CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPECIFIC FILMS › Films in Release or On Video › "Long live the fighters of Muad'dib!" DUNE (MINI-SERIES)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

"Long live the fighters of Muad'dib!" DUNE (MINI-SERIES)

post #1 of 12
4/9/04 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
When this first came out, I hated it. It bored me to death. But just recently, I've been reading the novel, and really getting into it, so I picked up the dvd really cheap. I loved it. Yes, the CGI is terrible. Yes, none of it was shot on location. No, it is not a bad miniseries. I think those things don't matter on this one. It doesn't harm anything. Since the whole movie was shot on soundstages, and desert backgrounds were mostly literally giant paintings the actors perform in front of, I think that lends a lot of character to the series. It feels like a stage production, and I found that very interesting. The score is beautiful too. John Harrison is a very competant director. I hope to pick up the Children of Dune dvd soon, did Harrison helm that one too?
Reply
post #2 of 12
4/9/04 at 4:40pm
I think you nailed it by saying it's like a stage production. That's exactly what it reminded me of. Kind of like Masterpiece Theatre or something. I really enjoyed it as a miniseries; and it stayed much closer to the source material than Lynch's film. Although I love the designs and the tone from the film version. The only thing that I really didn't like about the miniseries was the Baron Harkonen. I thought he was pretty awful actually and totally over did it. He wasn't menacing or intimidating at all.

I didn't see Children of Dune but I heard it kind of sucked.
Reply
post #3 of 12
4/9/04 at 4:48pm
If you're talking about what was aired on the SciFi
channel (Dune and Children of Dune), I have to say
that I thought the Children of Dune was passable.
I felt a bit squickish on the way the brother and
sister seemed though. At times, I thought he was going
to kiss her...and not in a brotherly fashion.
Reply
post #4 of 12
4/9/04 at 4:55pm
The books are great. As far as every incarnation of Dune on the screen (big and small) they have their flaws and strengths. Have to agree about the Baron. I really liked the Chani in this Dune version though yowzas.
Reply
post #5 of 12
4/9/04 at 7:48pm
I love it. Dune and Children of Dune both have a lot of soul. I've seen better acting, but I don't mind that so much. Paul, Jessica, and the Baron are all played quite well. Too bad about Gurney. The score is perfect, the Fremen are pretty close to the real thing, and I'm really glad it got further than Lynch did into the religious aspects of the story.

It could've treated the Bene Gesserit a little better, though. They're much more of a force to be reckoned with than the show made them out to be.

I like the special effects. Not the best, but it's a TV show with a TV show's budget. Whaddya want?
Reply
post #6 of 12
4/9/04 at 8:02pm

Re: "Long live the fighters of Muad'dib!" DUNE (MINI-SERIES)

Quote:
Originally posted by Gruber
...none of it was shot on location.
They wanted to, but there was an IATSE strike on Arrakis at the time...
Reply
post #7 of 12
4/9/04 at 10:14pm
The Duncan in Children of Dune was great.

I never cared for the actor who played Paul, but when he became the Preacher he seemed to suddenly get good. I guess a hoarse voice and a resigned sense of finality will do that to you.
Reply
post #8 of 12
4/10/04 at 2:53am
Thread Starter 
Though the score is excellent, it lacks what the 1984 films has in spades. A rockin' TOTO soundtrack.
Reply
post #9 of 12
4/10/04 at 5:28am
I too am a big fan of The Dune miniseries...but then I'm a big fan of most things Dune

Acting Standouts-

Irulan- She brought dignity and intelligence to intresting role.
The Baron- Nice and restrained.

Didn't like Chani much or Paul..I suppose those roles are harder to capture onscreen
Reply
post #10 of 12
4/10/04 at 6:48am
No Mentats.

Practically no Dr. Yeuh.

Camp reverend mother with weird accent and bulging eyes.

William Hurt sleepwalks. Again. Leto is supposed to be a passionate character.

Underwhelming drama: Compare and contrast the way Guerney rejoins Paul in Lynch's version (drama!) with the way it happens in the miniseries (not drama!).

Acting in front of giant polaroids of dunes. What were they thinking?

On the brighter side of things, we get to see Paul become a monster, in order to get his revenge, much like Michael Corleone. A vital part of the book that went completely over Lynch's head.

And the Baron is closer to the hedonistic, manipulative prat of the novel that McMillan's -admittedly fascinating- Lynchian freakshow.
Reply
post #11 of 12
4/11/04 at 5:30pm
I've got to agree with the love of the books. But I think I liked the Children of Dune miniseries better than the Dune one. Greater scale and acting in CoD than in Dune. And you could tell they threw more money at CoD than in Dune.
Reply
post #12 of 12
4/11/04 at 6:03pm
Leto and Ghanima were absolutely perfect, and Alec Newman made a fantastic Preacher. Alia couldn't act, but damn! she was easy on the eyes. It's too bad Saskia Reeves wouldn't or couldn't play Jessica again, because she did a good job in the first series.

I like that they were more true to the second and third books than they were to the first. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any drastic changes.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Films in Release or On Video
CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPECIFIC FILMS › Films in Release or On Video › "Long live the fighters of Muad'dib!" DUNE (MINI-SERIES)