Rating: 
Summary: Further and Further from the truth
Review: Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah and Children of Dune are brought together to form the next installment of the Sci-Fi Channel's continuation of the Dune series in mini-series format for television. What more need be said than that? All of the answers to the quality and quantity of this DVD release are summed up in the subtext of that first sentence. The Sci-Fi channel continues its track record with less than fantastic choices in bringing this epoch to the screen.John Harrison returns to write the script, but not to direct this time. If you like the liberties Harrison took with the dialogue and story-line in Sci-Fi's Dune, this series abounds with many, many more. Frank Herbert's dialogue is muddled and over-simplified and we even have echoes of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson with people talking about their "plans within plans," even though there is only ever one plan and an obvious one at that. A few of the casting choices continue into this film, yet with no great improvement. Alec Newman as ~sigh~ Paul Atreides returns, as does Julie Cox as Irulan. Barbara Kodetová returns as Chani and P.H. Moriarty is Gurney Halleck again. Ian MacNiece reprises his role as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, a haunting ghost to Alia's inner lives. One or two other actors return as well, but many other key figures are new actors, some for the better, some for the worse. We have a new Jessica, a new Stilgar, and of course, a wooden Susan Sarandon to match the previous series' wooden William Hurt. I'd much rather see another Czech actor in her role with the "English-as-a-second-language" feel than a named actor who doesn't care about the role. An equal on the "wooden scale" is the new Duncan "ghola" Idaho. As with the previous installment, Julie Cox brings the strongest performance to screen, with Alice Krige's Jessica right there along side, albeit in one or two awkward costumes that have to make performing the role rather limiting. The costumes of Alia's priests look like precursors to Doctor Who's Sontarans and stand out as odd and inappropriate. Makes them all look like pinheads. The overall production values lack the vision and clarity of Vitorrio Storraro from the previous mini-series. Computer animation abounds in this movie, and when it is projected on a large screen, it looks more mechanical than some of the cheapest computer games on the market. Storraro's painted and lighted drops at least defined a world of production values in Dune; the world of Children of Dune tries to be too big and fails in the details as a result. The movie plays at two notes. It drags along tediously in places with no apparent purpose or goal, or plays at a shouting level, racing on and on like Leto running over the dunes. Each of three parts is approximately 90 minutes in length. The first part, which chronicles Muad Dib from approximately 12 years after the previous series to the birth of his children, (essentially all of Dune Messiah) drags the most. There is a 3-5 minute sequence toward the end of this part which is fantastic, where the music finally comes together with the visuals (rather than indicating and underlining with too broad of a marker as it does in the rest of the movie.) This sequence is the birth of the twins, where several key figures are also killed for their complicity in plots against the regime; a simply beautiful sequence and the only thing keeping this film from dropping to two stars. The music throughout the second two parts is announced often with too broad of a stroke, and the same themes are repeated everywhere verbatim. Each part begins and ends almost exactly the same in terms of score; why are there three different stories if they don't warrant three different scores, or at least variations on the same score framework? The editing is rather sloppy as the vocal sync is off more often than not, and the special features are rather lame and simple. The Laza Tigers were bad enough in the film, do we really need to have a special feature pointing them out more? This Children of Dune is more a simple illustration of major points of the books than an in-depth and thorough study of the world created by Frank Herbert. The Dune series deserves at least as much careful attention as the Lord of the Rings did under the care of Peter Jackson. Are you up the challenge after King Kong and The Hobbit, Peter Jackson? Please, someone with some talent choose to tackle the Dune series: Ang Lee? Wim Wenders? Lasse Halström? Julie Taymor? Terry Gilliam? Even the Coen Brothers would be a good choice. David Lynch, are you ready to redeem yourself of your first crack at Dune? Come on, Sci-Fi, let's get some top notch leadership and directorial talent on board on one of these. You have three more chances ahead of you. I rented it before I bought it and fought hard with my conscious for several weeks before I finally caved in and bought it. I am still a hardcore Dune fan and because this may be the only visual presentation of Dune Messiah and Children of Dune to ever come to the screen, I felt obligated to own it. This movie gets three of five stars for effort and deserves to lose one star due to it's flaws. I can bear through the flaws of Sci-Fi's Dune, but the flaws in Children of Dune are difficulty to sit through. I'm not sure if I should look forward to God Emperor of Dune coming to a small screen near you. It's bound to look absolutely dreadful on a big screen.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully done
Review: The two books these are based on are confusing and muddled. This DVD brings them to wonderful life, with amazing acting all around. The special effects are better than Sci-Fi's previous Dune effort. Highly, highly recommended, especially if you didn't like the books.
Rating:
Summary: VERY ENJOYABLE
Review: I found this mini series to be VERY well done and enjoyable! I thought that the characters were done well and the acting was good also. The effects were also very well done! I wish they would do ALL of Herbert's books this way....without cutting stuff out as the David Lynch film has had done to it.. Very well done and a MUST buy for any Dune fan!
Rating:
Summary: 'Moves slower than a sand worm!
Review: You'd think that a movie that had assassinations, religious overtures, implied incestuous relationships, betrayal, treachery, floating aliens, explosions, windstorms, large crowd scenes, marauding animals, and costumes that would make Edith Head shudder would have a better pacing. Not so with "Children of Dune". The story lumbers on and on until it reaches a less-than-satisfying conclusion. Some of the same "strengths" from the first miniseries are continued: Alec Newman returns as "Paul Atreides", older and slightly wiser about his divine role as the "Ma'ud Dib", eye-popping costuming, mammoth set pieces, and psuedo-religious mumbo jumbo." But, it's bogged down by not enough action and a reliance on long passages of confusing dialog. An impending battle between the opposing forces is hinted but never comes to fruition. Perhaps, if one reads the book, he or she can get a better understanding of the on-screen occurences. However, in its present filmed form, "Children" leaves the viewer a bit clueless and bored.
Rating: 
Summary: Just as bad as the first one...Herbert would be horrifed
Review: Despite the fact that nothing can compare to *the* only version of Dune that exsists, the acting was PAINFUL, the "special effects" looked like they were done by a five-year-old and the director must have been totally drunk. The first of the miniseries was worse though. Frank Herbert is no doubt rolling in his grave...
Rating:
Summary: Dune: Save your coins, buy another DVD
Review: I'm a Herbert "Dune" series fan. If you haven't read the novels the mini-series is based on don't even attempt to follow the story line, it won't make sense. It was hard for this fan to follow. The mini-series is very much a soap opera and not the intricate story the book is. But to give the devil his due, the films SFX's are great, costuming, etc. is also good. I'm not sure Dune can be successfully made into a movie because so much takes place in people's heads. So I suggest use the money and buy the books if you've not read them. You'll be much happier.
Rating:
Summary: A grand achievement.
Review: My expectations were fairly high for this sequel/continuation of the Dune saga. The first miniseries was excellent, the trailers and previews were outstanding, and I looked forward to seeing what the Sci-Fi Channel could concoct after learning their mistakes the first time around. After viewing this four-and-a-half hour rendition, I must say I'm immensely pleased and impressed. It's every bit as compelling as the Dune miniseries was, and from a technical viewpoint, is actually far superior. The production design, the special effects, the cinematography are all a distinct improvement over both the original miniseries and the David Lynch disaster. The story picks up twelve years after the conclusion of Dune; war continues to ravage the galaxy, Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides (Alec Newman) is now seen as something of a curse by the people, as his name is now associated with bloodshed and violence. Conspiracies grow around him, his life is threatened at every turn. At the heart of it is Princess Wensicia (Susan Sarandon), daughter of Emperor Shaddam IV and sister of Irulan (Julie Cox). Her plans include preventing a new heir on the Atreides throne, sending a ghola of Duncan Idaho (Edward Atterton) to kill Paul, and to have a giant sandworm captured to begin a new spice cycle. With so many plots, Paul's main concern still centers around Chani (Barbara Kodetova) and her accelerating pregnancy. Children of Dune's biggest asset is its talented cast. Alec Newman, who was very good in the original, has matured the past three years, his performance as Paul Atreides is excellent. Those who had doubts about him before will have them silenced with his great performance here. Daniela Amavia makes for a spirited and appealing Alia, Edward Atterton is definitely superior to James Watson in the role of Duncan Idaho, and Julie Cox is terrific and sympathetic as the conflicted Princess Irulan. Steven Berkoff, Barbara Kodetova, Alice Krige, and P.H. Moriarty are solid in their roles, with Kodetova showing improvement over the last miniseries. Children of Dune's compelling plot is executed with precision by director Greg Yaitanes, who does a bang-up job over his predecessor, John Harrison. As a matter of fact, though Dune Messiah's story is naturally a bit weaker than Dune's, the superb execution here makes it superior to any previous adaptations of Dune (it's at least as good as the terrific miniseries, far better than the horrible Lynch film). The cinematography distinguishes itself with darker colors, while still maintaining the vibrancy the original miniseries had. Brian Tyler's beautiful score is evocative, particularly during a wonderful montage segment of literal birth and death. If there's anything in this miniseries that will definitely remain imprinted in my memory, it's the wonderful "Inama Nushif" theme that plays during the scene. The special effects are the best I've seen for a made-for-TV sci-fi project (well, maybe tied with Taken). The city and planetscapes are dazzling and the desert bluescreens are convincing, wisely ridding of the painted backgrounds that marred the original. There's a terrific, visually breathtaking sequence in which the Space Guild kidnaps a giant worm from the desert, doing so in a rather clever and believable manner. Parts 2 and 3 of Children of Dune take the miniseries on a wildly unpredictable course (and one can begin to see where George Lucas drew his inspiration for Return of the Jedi), but complete with the same potent themes of loyalty and love. It's here James Mcavoy comes into his own as Duke Leto II, delivering a superb performance that evokes the strength and burden of flawed humanity. There are a few flaws; I would have preferred more screen time for Julie Cox and more focus on her warm mother/children relationship with the twins. Irulan is arguably the most interesting individual of this entire bunch, but similar to her relationship with Paul, she's occasionally given the short shrift when compared to some of the cast. That she lives her life virtually celibate is an intriguing detail that really isn't touched upon (she never slept with her husband and it's implied she never carried a physical relationship with anyone after he disappeared). It remains to be seen whether or not the Sci-Fi Channel will continue adapting the Dune novels. I've never read the rest of the bunch, mostly because I'm a bit annoyed by Herbert's constant time-shifting (I think these books keep jumping thousands of years into the future, makes it hard to stay focused on any one character). But if they can be made into as engrossing a production as the two Dune miniseries, I'm all for it.
**** 1/2 out of *****
Rating: 
Summary: Good, But Not Great Sequel
Review: "Children of Dune" was a very good mini-series, but it just didn't do it for me like its predecessor, "Dune." I think the main problem for me is that this movie is light on the science fiction and heavy on the space opera. All the political intrigue and palace shenanigans are interesting at first, but then start to wear you down. Even though this feature was directed by a different person, it maintains the same beautiful and lavish production quality of the first. Again, it's the casting that's both a strength and a weakness. Alec Newman is back as Muad'Dib - as bland and depressing as ever, but fortunately, he quickly takes a back seat to his much more interesting children Leto II, played fantastically by the too cute James McAvoy, and Ghanima played by Jessica Brooks. Daniela Amavia as the now adult Alia grows annoying too quickly and Julie Cox as Irulan is too pathetic, although does redeem herself. Two of the best portrayals in the feature are Susan Sarandon as the deliciously evil, over the top, headdress-wearing Princess Wensicia, and Alice Krige taking over the role of Lady Jessica. Alice Krige's perforamce far outshines the original portrayer, Saskia Reeves, and raises the character to the level it deserves. All this great acting, however, couldn't alleviate the boredom I felt throughout huge portions of the mini-series. I will tip my hat to Frank Herbert, though. He created one of the most detailed and thought-provoking science fiction universes to ever grace a page. I can't think of anyone who's been able to come close.
Rating:
Summary: the best
Review: Even better than the original Dune, i loved the story and the Dvd, I wish next books in the series will be made as well
Rating: 
Summary: Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (TV Miniseries) DVD
Review: I loved the first DUNE movie released in 1984. I must have watched it a dozen times over the years.
This new stuff (Children of Dune) to me is not even science fiction. I would call it a boring soap opera.
I've try to watch it several times, but lose interest.
One of the reviews by Noctem said the 1984 Dune was a disaster. Noctem must feel that a movie has to be like the book or it's no good.
I haven't read any of the books but I know the different between a good movie and one that's not worth watching.
The old 1984 DUNE movie puts "Children of Dune" in the dirt.
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