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A DVD Review of...
  
Images (C) Sci-Fi Channel |
Genre: Sci-Fi/Drama
Cast: Alec Newman, William Hurt, Saskia Reeves, Ian McNeice, Giancarlo Giannini, Matt Keeslar
Synopsis: Three-Part mini-series based on the famous sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. The sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of spice - a substance necessary for interstellar travel and grants psychic powers and longevity, so whoever controls it wields great influence. The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privilege, though, and through sabotage and treachery they murder the Duke and cast his young son Paul Atreides out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what's rightfully his. Paul Atreides, though, is far more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a super human; he might be a messiah. His struggle is at the center of a nexus of powerful people and events, and the repercussions will be felt throughout the Empire.
Whether you love it or loathe it, David Lynch's attempt to adapt the Frank Herbert sci-fi classic into a film had a few good features but in the end failed. The "Dune" story isn't designed to be told in a 2.5 hour feature film - like "Dances with Wolves" its more suitable as a four hour epic. Thus a mini-series version clocking in at 4.5 hours without ads seemed the perfect format for the story and indeed this recent production, whilst lacking the big budget feel of Lynch's film, is certainly an improvement as its constructed with a better paced script and improved acting all round.
Of the acting the most dramatic difference is that of Baron Harkonnen. Lynch's version had him as a pockmarked, bloated and ugly beast who was basically a throwaway villain - not memorable or frightening, just gross. McNeice's turn as the Baron in this however is much better, the character played as a very clever Machiavellian schemer who delivers some great dialogue and does it to over the top but rarely ever going 'too far' with it. Alec Newman also easily steps all over Kyle McLachlan's performance in the role of Paul Atreides, and while the character does have some bad dialgoue, he does his best with it. Other solid performances come from Saskia Reeves as his mother Jessica, Julie Cox as the Emperor's daughter Irulan, and Matt Keeslar as the psychotic Feyd (thank god no Sting in a winged speedo scene in this version - that was scary). On the weaker side Hurt does a standard job but his character doesn't get to do much, Giannini proves a so-so Emperor, and Zuzana Geislerová is too over the top as the Bene Gesserit Mother.
As its a TV production, FX wise one expects a lower standard though the costuming and set design however are movie-quality with some of the most colourful and distinctive efforts in both fields for a TV production I've seen in years. The pace is a little strange as the pre-Arrakis scenes feel rushed and are over with in just 30 minutes, in fact half the story seems to be told in the first segment of the three-part series and most of the rest of it comes out in the last chapter - thus it leaves the middle part the weakest segment and one in which things get a little too slow and sadly don't progress much. The events in the first chapter should've been spread out and over into the second chapter (which should've been shortened) and then there would've been a better balance. Still, as mini-series go this is a good one and while the definitive version of "Dune" has yet to be made, this is the best version out there so far - it has its flaws but is still pretty solid.
"Frank Herbert's Dune"
DVD Details In Brief (Region 1)
Runtime: 265mins
Versions: 16:9 Enhanced Widescreen, 4:3 Letterboxed
Aspect Ratio: 1.77: 1
Sound: Dolby 2.0 Surround
Language & Sub-Titles: English
Documentaries: 25-Minute BTS Documentary
Other: Interactive Written Treatise, Biographies, Production Notes, Still Gallery.
Region 1 vs. Region 4: No Details on Region 4 release |
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Film & DVD Review:
On disc the mini-series looks great. The transfer is excellent with all the colours and sets coming across marvelously clearly with the sound FX just as grand too - one of the better transfers of a TV project onto disc there have been. The extras are sadly not as interesting with no deleted scenes or commentary track, though the behind-the-scenes doco is quite good - especially to hear the actors real voices (like Newman's strong Scottish accent). The 'interactive treatise' is basically an essay on the novel's deeper themes and near 'religious' meanings - great if you like to explore that stuff, boring as s*it if you don't. The still gallery is more costume sketches and set photos than actual publicity stills, and the production notes are relatively standard. I was really hoping to see the trailers & commercials that were promoting the film but none of them are on this, though the DVD menu has a great 'startup' clip. Its worth keeping on disc, especially for the high quality widescreen version transfer of the series, though one hoped for more extras. - Garth Franklin
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