FRANK HERBERT'S DUNE
Not Rated
Starring William Hurt, Alec Newman, Giancarlo Giannini, Uwe Ochsenknecht and Ian McNeice

CineSight Rating ***

First of all, this is NOT the David Lynch-directed shambles, er, I mean adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic. This is an original mini-series made for the Sci-Fi cable channel by writer-director John Harrison (DINOSAUR, TALES FROM THE CRYPT).

Duke Leto Atreides (Hurt) and his son, Paul (Newman) arrive on the planet of Arakis to oversee the planet's production of Spice, the galaxy's most prized commodity. They soon find themselves embroiled in the political intrigues and downright dirty dealings of Baron Harkonnen (McNeice) and his unsavory offspring. Harkonnen fancies himself as governor of Arakis and is willing to go to any lengths for the position - whether it be secret deals with the Emperor (Giannini) or committing murder. The battle between houses Atreides and Harkonnen plunges all of Arakis into a revolution, fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

DVD Features * Widescreen Only Format * Behind the Scenes Featurette * Photo Gallery * Cast & Crew Bios * Production Notes * Written Treatise on DUNE * Scene Selection * Interactive Menu * Languages: English * Subtitles: None

CineSight Comments

Finally someone has managed to produce a version of DUNE that, I think, author Frank Herbert would be proud of. John Harrison really seems to understand the essence of his sprawling, epic story. In this 4 1/2 hour re-telling, he and an excellent cast manage to draw us into the complex tale, contrasting the pompous grandeur of the nobility against the harsh nomadic lifestyle of the desert dwellers - a set-up that simply cries out for a revolution. The writing, performances and production design are so good that I was willing to overlook the handful of effects which weren't quite up to the standard of a theatrical movie. After all, the story is the star here, not the effects. Harrison and company have worked hard to make us believe in the noble hero; the tyrannical would-be despot; the mystery of religion; the Spice and the giant worms that all go to make up DUNE.

The disk features a great transfer of the original material, with crisp, clear colors and a good sound mix. And the extra features are quite impressive for a made-for-TV movie. All in all, DUNE is a good package. It would be worth the price for the movie alone. The rest is just icing on the cake.