6 Things I Liked About theDuneMiniseries (and 6 I Didn’t)

loose in 2000 as the first prescribed Syfy miniseries , this five - minute version of Dune stars Alec Newman as Paul Atreides , the noble son of a duke ( William Hurt ) and a Bene Gesserit ( Saskia Reeves ) , who live an attempt on his home and becomes the leader of the the great unwashed of Arrakis . As House Harkonnen seeks to dominate the planet and seize its spice product , Paul and his allies — including the Fremen warrior Chani ( Barbora Kodetová)—work to bring the mogul and his family down , changing the fabric of the universe in the process .

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The Dune miniseries was a collision for Syfy , airing in over 3 million homes and winning two Primetime Emmy Awards . It after spawn a sequel , tiddler of Dune , which combined the next two books in Herbert ’s sci - fi serial publication . It also usher in several more Syfy miniseries — include 2003 ’s backdoor archetype forBattlestar Galactica , which eventually became one of Syfy ’s large shows . While we wait for Denis Villeneuve ’s Dune , the Syfy miniseries stay on the most faithful — and some would argue the well — version . That ’s definitely lawful , but that does n’t stand for all of it is good . Let ’s take a feeling at what soars and what flops about Syfy ’s Dune .

Paul Muad’Dib (Alec Newman) rises as the hero of Arrakis.

Paul Muad’Dib (Alec Newman) rises as the hero of Arrakis.Image: Syfy

I Liked

It’s Faithful to the Book

you’re able to recount the folks behind the Dune miniseries — namely author and film director John Harrison — really knew and respected what they were adapting . As a answer , the movie takes the beginning material at face economic value and does n’t toy with it to fit someone else ’s vision of what a Dune story should be . That does come with some caveats , which I ’ll get into further down . But it was refreshing after watching Lynch ’s Dune to see a interlingual rendition that understood what Herbert was trying to say , and work intemperately to differentiate that story to its audience .

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The Costumes Are Wild

Costume designer Zuzana Máchová and her team merit all the money and all the adept matter in life story . These costumes are every stratum of banana waffle , in the best sense . They are at times both futuristic and retro , by way of theearly 1990s , like a compounding ofStar war : The Phantom Menaceand Saved by the Bell . I make love every stitch of incomprehensible cloth onscreen .

Chani and Lady Jessica

In a 2003 interview with theNew York Timesabout Children of Dune , executive manufacturer Richard P. Rubinstein said the Dune franchise charm to women because of its strong distaff characters . You by all odds would n’t know that watching the Lynch interpretation , which paint its distaff characters as helpless and subservient . The Dune miniseries vastly improves the storyline of Lady Jessica and Chani , play famously by Reeves and Kodetová severally .

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We see much more of the agency the characters held in the books . For model , Lady Jessica ( not Paul ) trains the Fremen in the “ weirding way , ” and both she and Chani challenge Paul Muad’dib on his views and thirstiness for power . We see how conflicted they are about supporting him , reflecting our hesitation in whether we desire to see him come after . In some ways , it shows how Dune is a storey that is told in nastiness of Paul , not because of him .

Illustration: Jim Cooke

Illustration: Jim Cooke

Princess Irulan

There was one major change the miniseries made from the playscript , and it ’s one of the smart things the adaptation did . The purpose of Princess Irulan was heavily exposit , giving her a subplot where she cleverly navigates her Padre ’s majestic motor lodge in search of answers about the Harkonnen attack on House Atreides . Julie Cox wield the theatrical role well , portraying Irulan like a shrewd , more grown - up version of theChildlike Empress(no surprisal , considering she played her in The NeverEnding Story III ) . This plot line shows her intelligence , cunning , and power to play politics with the best of them , something that does n’t fall into play until the ulterior books . Not everything is copacetic — there ’s an uncomfortable scene where Irulan ( quite obviously ) seduce Feyd - Rautha for entropy — but overall the expanded theatrical role manages to give us insight into the Emperor ’s world , and prove how everyone within it will do whatever it take aim to succeed .

Blue Eyes Effect

The miniseries had a budget of $ 20 million , which is pretty impressive for a made - for - TV serial . But when you ’re carry on with a five - hour movie with multiple circle , big CGI , and a huge ensemble cast , there are n’t always enough stock to go around . Sometimes you have to get originative , which is what Harrison and his team did with the blue eye of the Fremen , which are get by vulnerability to the spicery . allot to an clause inTor , or else of stress to bestow them digitally , all the actors wore UV contact lens and were film with limited cameras to catch the light . It was n’t always sodding : The blue oculus could easily vanish with the unseasonable camera angle , plus having the eyes glow does n’t match how they ’re described in the books . But overall , it was an telling and clever way to achieve the effect .

House Harkonnen

One of my biggest problem with Lynch ’s Dune adaptation was how it handle House Harkonnen . It deform a sinewy and insidious family into a disgusting raft of i d , relying on stark - out bit to show their villainy instead of permit their activity speak for themselves . This version take the opposite approaching , giving us a House that ’s more Lannister than Bolton , if you ’re familiar with Game of Thrones . It exhibit Baron Harkonnen , played richly by Ian McNeice , as a conniving world power thespian — one who consider he ’s figure out every contingence to ensure his longterm success , although you’re able to recite there ’s always an important detail or two he ’s missing because of his haughtiness . It makes the Harkonnens palpate like a licit threat , instead of a disgusting farce .

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We Didn’t Like

Just because the Harkonnens are more accurately portrayed in the miniseries does n’t mean they ’re sodding . McNeice nails the scheme side of Baron Harkonnen , but falls short when it comes to hitting his darker , more disgusting side . There ’s a balance to be found between the gluttony and the covetousness , and this one fail to find the sweet spot ( much like Lynch ’s version ) . László I. Kish as Glossu Rabban is fine , though he is n’t give much to do . And do n’t even get me start on Matt Keeslar as Feyd - Rautha . He was a strange selection , always total across as a scrap too normal for someone as sinister and serpentine as Feyd is guess to be . But I think the silliest part of House Harkonnen is in how their scene are frame . Every time those character are onscreen , the conductor usesDutch angle . I have intercourse it ’s to make the consultation feel like these case are throwing things off Libra , but all it did was remind me ofBattlefield Earth .

Alec Newman as Paul Atreides

If the goal of the miniseries was to make us detest Paul and wish well for his ultimate dying , then congratulations — this version of the character is way too much of an shit . He reminded me of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels , and not in a good agency . He ’s petulant and curt , acting like a child constantly on the verge of a temper scene ( even though the actor was 26 ) . It did n’t help that he ’s also a bit of a creep , at one point ogle Chani ’s naked consistency as she got changed . ( Side short letter : This movie is way hornier than I expected , with lot of white meat and an orgy view . )

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Then , there ’s his transition into the Fremen leader Paul Muad’Dib , which kind of just … happens , and it ’s only interpret by the fact that Newman ’s pilus arrest a slight peaky ( likely with some serious gel ) . Do n’t get me ill-timed : Newman is a fine actor and it seemed like he was doing the best he could , but he was n’t correct for the part . He had problem cause us believe Paul ’s transition from a young noble into an otherworldly leader who could see the past times , present , and succeeding all at once . In the remainder , he comes across as unregenerate , spiteful , and mean , because it fails to lay out how much Paul knows what he ’s doing to Arrakis is faulty . It ’d be one matter if the miniseries was ask a heavy posture that Paul is the villain of the story , which is a hypothesis I personally prescribe . But it does n’t .

The Spacing Guild teaches Paul the basics of “this is the church…”

The Spacing Guild teaches Paul the basics of “this is the church…”Image: Syfy

Stillsuits

No one should have to wear those on television camera .

Some Actors Fell Flat

There are some solid performances in this miniseries , notably the women who play Chani , Lady Jessica , and Princess Irulan , as well as Giancarlo Giannini as Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV . But there are others who bend in some lackluster functioning . Zuzana Geislerová fail to give Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam any chassis of lordliness , Miroslav Táborský as Count Hasimir Fenring comes and run short like a restrained wind , and I did n’t call back there could be a more wearisome Duncan Idaho but James Watson does it .

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However , the biggest wrongdoer is William Hurt as Duke Leto Atreides . He seems to be achieving Lost in Space story of not giving a shit . It gets to the full point where his death looks like he ’s about to take a pile . I ’m probably gon na get some hatred for that but you must get word the truth .

If you have to ask if there are too many butterflies, there aren’t enough butterflies.

If you have to ask if there are too many butterflies, there aren’t enough butterflies.Image: Syfy

More Doesn’t Always Mean Better

sooner , I praised the miniseries for staying closer to the source material , but that faithfulness comes at a price . In some way , it stay too unaired . There are quite a little of scenes that work well on report than on film and could ’ve easily been cut from the last ware without losing anything — Liet - Kynes ’ ( Karel Dobrý ) death scene is one . It ’s a tragic consequence that fails to resonate because the moving picture did n’t succeed in get us to plug into with him before he drop dead . It felt more like a moment they had to keep because “ it ’s in the book , ” rather than for any narrative purpose that works for the story they were telling . count , I ’m all for accurate adaptations , but some thing are all right to cut … and this movie needed a clipping .