Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This miniseries was great! Even with a small budget they pulled off the flavor of the book. I never liked the David Lynch 1984 verison. Lynch made me feel like i was sitting under fluorescent lights while watching his work.
The look of the miniseries does have some drawbacks (mostly with the desert scenes.) Some may find the backdrops & blue screens distracting, but i found the backdrops gave the picture an almost surreal quality.While i was very happy with the miniseries, i wish Dune would receive the same theatrical, big budget treatment as Lord of the rings.
Rating:
Summary: Admittedly, I'm very impressed.
Review: Anybody else remember David Lynch's rendition of Dune? Well, if you're one of those who's actually seen it, then you might recall that it was one of the most expensive, incomprehensible cinematic disasters ever put on screen. So I guess that's a reason for pause when you hear there's going to be a remake, especially when it promises to remain more faithful to the source material. But I'm glad to say that I highly enjoyed this TV miniseries, which certainly bears quite a few flaws, but is a consistently gripping and exciting tale, no small feat for a movie that runs nearly five hours. If you're not familiar with the story, then this film's a good place to start. Paul Atreides (Alec Newman) is the heir to the throne of the Atreides household. His father, Duke Leto (William Hurt), is in competition with an enemy household called the Harkonnen over the spice melange on the planet Arrakis. Well, there are traitors in the midst, desert adventures, giant worms, romance, prophecies fulfilled, revenge, bloody knife fights, and epic battles. Yeah, that sums up the gist of it. Intrigued yet? The most obvious improvement between this and David Lynch's film is the storytelling. Dune's vast tale still has a few confusing moments, but for the most part, I found this easy to follow, and as a consequence, easier to be immersed into such a fascinating world. The pacing is rather leisurely, which is actually to the film's advantage, since it's easier to gather in the plot, the details, and the numerous characters. Shot in widescreen, Dune often has the look and feel of a theatrical release, most particularly in part one, which focuses mostly on the Atreides settling on Arrakis. Production value-wise, this film is awe-inspiring. The sets, the architecture, the planet scapes, they're all magnificent, easiy rivaling any big-budget studio sci-fi adventure in quality. The sand worms are also terrific, one of the best creature effects Ive seen in a while, and the very first sight of one punching out of the ground is a mesmerizing scene I will not soon forget. With just a budget of twenty million dollars, this was a well-spent production. But, unfortunately, not all the effects are first-rate. The repeat of the exact same shot of the CGI palace is effective at first, but grows unconvincing as the film progresses. I would have liked this film more if it had been shot in a desert, but nope, it was filmed on a soundstage with a fake desert background. While this background does actually work for a while, the images become obvious paintings once the finale sets in. Director John Harrison showers the film with bright colors, giving it a gorgeous and vibrant look that added a touch of exotic intrigue to the proceedings. Graeme Revell's score is so-so, kind of second-rate for him considering his talent. The action sequences are overall well-choreographed; the knife fights are superb (there's a standout fight scene at the end) and the large-scale battle scenes are rousing and exciting. The performances are somewhat mixed, but mostly with positive results. Alec Newman and William Hurt are a little flat at times, but impressed me overall. Newman nicely displays the rebellious young man in Paul, and Hurt shows genuine honor and nobility. Julie Cox is good as the princess, displaying an internal conflict over the situation at hand that adds a dimension to her character not really evident in the book. Barabara Kodetova, however, is awful as Chani, striking no believable sparks with Newman, and I certainly don't find her to be even half as beautiful as Newman seems to think. It's easily Saskia Reeves who delivers the best performance, coming through as a loving mother with warmth and kindness. As for the Harkonnen, Ian Mcneice displays a nice mix of menace and ferocious cunning, certainly an improvement over the over-the-top bubbliness Kenneth Mcmillan gave us in the Lynch version. Matt Keeslar, as Feyd Rautha, has a surprisingly powerful presence, and while his performance itself is no great shakes, he's physically imposing and convincingly dangerous. Giancarlo Giannini isn't here to do much more than pick up a paycheck, but at least he looks more appropriate for the part than Jose Ferrer.
This version of Dune's received a lot of mixed reaction, but if you're not a die-hard Lynch fan, then I feel certain you're going to enjoy this miniseries considerably more. An improvement on virtually every aspect, this miniseries captures the grand scale and the human aspect of this wondrous story. See it if you're into space operas.
Rating: 
Summary: The Letter and not the Spirit.
Review: Frankly, I'm amazed by the good reviews this has garnered. All I can really say is: yech!
Say what you will about Lynch's attempt, at least the acting was well done. In retrospect Kyle MacLachlan was amazing and if anyone doubts Jurgen Prochnow's Leto over the stiff semi-conscious version offered by Hurt they need to get their head examined.
The attraction of a mini-series is the ability to play out the arc of dune while giving the viewers time to digest what is happening-this version doesn't even address the concept of the Butlerian Jihad or Msentats-both integral features of the book, nor does it give more than a passing treatment to the problems and curses of prescience-which is the very crux of the ENTIRE story arc.
That being said, the very poetics of this effort are flawed. Paul, who by all accounts of the book is a leader of the very first rank, comes off as a petulant and whiny teenager-the Fremen, who are basically described as "death on wheels",;an amalgamation of Texas Rangers and ninjas-come off as incompetents-Heck! Stilgar-the tall desert warrior of the book-has become a short fat guy.
HUH?
This version takes all of its advantages and lets them slip without a moments thought. The story arc isn't even faithful to the book-so what exactly is the point?
Sadly enough-the cast is incredible vis-avis talent-but it is easily apparent to anyone who has read the book that they haven't the foggiest notion of what the hell the books were about.
All I can assume is: bad direction.
This was a waste of my time and it will be a waste of yours. Stick to the books. If you want a good visual reference then watch Lynch's version: better effects (ucch-this one looks like it had effects done by a five year old with a digital effects prog.) incredible costuming (the stillsuits in this look as if they were made of paper) and decent to incredible acting(Brad Dourif plays Piter in the Lynch version-the guy in this-ucch.). What a waste. I'll take my chances with the "weirding modules" they weren't in the book-but they're worth not having to deal with this bow-wow.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I can't explain how relieved I am that the other reviewers on this site actually enjoyed this miniseries. I loved it.
Almost every site that I've seen by critics or whatnot have utterly trashed this rendition of Frank Herbert's classic novel.
Harrison did the best job be could with the money he could, and I don't think anybody could have done any better with an unlimited supply of money, apart from better special effects.
But special effects are NOT the most important part of a film, the storytelling is. People these days are too interested in if a movie "looks" good, than if the movie was expertly told and acted.
People say that the performances in Dune by Hurt and Newman were wooden. I say read the book, forget Lynch's monstrosity, and watch Harrison's again. Duke Leto is supposed to be, he's depressed up until he dies. He's just left his home on Caladan and is forced onto a hell planet by the emperor who he thinks is plotting against him.
Newman's portrayal of Paul Muad'Dib is fantastic. He grows up as the film progresses from the spoiled rich kid to the new messiah. Newman's performance was perfect. You could utterly believe what was happening.
I own both the two-disc and the three-disc DVD releases. I find the special edition better because the restored scenes make the film as a whole better, but nobody is losing anything without them.
All in all, Frank Herbert's Dune is a masterpiece to watch and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Kickass
Review: For television this was definitely one of the best movies I`ve seen. The storyline is unique and follows the book well. I was impressed. ^.^
Rating:
Summary: Better Than The Original With One Exception
Review: When SciFi came out with the miniseries "Dune", it was a huge improvement over David Lynch's "Dune" (which wasn't a bad movie in my opinion). With a miniseries, one has more time to do justice to the original story. When SciFi put out that DVD, it was a good one. So why get this new release? First, this DVD contains an additional 30 minutes of footage not in the previous DVD or shown on SciFi. This footage is spread over the three-disks containing the three episodes. The additional footage adds some more depth to the characters and story and makes this DVD fall even closer to the original novel. Also, Princess Irulan Corrino's part is expanded even more here. While she didn't play a real part in the original novel, I liked how her character was given things to do. This allowed for the political intrigue to play out better. The down side for me on this DVD set is the brief nudity that appears. It wasn't shown in the original show or DVD set and isn't needed now. However, with the way movie makers love getting women to display their breasts in the name of "art" (and to make extra bucks from [excited] guys), I guess I'm not surprised. However, this wasn't enough to make me knock down the rating a notch. Bottom line, this Special Edition DVD is better than the first and if you liked SciFi's "Dune", you will LOVE this version! Go ahead and get it.
Rating:
Summary: Get the 2 tape version
Review: The EP version is 265 minutes long and on one tape. On my VCR this created so much tracking distortion that it's unwatchable.
Rating: 
Summary: My thoughts on Lynch's Dune versus the Sci-Fi channel Dune
Review: David Lynch's Dune first came out in theaters around the same time as 2010 (I enjoyed this as a kid). The reviewers hated it, and I never saw it. Years later, network TV showed a "director's cut" of Dune which added about an hour's worth of material back onto the original Dune. I hear that Lynch disavowed this cut. Maybe he preferred his original cut, more than 6 hours before some stupid producers cut it into such a sad mess. I did watch the "new" 3 hour TV version and I liked it very much! Now, I've just bought a DVD of the Sci-Fi Channel's 4 1/2 hour take on Dune. My feelings? Well, the SFC's Dune is longer and therefore has more time to develop the characters and the plot. It's easier to follow and is more faithful to the letter of the original novel. It's even a little risque (woah!). BUT...it also showcases bland TV production values, like obviously staged sets (you can see the seams on the curtain posing as the desert...hah!). Special effects are nothing special (the navigator scene is cool, though, as are most worm signs). Cinematgraphy is somewhat neat, with really colorful design (looks like Dick Tracy...same cinematgrapher, too!). The direction feels very workmanlike, with little sense of awe or true wonder. One might say...it's like watching Harry Potter but with lesser production values - good, but not really magical. Acting is up-down. The UP - Alec Newman is fair enough as Paul Atreides, Saskia Reeves is quite good as his mother, Julie Cox is majorly desirable as the Princess (ignored pretty much in the Lynch version), and European hottie Barbara Kodetova melted my TV set as Channi (dull-so-dull Sean Young frozed it right back in Lynch's version). The DOWN - anyone from the Harkonnen family (yawn - I almost prefer Sting in his red diaper in Lynch's version), the Emperor (who is this frumpy fellow? Santa Claus? Please give me the Lynch version), William Hurt as Paul's father (well, he wasn't really bad, just kinda dull, I preferred the Lynch version which had the captain of "Das Boot" as the father, way cool). Bottom line, the SFC's Dune is a competent, faithful re-telling of this classic tale but nothing magical. As for Lynch's extended 3-hour Dune, it is GLORIOUS but a total MESS. Cinematography is amazing, the special effects have that ooo-ahhh wowness to them. Costumes are quite wicked indeed. And Lynch filmed many scenes outdoors. In a real desert. So the film does not look so artificial. Hey, it's even got Patrick Stewart and many nice battle scenes! All in all, there is a true sense of grandeur and artistry in Lynch's version that is absent in the SFC one. What's the messy part? Well, the plotline is totally trashed, even with an extra hour. It's like watching SFC Dune on fast-forward. Having seen both Dunes and read the novel, I could follow the plot, but the novice viewer might be hopelessly lost. Bottom line - I will take Lynch's flawed version for its beauty and awe but SFC's version for its plotline and seriously fine actresses. But DON'T buy the current Lynch DVD; that's the original 2-hour version, which is sure to be totally incomprehensible. Do buy the SFC special edition Dune (that's the one with all the special features), and wait until someone comes to their senses and releases an extended version of Lynch's Dune (I hear it's available in Japan but not here...booo).
Rating:
Summary: Overall... A good Mini-series
Review: I'm not going to rehash the DUNE Movie / Book / Mini-series debate here. I felt that this was a solid adaptation of the book and in many ways exceeded my expectations. Was it as good as the book? NO... no movie/mini-series will ever please everyone that loved the book. But it was sure close enough for me.
Rating:
Summary: Weeping, wailing AND gnashing of teeth!
Review: As one who grew up with the mysticism of the original Dune movie but was disappointed at all the "stuff" left out, I had high hopes for the sci-fi channel adaptation of the classic novel. Those hopes, however, were quickly dashed as I watched the premiere. My main contention is that this movie focuses almost entirely on the political aspects of the book while almost ignoring the religious/messianic themes that run through the books. They may relay many of the events but the "straightforward" filming technique cut out entirely the mystique that makes the original film version and the book such a cult classic! It would be like downplaying the reality of magic in The Lord of the Rings simply because "magic" of that sort isn't popular. I really don't think that they have anything to build on in any sequels as those are largely based in the religion established in the first book/movie. Finally, how they ever hoped to create as memorable and endearing a cast as the first film, I will never know. In short, while the original film has its faults, it captures the spirit of the books. While this version may relate the actions well, it is missing the fire, essence, and grandeur of the novels.
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