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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 that 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 over the top but rarely ever going 'too far' with it aside from one scene where he turns to camera. 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 solid.
This new director's cut includes an extension of the Yui character in the first chapter which is fine but not really needed. Its the second chapter however which benefits the most with quite a few more scenes with the Baron that help spell out his schemes with more clarity. Another addition is a subplot expanding Irulan's 'subterfuge' skills by having her using one of her servants to spy on Feyd - which gives that character relationship a much more well-rounded feel. The final chapter includes lots more action toward the end with a truly epic battle scene. The additions are all quite welcome and whilst not drastically changing anything, they do help certain elements make quite a bit more sense. - Garth Franklin
"Frank Herbert's Dune: Special Edition"
DVD Details In Brief (Region 1)
Runtime: 275mins
Versions: 16:9 Enhanced Widescreen, 4:3 Letterboxed
Aspect Ratio: 1.78: 1
Sound: Dolby 5.1 & 2.0 Surround, DTS 5.1
Language & Sub-Titles: English
Audio: Commentary by Writer/Director John Harrison
Documentaries: Seven Making of Featurettes
Other: Trailers, Interactive Written Treatise, Biographies,
Production Notes, Still Galleries, "Children of Dune" Stills.
Region 1 vs. Region 4: No Details on Region 4 release |
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Film & DVD Review: Afer a decent but somewhat disappointing release, along comes this beautifully packaged three disc set which is a big improvement over the original. The anamorphic video is much clearer and richer, with colours and shades all vibrant and edges spot on - brightness and contrast are pitch perfect rather than over-saturated as in the previous incarnation. Audio now has both Dolby and DTS 5.1 tracks to allow a much better use of surround even if the mix isn't too 'widespread' throughout much of the runtime. Each disc has a commentary track with Director John Harrison and additional crew members such as the editor and FX supervisor who pop up during certain sections. At nearly five hours, its a LONG commentary and things naturally get a little tired towards the end but otherwise Harrison is refreshing humble about his trepidations of adapting the material. When several of them are talking, there's a likable comeraderie and some great in-depth talk about how they pulled off the FX on a relatively limited budget.
There's a whopping seven major featurettes, kicking off with the 25-minute "Lure of Spice" which was on the original disc release - its a pretty good behind-the-scenes style look and its especially intriguing to hear the actor's real voices (like Newman's strong Scottish accent). All the key players are interviewed about the casting process and various action/FX details such as the translight backgrounds. As featurettes go its surprisingly revealing but still not as in-depth as it could be (that's what the commentary is for). "Graeme Revell Reveals" is a five-minute interview with the composer shot in standard-res video (combined with hi-res footage) and talks about how he decided to use a variety of music depending on the story and scenes rather than having a specific theme for each character. "Photo and Sketch Gallery" shows off nearly 100 shots of costume designs, storyboards and visual FX elements (which reveal the differences between the on-set and final image).
Disc Two has a 12 minute talk with Dune Encyclopedia creator Willis McNelly who basically discusses all the subtext and mythology of Herbert's work (despite an odd 'history of the tumbleweed' intro). He goes on a bit at times, but the genesis of the story is still quite intriguing. "Science Fiction/Scence Future" is 28-minutes of video highlights taken from a moderated discussion at UCLA. These include interviews with authors and inventors like Harlan Ellison as well as Director John Harrison - watch out for Octavia Butler, she's a hoot when discussing why she got into the genre (ie. "Devil Girls of Mars"). As the featurette goes on, things become a bit more touchy (such as when September 11th is brought up) and the arguments take a 'fearful' tone but overall its very watchable. Capping it off are film biographies for pretty much all the major (and some minor) cast members, and standard style production notes (without the bios).
Disc Three is the most packed of the discs in terms of extras. "The Color Wheel" has DOP Vittorio Storaro talking for 12 minutes about how different colours result in a variety of physical and emotional responses, before eventually moving onto talking of how he chose colours and styles for various scenes (check out the creepy carnival music). Storaro continues with "A Cinematographic Treatment", and even more vague and over-indulgent text essay about themes of colour and religion. "Walking and Talking with John Harrison" is an 11-minute piece filmed on a forest's dirt road somewhere in which Harrison talks about stuff mentioned on the other discs, but does have some new insights such as why they chose the translight backgrounds. "Defining the Messiah" is a 13-minute bit with a real mix of religious analysts talking about the definition of Messiah and how various religions see this holy figure. There's trailers for the "Rambo" trilogy DVD set and "Van Wilder, and finally comes sketches of costume and sets for the upcoming "Children of Dune" mini-series currently in production - nothing very revealing sadly. Still, overall its a big step up from the two-disc set and combined with some sexy 3-D packaging, its a must have for sci-fi fans. - Garth Franklin
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