Dune

Rating:
Summary: Why Oh Why Oh Why
Review: was this incredible book ever concieved as a movie? THere is too much intense detail that,t hough necessary in the book, becomes heavy and oppressive in the movie. They tried to simplify the story without damaging its thick and overpowering richness. UNfortunately, they chose the wrong way to do it. As the movie opens with a mindboggling narration, which should have been left out as it only serves to confuse the audience, you get a sense that there is something dreadfully wrong with the movie. THis is only amplified when you start hearing the voice over intended to give you a further insight inot the character's thoughts. THese voice overs became doubly confusing when half the characters are telepathic and you can't tell whether they're talking to themselves or to each other. It is sad that such an epic story was mauled in such a manner.

However, I did give the movie three stars for two reasons- the wonderful cast, and the incredible environments. Unfortunately, though the actors are all superb many are wasted. They appear only momentarily as if to say, "Hi, I'm here too," and then leave. On the plus side, the environments are fanatastic. The emperor's throne room is a sight to be seen. All of the environments were constructed with painstaking detail. And yet agian it is sad since it all came to nothing due to the mishandling of the plot.

Fortunately, this is not the last chapter of the DUNE saga, Sci-fi channel is working on a miniseries( a format to which a novel like DUNE is much better fitted ) due out this December.

Rating:
Summary: Pure Imagination
Review: Oh, where to begin? This movie really should have been a mini-series. Trying to fit this epic sized novel into a movie-length time frame is an impossibility. David Lynch did a good job, though. I'm thankful that the whispered voice-overs that represent the characters' thoughts are there. It's stupid when people continually speak what they're thinking. There's always inner dialogue going on inside everyone's heads. I originally watched this movie in the 80's when I was about 15 years old and honestly couldn't comprehend what was going on or what many things meant. It was pretty much confusing to me. Now, as an adult, it's one of my all-time favorites. The content of the DVD is lacking. There are some articles to read, but who wants to read? DVDs are for watching and listening, not reading. The transfer to digital isn't good. It looks like the VHS version. If you haven't seen this film, you are in store for a literal universe of ideas and concepts that are completely original.

Rating:
Summary: Flow
Review: Part of Dino De Laurentis' legacy of expensive, well-mounted flops, 'Dune' is perversely likeable. One the one hand, the adaptation of the book attempts to retain all of the characters and background, and lots of unnecessary detail, whilst condensing the events - leading to a terrible mess of voice-overs, backstory, and unintroduced characters who appear briefly and then vanish. Patrick Stewart is wasted in this manner, and any film that wastes Patrick Stewart has something badly wrong with it.

With a simple story buried in a mass of picky detail, audiences were baffled. However, if you're unfamiliar with the novel, the film almost works as sheer spectacle, and has moments of grandeur that make you want to forgive it. As the lead character, Kyle McLachlan is fine, and the actors involved are all professionals, even if they don't get much time to do their thing. Best of all, Francisca Annis gets to run around in a tight-fitting leather outfit. This is a definite plus point. Another plus point is the 'look' - the visual style is extraordinary, and it obviously cost a pretty penny - after negative reviews that was how the film was sold. The evocation of high society circa 10,991 hasn't dated in the slightest, and the effects and 'look' are stunning. This was Lynch's only big-budget effects movie (after the success of 'The Elephant Man' and the notoriety of 'Eraserhead' he was seen as a kind of Terry Gilliam), and it shows.

The music is excellent, too - although Toto were the blandest band in the world, the soundtrack mixes ambient washes and soaring orchestrals to great effect. The sense of being on a purely desert world is palpable, and the Spice Worms are everything that could have been expected. The personal shield effects are extremely impressive, too, especially given that they aren't CGI.

All in all, imagine the bible condensed down to two hours, with striking sound and vision, and you have it.

Rating:
Summary: Why no director's cut?
Review: If you have ever caught _Dune_ on the Sci-Fi channel, you know that there is a mighty long version dubbed as a directors cut making it's way around. The directors version contains some scenes left on the cutting room floor that help make sense of the movie. I was hoping, against hope of course, that the DVD would include the directors cut, or at least some of the deleted scenes as a feature. Alas that was not the case. ALl we really get is the movie, in its originally flawed version. Of course it is still an above average movie, and the movie itself would normally garner four stars out of five from me, but the lack of more interesting features forces me to drop it a notch as the DVD version.

Rating:
Summary: confusing, but a good movie experience
Review: Although Dune is confusing and can not compare with Frank Herberts *excellent* book, it is an enjoyable movie, so long as you don't think too much about the movies you watch. If you like to analyze them, this not the best movie or you, but if you like to be absorbed and experience the movie, it is ideal. I do recomend the book, however, which is one of the greatest Science Fiction works available, a classic.

Rating:
Summary: Weirder than Frank Herbert, less weird than later Lynch
Review: I first saw Dune when I was eleven years old, and it totally weirded me out (I'd read the excellent Frank Herbert novel plus four of its sequels, but I hadn't seen anything else by David Lynch). Unsurprisingly (given the length of the original book) the story is truncated here, with the result that the Fremen lose some of their mysticism and we don't get a impression of the great leader Muad'Dib becomes. But all the essential elements are here: the spice Melange, the worms, the glowing blue eyes and the Harkonnen-Atreides feud. I want to get this on DVD so I can put it into context with the rest of Lynch's work, though these days it's hard for me to visualise Kyle Maclachlan playing anyone other than Twin Peaks' Special Agent Dale Cooper!

Rating:
Summary: Still needs a fact sheet for first time viewers
Review: When I saw DUNE in 1984 a movie fact sheet was handed to each person as they entered the theater. That sheet included a list of terms, almost a glossary to characters and other entities in the movie. That didn't phase me, but it really put off my brothers who went to see this movie with me.

The glossary sheet was helpful as I waded through the first stages of the movie. There ought to be a similar list of terms, identities included with the video/DVD for people who are first time viewers.

When I first saw the movie I hadn't read any of the books, and I'm glad that was the case. After I got oriented to what was happening in the show (with the help of the guide I mentioned above) I thoroughly enjoyed the escapist sci-fi adventure.

I enjoyed the premis, the story line, and most of the characters, though not all. While most of the Harkonens were expertly cast, the use of Sting was not the best casting choice for the part of Feyd, though it did provide excellent publicity since Sting was hanging out near the top of the music charts of the time. I thought that the Atreides were also cast well, especially the Duke and Lady Jessica. This was the first time I had seen Kyle MacLaghlin (sp? sorry), and I thought he did a good job.

The movie prompted me to read DUNE, as well as the rest of the DUNE series of books by Frank Herbert. After reading the books and re-watching this movie (several times) I still enjoyed it, but in a different way -- as a synopsis reminder of the book rather than as a serious replication of it.

Few movies can capture the same level of plot and character development found in a book, and this movie was no different. There were sections of the movie faithful to the book, and sections where it was necessary to condense or omit material in order to put together a movie that would fit into a time frame acceptable to most movie goers.

Is this a 5-star movie -- I don't think so. Would I recommend it to a friend -- Perhaps, depends on the friend. This movie is best enjoyed by sci-fi fans who enjoy sci-fi for the premis and the possibilities within stories. If you are looking for a high-tech FX adventure, this movie does not compare with 1990s offerings such as "Armeggedon" or "Men in Black." If, however, you enjoy sci-fi for story lines and a challenge in anticipating what will happen as the story moves along, this movie may be for you.

4-stars for inconsistent casting and beginning scenes that need serious concentration to make the rest of the movie fit into place. If you miss the first 5-10 minutes of the show, rewind and start over!

A recommended show for serious sci-fi fans.

I hope this review was helpful to you.

-- Alan Holyoak

Rating:
Summary: as bad as it gets
Review: Without a doubt one of the worst sci fi movies ever made. A horrible movie. An incomprehensible "groaner" to any who loved Herbert's Masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: worth seeing
Review: man. this is a weird movie. i admit, my disapointment is mostly my fault for hyping it up by reading all these reviews for it. it made it look like some kind of masterpiece. and though it WAS pretty good, it was no masterpiece. some movies are cult hits because they should be. let me briefly walk you through the DUNE experience. the first hour and a half is hazy, confusing, goofy, boring, weird, and all-out retarded. then, the plot starts to make sense, and you get a real feel for it, and BAM! it starts to suck again. the ending is lack-luster, unsuspenseful, and unexiting. i at least expected the sting character to have a cool fight, but NOPE! it's just predictable, unexiting, and sting really demonstrates with his acting that he should stick to singing. so at the end of the day, dune has some really creative traits. the worms, the ships, the idea of channelling energy through your voice to fight, the little girl (she kicks azz!), but it falls short on the acting, dialog, and direction. definitely worth renting just for the weirdness (we could all use more weirdness in our lives), but only a keeper if you've already seen it and are a confirmed psychotic.

Rating:
Summary: IN THE NAME OF MUALLAH'DIB
Review: I haven't read Frank Herbert's celebrated book, like the average moviegoer, I presume, so I am able to take an objective look, if it's possible, at DUNE.

The first impression which hit me was that this movie was unfinished. Or at least that it didn't reflect the director's purpose. The succession of events, the presentation of the characters are filmed in such a hurry that you always have the impression to see a theatrical trailer. I'm sure that David Lynch didn't have the scissors in his hands during the post-production. Someone else did.

Now, the story. There are prophets, a messiah, a chosen clan, etc... It's a mixture of christian and arab traditions ; there is even a child, Paul's sister, who is born from a (not so-) virgin mother. There are the good ones and the bad ones ; in fact you can't miss the bad ones, they are ugly, fat, and have the stigmata of evilness (buerk!) or they are effeminate and vicious.

I will certainly remember some scenes of this movie : the worms, the navigators, the 19th century clothes of the characters, Silvana Mangano, the bad ones (they are very well described, I assure you) and the musical score. But the movie in itself can be forgotten.

Audio is great and special features so so.

A should have been better DVD.