're destined to get it on and get knocked up this particular evening, and Paul's love for Chani is mostly another predestined thing.
