I always want to give readers a sense of the story (boy meets girl, blah, blah, blah) without providing a detailed blow-by-blow synopsis. That’s why Wikipedia and movie sites like IMDB exist. But I’m also aware that if I withhold too much information about a particular story (especially one as complicated as “Dune”), I may lose readers. So, I try to sprinkle in just enough about the story to give readers something to hold onto. It’s always a balancing act.
initially Manohla Dargis provides a concise and simple introduction enough to captivate the reader to keep reading. But she also uses balancing strategy that allows her to provide the readers with just the right amount information to keep them entertained, hooked, and spoil the movie completely.