I have recently come back to the Dune series of books after an absence of more than 10 years. The first time I read them I lost interest after the second book and never bothered to continue the series. Now I've started the series again and completely in love with it. So I thought I'd revisit the SciFi Channel versions as well. Since this is a review for the CoD miniseries I wont spend too much time on Dune(2003). Watching that first series really helps to appreciate how incredible the David Lynch version is. It's sad that he didn't get final cut of the movie, because I'm sure it would have been better appreciated if he had. But in summary, let me just say that this first miniseries is awful. laughably awful at times. I mean the costumes alone were soooo unbearably bad. they looked like 1970's Doctor Who rejects. Irulan's butterfly dress says it all. And lets not even talk about the Reverend Mother's headdress. And could they have found someone to play Stilgar who was any less intimidating and charismatic?
Now, Children of Dune on the other hand is incredibly better. Thank god they brought in a new director, and someone who could design clothes that didn't make you laugh out loud. Another big improvement is Alec Newman's acting. who would have any idea from the first miniseries that this guy knew anything at all about acting. That was by far the most pleasant surprise. it goes to show how important a good director is for bringing out the talents of an actor. oh yeah, and much better casting for Stilgar, too.
now, here is my biggest problem with CoD. After deftly distilling the intricacies of Dune Messiah into an hour and a half, i was quite shocked with what they did when they actually got to the book Children of Dune. What we see is really only the second half of the book. This is an incredibly complicated and many tiered story, and to jump right in to the middle of it, with absolutely no set up or development is not only unfair to the book, but unfair to the audience. i literally thought that a middle episode was missing by accident. if you haven't read the book there is no possible way you could understand Alia's possession, Duncan's estrangement from Alia, why Duncan and Jessica were on Selusa Secondus, the significance of Seitch Jacurutu, the nature of Leto II's transformation, and the list goes on.
Children of Dune is perhaps the second most complex book of the entire series (after the original) and to chop it right in half like that not only shortchanges the plot, but severely diminishes the emotional impact of those events that are portrayed.
So I guess what I am saying is, my biggest problem with this second miniseries is that i just wanted more.
Now, Children of Dune on the other hand is incredibly better. Thank god they brought in a new director, and someone who could design clothes that didn't make you laugh out loud. Another big improvement is Alec Newman's acting. who would have any idea from the first miniseries that this guy knew anything at all about acting. That was by far the most pleasant surprise. it goes to show how important a good director is for bringing out the talents of an actor. oh yeah, and much better casting for Stilgar, too.
now, here is my biggest problem with CoD. After deftly distilling the intricacies of Dune Messiah into an hour and a half, i was quite shocked with what they did when they actually got to the book Children of Dune. What we see is really only the second half of the book. This is an incredibly complicated and many tiered story, and to jump right in to the middle of it, with absolutely no set up or development is not only unfair to the book, but unfair to the audience. i literally thought that a middle episode was missing by accident. if you haven't read the book there is no possible way you could understand Alia's possession, Duncan's estrangement from Alia, why Duncan and Jessica were on Selusa Secondus, the significance of Seitch Jacurutu, the nature of Leto II's transformation, and the list goes on.
Children of Dune is perhaps the second most complex book of the entire series (after the original) and to chop it right in half like that not only shortchanges the plot, but severely diminishes the emotional impact of those events that are portrayed.
So I guess what I am saying is, my biggest problem with this second miniseries is that i just wanted more.