Never in Dune does Lynch encourage the audience to identify with the characters.

The special effects are mediocre -- the miniatures look like miniatures, the sets look like sets, the matte paintings look like matte painting. And even the much dreaded sand worms are about as scary as Missouri night crawlers.

Lynch's screenplay has all the vivacity of a Gregorian chant. Although his direction of individual scenes is inspired, Lynch the writer sabotages Lynch the filmmaker.

As with many things lousy, this acquired a cult following over the years, but it’s hardly worthy.