Rating: 
Summary: Visually compelling, yet uninspired
Review: Dune, Arrakis, desert planet. More than a mere science fiction novel, Dune touches upon a variety of themes: ecology, politics, religion, messiahs, prescience, and ultimately at the core is a detailed study on human nature and how humans deal with larger issues, sometimes leading to unavoidable death and destruction. This is what many Dune fans have waited for, some for as many as three and a half decades. Those who were disappointed by David Lynch's 1984 film release will find a good deal more of the book actually made it on screen this time around with John Harrison's writing and direction. While this may be the most complete version of Dune that will ever be filmed and it is a sumptuous feast of the eyes thanks in part to Vitorrio Storaro's cinematography, the movie as a whole is often uninspired, with some dreadful casting and questionable directorial choices. The most difficult role of the movie, both in terms of casting and in performing, is, undoubtedly, the role of Paul Atreides, the young boy-turned-messiah. In a world of feudal lords, dukes and emperors, this son of a duke, played by Alec Newman, comes across as a spoiled whiny child, with little sense of his position and place in the greater scheme of things. Not a good start for a story that deals with such grand themes. When this boy assumes the leadership that is expected of him, we see unnoticeable growth into maturity but rather the whiny child transforms into a bitter and angry young man. The character is not at all the kind of lead an audience is going to sympathize with nor cheer for. When he finally claims his throne on screen, we find him once again slumped into his chair/throne, with no regal presence and in a karate kid outfit. The role needs a commanding, demanding, and controlling presence, but what we get from Mr. Newman is nothing more than a passive aggressive, whiny brat who finally has gotten his way. With such a weak lead, the movie is left with a substantial black hole into which the movie rapidly gets sucked into. "Like father, like son," the saying goes, and as this Paul is problematic, so is his father, Duke Leto Atreides, played by William Hurt. We are expected to see him as the good guy, but with a performance that lacks any identifiable action in any of the scenes, we are left to wonder what is his motivation? Where is the man who willingly rushes into a battle, a battle which he knows he cannot win, with strength and conviction? Where is the hero we desperately want in a movie? Not here. In fact there are few heroes in this film, not even among the desert folk, the Fremen. The Fremen are a desert people, living on the fringes of society, with deep spiritual beliefs and a notion that a prophet will come from another world and lead them to salvation. Any filmed version of this book will face the challenge of presenting these Fremen as a believable nomadic people, living in a harsh world with harsh consequences. John Harrision gives us a people who almost fit in with Storaro's cinematography too well. These Fremen are a bit too water fat, arguably too pretty, and they move like middle aged couch potatoes rather than athletic and nimble desert warriors. Battle scenes are perhaps the weakest point of the movie and appear generally as the mock combat, staged fights that they actually are. A few special effects dashed in here and there to make us think the "good guys" actually have an advantage, but at the core, these battles are truly underplayed and under-realized. The stand out performance is that of Princess Irulan, played by Julie Cox. In a role that is little more than a prize at the end of the book, her role has been expanded substantially for this movie. She performs admirably and is the clearest and strongest character in the film. Unfortunately, she is also the most disposable character, as most of her scenes on film are only used to clarify political issues and layers of subterfuge that may be confusing to an audience who hasn't read the book. In fact, the whole film tends to oversimplify the complex story line and is generally "dumbed down" for wider public appeal. What is lost is the specificity and strength that makes this story unique and utterly compelling. What we are left with is a nicely orchestrated TV drama. We can hope that somewhere down the road, in another 15 years or more, maybe someone new will have the courage to really do the story, subtext and all. The DVD Special Edition comes chock full of goodies as well, so the extras are well worth the expense and the time watching them. The navigation screens are a bit cryptic at first, but straightforward once you figure them out. The show rates three stars, plus two for effort and beautiful visuals, and subtract one for lack of inspiration. Overall, a more than generous four stars.
Rating: 
Summary: This is an amazing movie!
Review: When I first sat down to see this movie, I didn't really have much enthusiasm about it. I had never read the book, and didn't understand what the movie was supposed to be about. But that was all before the movie actually started. And as soon as the movie was over, I went and hunted down a copy of the book as quickly as possible. Dune has a very complex plot, and so reading the book helped me to understand the little twists and turns, so when I saw the movie a second time, it was even better. But you don't have to read the book to enjoy this movie. It has amazing visual effects, and all of the actors were very good at portraying the characters. While some of the desert backdrops are obviously fake, it actually just improves the movie's grandness. Once the movie is over, it leaves you wanting more. And fortunately they did a sequel, so there is more to be had, in Children of Dune, which is based on Frank Herbert's books Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.
Rating: 
Summary: falling short
Review: Having recently seen the Lynch movie and having reread the books after some years, I looked forward to this series as the film tried valliantly but fell short. I hoped with modern digital effects and a longer play time maybe this could be better. Sadly NO while the sets and backdrops are very good indeed and capture the feeling of the books very well 8 out of 10 that's were it ends. The script is hopeless I don't expect verbatum from the novels but some point of contact would be appreciated 1 out of 10. Now to the acting Hurt very good, but for the rest third rate would be complementary. But what really saddens is the portrayl of Muad'Dib as a spoilt tempremental American teenager with no self controll the opposite of what he is supposed to be I gave up on the DVD after struggling for an hour and will not be going back.
Rating:
Summary: This is THE version to see
Review: Ignore the Lynch version, cult classic though it may be--this is the true movie version of the original Dune. William Hurt plays a fantastic Duke Leto. If they had a little better funding, they could have made it a real feature film and played it in the theatres. This is a definite must see for Dune fans who are disappointed with the Lynch Dune!
Rating:
Summary: A perfect portrayl of Dune
Review: John Harrison captures all the right parts of Frank Herbert's vision, in all the right ways. This movie is far superior to David Lynch's version. This version cuts-and-pastes and just the right times, and makes up it's own mythos at just the right times.
Rating:
Summary: The Better "Dune"...
Review: John Harrison's adaption of Dune for the small screen acomplishes much of what David Lynch's film adaption could not. A coherent story, emphasis on the book's major dramatic conflicts, and a realistic portrayal of the evil Harkonnens. This version of the mini-series solves many of the problems the original broadcast version DVD could not. The final battle at the palace of Arakeen was given short shrift in the original broadcast but has much more impact here when shown in full, as originally intended. Some scenes containing nudity were originally edited but are now much more realistic. And I for one won't complain about seeing the lovely Barbara Kodetova in the buff! All in all this is a much more satisfying experience than the original broadcast DVD and puts even more distance between itself and the Lynch movie version. If you only buy one, buy this, and you won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: On-par with my favorite movies.
Review: Despite my 5-star rating, there are some pretty big problems that need to be pointed out: -it was too short
-some weak casting, especially for Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
-considering the quality of the source material, John Harrison should be ashamed of much of the writing in especially the first episode
-the Fremen aren't portrayed correctly (clean, water-fat white people? I don't think so) The last point doesn't really bother me, considering the circumstances, but the other three would have wiped out any chance of a perfect score if not for three main points: 1) If it were not for these bad points it would, like the book and its sequels, stand high above all others as a pinnacle of excellence of Shakespearean proportions--instead, it is forced to contend with other 5-star movies, such as Pitch Black, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings; 2) I believe that for all its shortfalls, it really captures the spirit and essence of the novel; and 3) this DVD set includes not only a good 5-hour movie, but also a nice load of excellent special features. The movie follows a basic sequence of increasing quality from beginning to end. In truth, if the whole thing were like the first episode, I wouldn't have such a high opinion of it. The words in the book should have been taken much more seriously than they were. But the beginning isn't all bad. On the contrary, the scenes with the Baron Harkonnen are very high quality. Ian McNeice and Matt Keeslar work perfectly together throughout the movie. The second episode is better than the first. At this point, many people are unhappy, because it looks like everything was shot on a sound stage, which it was. Part of the problem is that the sand that was delivered to them was not the same color as what they had ordered. Personally though, I thought it added an artistic touch, giving the movie an elevated quality, like a play about an epic Greek tragedy--a quality that often matches part of the mood of the book. It is also in this episode that you are finally treated to the outstanding performance of Barbara Kodetová, the best actress in the world. Even if you don't like the rest of the movie, you're sure to enjoy watching her fantastic treatment of the Chani character. Like the first episode, this one also races through the story much faster than it should. This is unfortunate but not fatal. By the end of this episode, you should be very excited to begin the next. The final episode is the best of the three. This is where director John Harrison and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro really earn their pay. Even Zuzana Geislerová's terrible acting couldn't ruin this episode, although a better actress could still have improved it. As it draws closer to the end, the spirit and feeling of the book are captured more closely than I would ever have thought possible. My favorite scenes near the very end are the real reason that I couldn't bear to give it less than five stars. If the whole thing were this good, it might give a partial idea of just how magnificent the book is. It's also worth noting great performances by Laura Burton (Alia) and Julie Cox (Princess Irulan). Have you ever seen a little girl acting circles around a room full of seasoned actors? You'll have your chance in the scenes with Alia. As for Julie Cox, she is the definitive Princess Irulan, plain and simple; although Purists might be unhappy about her expanded role. If you don't have any experience with the books, you should be aware that The Master's writing can't be accurately adapted to the screen. He uses techniques that are exclusive to the book format. My point is that you should not think that watching any movie will give you much of an idea of what DUNE is all about. But it's a great movie in its own right, and it's great to be able to see parts of the story play out in live action. One more thing I'd like to add. If it weren't for the book, there would be no question that this movie deserves five stars. It's comparing the two that causes disappointment. All of Frank Herbert's incredible dialogue is changed! It's uncertain why such changes would be made, and they certainly don't help. So when you watch this movie, you might try to pretend that there is no book.
Rating:
Summary: Good all around.
Review: All I can say is this is just good. I'm a big dune fan and I didn't like the original movie, it failed, but when I saw this one, it was like Whoa! I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: Schweet
Review: While it's impossible to make a perfect replica of the book (well, it's possible but it's be 20 hours long and 90% would be silent while subtitles show what the characters are thinking), this is the best job I've ever seen done. I agree that William Hurt was an unnecessary inclusion in this one, I pretty much put that on the side burner, as he's only in the first part of the movie. Being an avid sci-fi fan I was a bit worried when I realized a new Dune was being made, but this rendition is fantastic. The sets are awesome even if you can sometimes tell that they are just back drops. At some points I was annoyed with the lighting and how unrealistic it became but all in all, I really enjoyed this Dune. I was especially proud of how fleshy they made Princess Irulan, seeing as they only had chapter heads to base the character off of.
Rating:
Summary: a movie on the cheap?
Review: All i can say is that I am glad I rented this DVD before I bought it! The acting is wooden and the effects are cheap. the set painting is truly terrible, often with a complete lack of perspective. A shame, it is a complete hash of a great story.
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