Rating: 
Summary: The sequel is just as good as the first.
Review: Basically taking Dune Messiah (which was kind of small and didn't have a plot of its own) and combining it with Children of Dune (which was one of the best books by Frank Herbert). The movie did them both great justice, but had to short-change them just a little as they were trying to do two books in one movie (like Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings--which flopped partly for that reason).
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Except for the actress who played Jessica (I much prefer the one from "Dune"), this is an awesome work of cinema. I continue to be enthralled by the story and acting. Alia, Leto, Chani, Paul, and Duncan are all incredible actors. It makes me want to cry when I think of what the actor who plays Leto II could have done with the role of Anakin...rather than some whiny "I'm a real boy, Obi wan!" kid...
The cinematography is beautiful as is the soundtrack. I'm almost sad to admit that I enjoy watching this more than Lord of the Rings. It's more complicated, good and evil aren't so cut and dry, black and white. Highly recommended. And hey, if they get enough revenue, maybe they'll make "god emperor of Dune" into a movie!
Rating: 
Summary: beautiful production, good performances, major flaws
Review: The photography and many of the effects are stunningly beautiful in this continuation of the Dune saga. Most of the actors perform superbly, and it is a pleasure simply to watch them ply their trade. I see two major deficiencies. First, while the Atreides may be very brave, I don't find them especially sympathetic. Paul's sister descends heartbreakingly into madness, and certainly we feel for her tragedy. But the others are more coldly calculating, and I cannot warm to either Paul or his offspring in this production. Paul loses his sight, and eventually his life, yet I felt little sympathy. It is as if he is only a soulless cog in a universal machine, acting his predetermined (and already foreseen) part with remorseless resignation. Second, the action is focused so narrowly on the court intrigues and plots between the royal houses on Kaitain and Arrakis, I really didn't get a sense of a story set in a galaxy-spanning empire. In other words, this story seems less epic than the first film, and the events have less gravity -- being more of the order of personal struggles than clashes of great nations or great philosophical ideals. This IS a change of character compared to the first Dune miniseries, and not a change for the better.
Rating: 
Summary: Fool's Gold
Review: Some folks just can't tell the difference. Children of Dune sets an entirely new standard...
in SF soap opera. Otherwise, so awful and so tedious
that it defies categorization. More's the pity, because there is quality on display
here: Excellent set design, lighting cinematography, sound
and other production values show that at least the intentions
were abundantly well meant. And for the most part the cast
does try its best (with the exception of Sarandon, who was
far more believable in James And The Giant Peach).
But too bad, because the script and direction
(or lack thereof) truly stink!
An insult to the heart and soul of Herbert's
magnificent creation. For those who have been weened on the depressing
techno junk food of Star Wars and Matrix
sequels as well as most of the other derivative, juvenile
programming on the SciFi Channel, my advice is simple.
Watch something like The Lord of the Rings for an example
of how a real film maker and a dedicated crew commits to
realizing a world and characters that are true and believable
and heartfelt. Then compare that result to this sorry
adaptation of Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.
There is no comparison.
It cannot be fudged, or faked
Rating: 
Summary: Not Quite Up to the First One
Review: (N.B. The Matrix Revolutions features scenes very similar to those portrayed in this miniseries, particularly the blinding of Paul and his ability to perceive the world around him even after losing physical sight. I wonder if those Wachowskis are Frank Herbert fans.) Children of Dune provides another excellent adaptation of Herbert, in this case the novels Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. John Harrison returns as screenwriter, and you've just got to admire this guy's talents. He weaves together a lot in this miniseries and is faithful to the spirit if not the letter of the books. My favorite part of Children of Dune comes at the end of the first night, when Paul eliminates his enemies, through Alia and others. The music and quick cuts from scene to scene of revenge reminded me of similar montages toward the end of each Godfather movie. Even though Children of Dune contains many good qualities, the acting is this series is uneven. I continue to like Julie Cox very much as Irulan. She's sympathetic (much more so than in the novels) but calculating as well, and clearly in love with Paul. That last, and only, kiss between them is unbelievably sad. I know not everybody likes Alec Newman as Paul, but I do. Some of the new additions to the cast are real disappointments. You'd think with her acting pedigree that Susan Sarandon could do something better than the kitsch-witch she came up with for her role. But no. And who was that guy playing her son--was I supposed to be interested in him? I wasn't much for the actor portraying Duncan Idaho either, though he is both a ghola and a mentat, so I suppose he shouldn't show all that much emotion. And didn't they pay Alice Krige enough to do some real acting as Jessica? I loved her as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact, but here she seemed wooden and awkward, at least to me. All in all, it's great to see Dune on the screen, even if it's just the television screen. The people behind these miniseries have accomplished an impressive amount on what are reported to be small budgets and tight schedules. Congratulations to all involved. Is there any chance for a Dune III? Hope so.
Rating: 
Summary: the second is always done with a marginal budget
Review: I was gravely disappointed in "children of dune". I had waited for the second installment after throughly enjoying the first. To my disappointment I found the second lacking in imagination. the impressive costuming of Dune was replaced by jeans and tank tops. The sets seemed like cheap studio flats. I will say that "children of dune" did follow to a great extent the storyline. For this I am grateful. I just wish that the producers of a series would not cut the bugets of sequals in order to make a quick buck off of an existing market. Quality people quality, not quanity will turn the trick. Over all I was greatly disappointed in the second installment of the dune series. I hope if they proceed they will do better next time.
Rating:
Summary: As I said...good things come to those who wait!
Review: And here it is! "Children of Dune", a merging of both the title novel and the immediately preceding "Dune Messiah" by Frank Herbert, is LIGHT YEARS better than John Harrison's original "Dune" miniseries, and about on a par with Lynch's original for soulfulness and viewer hooks. This continuation of the original story is VERY faithful to the two books, with Muau'dib/Paul becoming blinded, turning into "The Preacher" and cursing the very "miracle" he engendered: The falls of Houses Harkonnen and Corrino, the "fremenization" and fecundization of Arrakis and the "cleansing" of the known universe. However, the cosmos-wide jihad that went along with it all has made him a pariah within his own empire. Even to himself! Through all this, you are no longer bothered by the fact that Alex Newman isn't Kyle MacLachlan, as he takes to "owning" the role at this point. Here, Paul is clearly disenchanted by the monster he's created, but, in his heart of hearts, he doesn't want it to all crumble, despite his ranting against it after he leaves the throne to his sister Alia, cursing his own mother when she arrives to see to the upbringing of her grandchildren, not recognizing him, or perhaps refusing to believe it IS him, cursing her and the cult of Muau'Dib. The future of the empire is eventually to be left in the hands of Paul and Chani's children, Leto III and Ghanima, who survive much intrigue and House Atreides in-fighting in this follow-up. Alice Krige's take on Jessica also makes you forget that she isn't the same actress that portrayed the character in the first one. Princess Irulan is still here, portrayed by Julie Cox, who bears a striking resemblance to Joanne Whiley-Kilmer...one of the remnants of House Corrino, house of Shaddam IV, the deposed Emperor of the Universe, but the old emperor's house is not dead, not by any means. While Irulan sees to Paul's children when they're young, as his legal wife, another Corrino relative, Princess Wensicia, played by Susan Sarandon, schemes to bring down the already shattering House Atreides to reinstate her own family to the throne of Khaitain. Alia, as portrayed by Daniela Amavia, is done beautifully, being parlayed as a haunted, just-this-side-of-insane interim ruler tenuously holding onto her wits as the "ghosts" of the decadent Vladimir Harkonnen, (her grandfather), and other Atreides and Harkonnen ancestors, fight over control of her until she ultimately loses control of her "gift", considered an abomination by the Bene Gesserit, and succumbs. The set design is exemplary...in fact looking an AWFUL lot like I expected it to look as described in the "Messiah" and "Children" novels. Arrakeen Palace, the new cities springing up post-Corrino/Harkonnen, the costuming, etc., are all done well. As I've noted before, some franchises, when they have the budget behind them, might disappoint on the first installment, re: "Batman", "Star Trek:TMP", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but the sequels to these limp monsters that somehow managed to catch on are often major improvements on the originals, and that's what happened here. The "Children" experience is much richer than Harrison's original miniseries, and it ought to be a major feather in the cap of the young director, (just 31 years old!) that took the reins from him. You may be disturbed by the fact that a VERY different actor plays Stilgar this time out. The sad fact is, the ORIGINAL Sci-Fi Channel Stilgar wasn't all that great a choice either, (I'm still a big fan of Everett McGill's Stilgar from the Lynch version,) along with the fact that Jessica is being portrayed by another actress. However, everybody else is back: Ian McNiece as Vladimir Harkonnen, Newman as Muau-Dib/Paul, Julie Cox as Irulan and some of the late recruits to the cause from the first miniseries, so the new faces' negative impact is softened somewhat. You MUST read the books to know exactly what happens to Leto III at the end and in the subsequent books, (which will probably also be made into mini-series.) I think it might be best if they skip or truncate the ponderous and pretentious "God Emperor of Dune", as it is repetitive and full of filler. All in all, a VAST improvement over the first! And yes, that elusive quality of "soul" is definitely here!
Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: The original Dune TV Miniseries was well done (even with it's creative liberties), but this second series is a waste of time.
The characters are uninteresting, the story poorly told and the series tries to cover way too much material (both Dune Messiah and Children of Dune).
Although I do not expect a movie/tv show/series to match up with the book, this one was executed so poorly that anyone who has read the books will not want to waste their time on this show.
Rating:
Summary: At its heights reaches a Shakespearean intensity...
Review: In this sequel to Frank Herbert's Dune I could see some of the actors recast in new roles, new actors for old roles, and a bit of rushing here and there to collapse DUNE MESSIAH into a third of the space on the DVD. Special effects varied from superb to lousy, as noted by other reviewers. Deviations from Herbert's plotting were not always helpful. At the end, the connection between Leto's acceptance of sandworm skin and the resurrection of Dune was not clear, and Alia's death would have had more impact were it done as in the novel. With all that said, the writers and creators of this film understood that works of art are not to be imitated so much as interpreted, and in that they excelled. Each scene played out as a mini-drama all its own. The individual agendas and traumas of each player came through clearly, with the loyal and staid Stilgar, the scheming Korba, torn Irulan, noble Chani, and moody Paul doing themselves full justice--a justice seasoned with the eloquent evil of the returned Baron Harkonnen. Bravo! To cite one example: the scene in which Chani gives birth did not exactly match the book, but it was staged with such moving intensity, against the background of an evocative and haunting score, that it was both rending and wonderful to watch. We are taken right into the consciousness of stone-burner-blinded Paul, who can see it all unfold: his wife's fight for life, Stilgar's execution of Mohiam, Korba's descent into a Fremen deathstill, the storm hovering over Sietch Tabr, and through it all the sightless but all-powerful man known as Muad'Dib swaying back and forth with the movements of Chani's agony and, at the climax, weeping. An awesome collage.
Rating:
Summary: The saga of Dune is far from over...
Review: This miniseries was amazing. The acting and atmosphere of Dune was breathtaking and I found myself easily sucked into the creative and dangerus world of plots within plots. Children of Dune begins a few years after where Dune left off. Now instead of a almost deserted wasteland Dune is now an emperial capital bussaling with a fast growing city and communities. The most inthralling part of this miniseries is the relationship between the royal twins Letto II and Ghanima. Pre-born from their mothers intake of the spice they litterily are living with several generations of their ancesters living inside of them. The depth of the twins love and devotion to the other leads to several murder plots and eventualy the escape and seperation of the twins in the desert. Each twin then went on and tried to live their lives without the others. Letto II went in search of a holly place that he is shown through visions where he begins his transformation into the great worm. Ghanima returns to the city and agrees to marry the son of her families greatest enimey in order to establish peace. The haunting beauty of their relationship and their sacrifices are really what makes the movie and is a must have for any SiFi fan.
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