Dune

Rating:
Summary: It is worth ten times its weight of water!!!
Review: I read the book and have seen the movie. All I have to say that I love them both. Considering the abstract approach of the movie towards its subject matter public's general negative reaction seems inexorable. There is not much market for very abstract films today.

As far as Dune goes I think that it would be difficult to make a better movie adaptation then what Lynch created. Somehow he captured the lonely atmosphere of the desert, the vehement nature of Freemen, and the brutality of the conflicts between Atreides and Harkonnen. The worms were awesome! Without a doubt the original book by Herbert is brilliant, and the movie adaptation is in no way a failure at capturing the potency of potential.

I think in fact that some parts of the movie were even better done than what was featured in the book. For example, when Paul joins Freemen in the film he teaches them how to use sound weapons, specialty of Atreides. In the book however, Paul only taught Freemen to fight differently. I'm sorry to say, but hand-to-hand combat superiority is rarely a determinant of large-scale warfare. Lynch introduced a new twist. He attributed Freemen newfound strength to sound weapons, which was even better than what Herbert did. This is only one of the little tweaks we find in the film, but it is the one that shows how the movie improved and not underdone its source material.

Another strong feature of the film was the cast. The characters were believable and well portrayed. Unlike in the book, Harkonnen, especially the Baron, seemed like a family out of the mental institution. This twist however, was interesting in that it made enemies of Atreides appear more evil, more cruel and more threatening.

Overall, Dune is one of my all time favorite sci-fi movies equated only by few titles such as the Matrix series.

Rating:
Summary: What about a special edition?
Review: For once, I had not read the books for Dune and thus have to look at the movie expecting exposition and plot to explain itself. Well, it doesn't. The movie is long and intriguing, in fact the more I watch it, the more I want to watch it. Why? The bizarre costumes and convoluted story actually make the movie act as a strange narcotic.

So many things are not explained, some can be infered, but much is lost. Are the Harkonans cannibals? Are they gay (not meaning to be derogatory-> there are no women), and so on.

To be true, when I watched the 3+ hour Japanese Laserdisc (japanese subtitles), much more is explained in the prologue, and the cut scenes. And the few times the Sci-Fi channel played the uncut TV edition, again more is explained.

Suffice it to say, this does not stand well on it's own. It is fun and not to be missed, but reading Dune and Dune Messiah are prerequisites for seeing the film.

Rating:
Summary: A Work of Art
Review: This movie is a work of art. I can rarely watch a movie more than once, but this movie I have watched many times. The actors are all simply incredible, it seems you can feel their enthusiam. Jose Ferrer as the emperor is outstanding. Some liberties were taken...oh shucks. This movie stands on its own two feet. There is a quality in this movie that is unexplainable, an element of fantasy and nightmare. Even small details, like the sound of the alarm in the emperor's palace, give one a strange feeling. Forgive my crudeness, but please ignore the sterile imaginations and lack of vision the negative reviewers have and enjoy this movie.

Rating:
Summary: The DVD is NOT the original Theatrical Release
Review: As much as I hate to disagree with Amazon.com's review of the DVD release of DUNE, it is not the original theatrical release. I was in the theater when it premiered in my hometown. I, my young son, my mother, my father and my brother were all there and can tell you that 137 is not the whole flick. The first intermission was at 90 minutes. What's the point of that for another stinking 45? No, the original was about 3 hours long and the only complaint I had was seeing the Irulan Chronicles delivered by Jose Ferrer, Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. Irulan wrote the Chronicles while she was married to Paul and should have delivered them in the movie. When the Video version came out, I couldn't believe they got the whole thing on one tape. Even Ben Hur used two tapes and half of that is music and intermission.

Well, as I feared, they did not get it all on one tape. They chopped it up and spit out this watered down version with only one notable improvement: Irulan delivers the opening Chronicle. As soon as I saw her face on the screen I knew this was not the movie I paid money to see back in 1984. Therefore, be forewarned that what you are buying in both the DVD and Video Tape is a severely condensed version of an exceptionally well-crafted film of a Pulitzer Prize winning novel and not the full meal deal. Frank Herbert was consulted on the making of the original movie, and if you could see the rest of the movie, you'd know why the Barron is covered with festering boils, what the heart plugs are about, and all of the other out-takes that this version deemed unnecessary.

Rating:
Summary: David Lynch's DUNE is the only DUNE.
Review: Many people looked at Lynch's DUNE in a bad way upon
it's arrival in 1984. It was afterall a science fiction
adaptation of the one of the best sci-fi books ever written.
It was tough to watch. But I watched it again. I have watched
it many times and have decided that it captured the book
better than any could have. Including the miserable series
that ran on the Sci-Fi network.
Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides completely engulfed the role.
He stated at the time that he had read the book many times
as a child. He "became" Muaddib.
David Lynch mixed human emotions, heavy plot lines, and
incredible effects, such as the Third Stage Guildsman, and
I believe it was perfection in every way.

Rating:
Summary: AN VERY BADLY ADAPTED VERSION OF HERBERT'S CLASSIC!
Review: I'm always been a great fan of DUne. When making a DUne movie, you have to make sure that it's well adapted to the book, otherwise it will come out mediocre.This movie wasn't too bad. It just cutted ou too much scenes. Acting was good. Visual effects were good. Sound was good. Costumes were [bad]. The Sardaukar look like ...firemen!! The Baron was too evil, with nasty zits all over his ... face! He acts like a total fool! And the heart plugs were a stupid addition, the Guild Navigator looks like a yellow .... Alia was too freaky and evil. Everything else was fine. The dialogue was exceptional.
The story, based on the book, is about a special boy named Paul Atreides. His family si betrayed once he arrives on Dune, from the evil Harkonnens. He seeks for revenge, and finally battles the Sardaukar and the Harkonnen, winning a fremen girl.
George Lucas should had made this movie. If you want a great adaptation to the book, go with John Harrison's Dune miniseries. That one is a great one, or Children of DUne. THeir both great DUne Flicks.

Rating:
Summary: Writer and Scholar of Science Fiction
Review: Okay, well, I have only a "few" problems with this adaptation of one of my favorite books of all time, Dune. I give it a three because I enjoyed the movie at times, and thought that it did a lot to stay close to the actual book. I liked hearing what the characters were thinking, and many of the scenes were directly from the novel... however there are a few things I would change...

I would add at least an hour to the movie. It attempts to cover so much in such a short amount of time, anything less than three hours and you have what we have with this movie, a choppy, condensed version that leaves you wanting more information and depth.

I would have liked for them to acknowledge Jessica's and Paul's Harkonnen heritage, Jessica being the daughter of the Baron. It played an interesting role in the book, and showed the intricacy of the Bene Gesserit breeding plans.

Finally, where the hell did the Wierding Voice Gun's come from? I don't like them... infact I don't like how gun's are used throughout the movie, where blades were used in the books, and for good reasons. Obviously, the majority used blades cause guns could be stopped by shields and shields would blow the hell up if hit by lasguns. So, I didn't like the guns. And the Sardaukar should have been disguised as they were.

I did like...
Excellent choice of actors, and more fitting to the roles (at times) than the miniseries from Sci-Fi.
The attention to detail at time, and showing the close ups, and Bene Gesserit observation. Very nice. Also, Sean Young is hot (hope this doesn't discredit me too much, she is), and plays a good Channi.

Anyway, I kind of liked it, but a lot irked me, so you make your choice. It is worth watching, and no adaptation can compare to the majesty of the Dune series.

Rating:
Summary: Harrison vs Lynch, they're both good
Review: I just recently bought both versions and I have to say Lynch's is superior to Harrison's but not by much. While with Lynch's is beautifully acted I just didn't like the poor character development in the film, while Harrison's had very good development and it shows in Paul's growth from an at times immature boy into the messiah of the Fremen. But I guess that is probably because of the fact it was on television. Lynch's use of inner-monolouge was very innovative in my opinion and it gave you a sense of how his characters felt if you are not a good reader of human emotion. But the character that stands out in both versions is Kenneth McMillian and Ian McNiece's Baron Harkonnen, due to the fact that they are opposites of each other but yet are the exact same. While McMillian's is crazy and over the top, McNiece is more subdued and you sense a different motive in his giving up Arrakis to the Duke. In my opinion appreciate both for what they are and stay away from the Smithee version, it basically stinks

Rating:
Summary: Great movie, but some notable flaws
Review: When I initially saw Lynch's version of Dune, I was very impressed. The story of Paul fulfilling his destiny inspired me. This also made great use of voiceovers, which correlate to the book very well. I didn't read the book till many years later, and while Lynch's version perhaps captures the spirit of Dune in many ways, it lacks in some key areas. Harrison's version also had its flaws, but I think it addressed these things better:

1. Stillsuits - When I saw Harrison's version, I was disappointed in their stillsuits, because in Lynch's version, the stillsuits look awesome. However, Harrison's stillsuits make much more sense. First of all, Lynch's stillsuits are dark black, which means they would absorb more heat, which means they would likely use up more of a person's water. Second, Fremen are an evasive, secretive people. It would be a lot easier to hide in Harrison's tan stillsuits than Lynch's black stillsuits. Third, Lynch's stillsuits look almost too professional, while Harrison's look more like they were simply made.

2. Weirding Way - The weirding way that was so central to Lynch's battles was not in the spirit of the book. Harrison's Dune portrayed the weirding way like it was, controlling one's body and judging an opponent.

3. Paul and the Fremen - Kyle MacLachlan had a stronger presence than Alec Newman, and yes, Newman's character whined a lot at the beginning. MacLachlan's Paul had no real coming of age though, and didn't seem to really wrestle with doubt. Newman's Paul didn't have all the answers and was unsure of himself. He had to grow into his role. He wasn't automatically seen as the savior of the Fremen. It is even alluded to that he is manipulating the Fremen. In these respects, Newman's Paul was truer to the book.

All in all, I think Lynch's Dune is a better overall motion picture, but compared to the book, the journey is too perfect. Harrison's Dune is darker and more complicated, and in that respect, it captures the book much better.

Rating:
Summary: Disgustingly Terrible
Review: Dune is my favorite book. This is one of the worst book to movie adaptations I have ever seen. Fans of the book will notice many glaring inaccuracies, the story speeds by in a blur of confusion and everything seems rushed. The Sardaukar uniforms look like the came out of a a childrens' cartoon mixed with a nuclear powerplant. If you like Dune, skip this mess and buy the superior Sci-Fi channel six hour-long epic. If Frank Herbert saw this, he would be disgusted.