I've been mulling over this review for a few of weeks now, having seen a 99.9 percent complete version of the upcoming (this Sunday, December 3rd through Tuesday, December 5th) six-hour miniseries, brought to us by the Sci-Fi Channel (check out the website, it's got a TON of stuff). You may have even seen the trailer for this miniseries, which has been showing in cinemas.
DUNE tells an interesting story, and the Sci-Fi Channel is a highly accurate adaptation of the original text, accuracy being a common complaint about the previous film by David Lynch. The main questions to be answered by this series are of the execution of a story that we already know to be compelling, and of the comparison to be made with the previous feature film, which is enormously well-known by fans of science fiction.
One of the most notable characteristics of the miniseries is the extended depth with which every story element is explored. We are given a greater understanding of the relationship between the Duke and Paul's mother, we learn more about who Gurney is, who Irulan is, how Paul's relationship with Chani mirrors that of his parents with each other, and how the Harkonnen house plots both against others and against itself. I found this to be a great improvement over the feature film, which to a large extent left most of these issues unexplored. The miniseries' mirroring of the original division of the book into three parts makes for a considerably clearer telling of this story.
More than that, though, the miniseries has a genuinely interesting look, an atmosphere all its own, which at times is exceptionally impressive. The set designs are inventive and elaborate, and there is a genuine feel of a separate universe and culture from our own. At times, I found the detail in the set designs to be stunning.
There is an interesting mixture of feels, at times the look is that of a feature film, at times, of typical television, and at times, one feels as though one is watching a stage play. Some might find this treatment inconsistent, but I found it interesting. I also thought that the extensive use of unusual lighting created a greater feel for the fantastic nature of this story. Certainly, the lighting was frequently not realistic, but fantasy by definition contains elements of the unreal.
Beyond unconventional lighting, many outdoor shots are done using large backdrops on sound stages. These are some of the instances which feel a lot like stage plays. Some might look upon these scenes with derision, because, again, they're not realistic. I happened to enjoy them a great deal, I thought they created a distinct and clearly intended look. Obviously, they made making this series easier too. Realistically, not everyone can afford to spend millions of dollars doing location shoots. In any case, the work done on sets looked great, and the costumes were excellent as well, I thought, I found only a few not to my liking.
I was surprised by the casting as well, since having previously seen a 45-minute rough cut of some scenes, I was almost sure that I wasn't going to like this series. In the end, though, most of the casting choices were good, I think. After a time to get accustomed to the new look of the various characters, I came to appreciate characters I thought I would loathe. The only character who I didn't come to appreciate in the end was that of Feyd, whom I simply didn't find to be a powerful enough or evil enough portrayal. This isn't to say that I thought the cast was amazing, I simply think that they did a fair job, and that in light of other television, including made for television movies and miniseries, I thought they were comparable and of good quality. Remember, this is not a feature film. It is television.
The effects were frequently very well done, although they sometimes lacked the cinematic qualities of the Lynch film, notably during external shots and with the worms, which have a definite CG feel in this miniseries. In the end, though, I thought that all of the effects in this miniseries served their purposes well, and were executed with competence.
The perfect DUNE, for me, is not to be found either in the Lynch film, or in this newest television adaptation. Certainly, the Lynch film found a mood and atmosphere that was exceptional in its own right, even if it diverged sharply with the original text. This new series is not as powerful in its presentation, but is in some ways more interesting, and certainly more faithful. Some scenes didn't work for me at all, and some worked very well. I enjoyed seeing the story presented more thoroughly. I enjoyed the new set designs and costumes, with few exceptions. So how does the series really rate? Well, let me make a few comparisons. First of all, it's better than most of the stuff playing at your local cineplex. I'm not sure that's saying much, but it's true.
The DUNE miniseries is also better than most other made-for-television miniseries that I've seen. Likewise, it's better than most sci-fi television out there. I'd say it's worth catching if you're either a Dune fan or a sci-fi junkie. Definitely. It's also, in my opinion, a fairly significant milestone for the Sci-Fi Channel. This is the first attempt by them to produce a high-quality miniseries of their own, to show their independence and growing maturity as a network, and their ability to compete with the biggest and best television networks. On that basis alone, this is an interesting project.
So, while the miniseries is far from perfect, it's better than the vast majority of made-for-TV movies or miniseries that I've ever seen. The middle two hours are a bit slow, but in general, I found myself enjoying watching it, and wanting more...which is a good thing, because the Sci-Fi Channel has already ordered production of a sequel mini-series. Nice, I think, because it's never been committed to film. Anyway, I hope a bunch of you folks tune in and support this series, because I think it's a worthwhile venture. There you have it. Keep an open mind, (fear is the mind-killer), and enjoy this series for what it is. I'm pretty sure you'll be eager to see the sequel when it's over.
