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Dune [DVD] [1984] starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif

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Rating: - A word about the restored print and widescreen...

I won't go into too much depth about the film and plot here, suffice to say this is a breathtaking but ultmately flawed Sci-Fi cult classic from an amazing director. Made on the cusp of change from live action sets and extras to CGI enhanced environments, this is one of the last of it's kind in it's sense of vast worlds, shots, sets and scale... It's a truly astonishing feat of filmamking which was cuelly rejected on it's release considering Lynch never had final cut.

In short, you can certainly see where all that money went...

...and how you can see it better than ever on this remastered DVD. The new print and accompanying audio are simply stunning. Picture is crisp, clear, stable and rich. But, best of all, this DVD is presented in anamorphic format, so the hideous, massive black letterboxing of the older PAL release is now gone and you can finally enjoy the film in it's full glory. My Sony TV has a 'zoom' mode too which gets rid of the (now tiny) remaining black bars for a simply gorgeous full-screen ride...

I compared my archaic PAL DVD from a few years ago with this new version last night and the difference is clear...

Even if you own this movie already (as I did) you owe it to yourself to enjoy it properly, and as we're unlikely to ever get Lynch's much mystiqued 3 or 4 hour directors cut, it's probably going to be the best (and only director approved) version of this troubled classic you'll ever see...

Rating: - Ridiculously bad

I love David Lynch's film, but this version is so bad, it's almost inconceivable that it ever happened. I can't believe this was released on DVD, it's a joke! In a way, it is worth it, because there is a ton of extra footage. However, you will soon understand why this footage was excluded from the proper film. Get ready to witness the likes of Jose Ferrer and Dean Stockwell temporarily forgetting how to act. Watch as the whole pace and cohesion of the film that you once loved disintegrates before your eyes. The scene with Thufir's suicide is not included (despite appearing on the back of the DVD case) and the extra fight scene with Jamis is so ridiculous and out of place that it borders on self-parody. The fact that Irulan's subtle commentary is replaced by a strange guy with a broad Brooklyn accent is where this version just all-out loses its integrity and becomes hilarious. The introduction, which runs like an illustrated "idiot's guide to dune" is kinda cool, but generally falls under the umbrella of comedy thanks to the Brooklyn dude again.

It's very nearly worth it just for the comedy alone! But do NOT pick this up unless it's for a couple of quid second hand, because you WILL regret spending £20 on it!

Rating: - Beware

Beware of Jacques review above.

It is totally misleading as to the product you will receive. He discusses an ultimate 3 disc edition and gives the impression that this is what you will receive. This is not the case at all as it is a single disc edition, without even a title screen!

You will see it available from sellers in Australia and the far east and when I received my copy it was unbranded and I had some question it was even legitimate.

If you are a massive Dune fan and would sacrifice anything to see the "missing" footage (like me) then its worth buying. Otherwise I would recommend the 2 disc re-mastered special edition of the original film available from Amazon directly.

As far as Jacques' review, while he obviously likes the sound of his own "voice" it has little relevance to this product.

Just to clarify this is a cheaply produced extended version based on the original US TV version. It is NOT the restored extended cut by the director that everyone is waiting for. This version is sadly not (yet) in existence.

Rating: - I set my mind in motion

Dune is an enigmatic movie, drawing from a literally huge series of books by the late Frank Herbert portraying a vast human space faring universe, bristling with rivalries and brimful of intrigues, wars, conflicts and political machinations. The drama centres on 4 planets.. Caladon, home of House Atreides (the `good' guys), Geidi Prime, House Harkonnen (definitely the `bad guys') and Planet Kaitain, home of the modestly self-titled `Padisha Emperor of the Known Universe' rather unfortunately named `Shaddam IV' . The movie opens with a brief narrative summary by Princess Irulan the emperor's daughter `Know now that it is the year 10,194...' who thereafter plays no part in the movie.

The focus and title of the movie is the fourth planet, the desert world Arrakis or Dune, origin of the spice Melange and the only place in the `known universe' where the powerful compound exists. Rivalry for the spice-mining contract is intense and we join the movie at a conjunction; the reluctant hand over of the spice-mining contract from the Harkonnen's control to that of the Atreides dynasty.

Next to Blade Runner this is probably my favourite movie, although so much has been already said about how it does not do the world of Herbert's visions justice and what might have been etc.To me, like the Harry Potter movies this is the best we can get to realise a world dream painted in one's head. Dune arrived for me as a young boy reading the books, the movie transforms it into a visual reality of imagination and I therefore I value it immensely as my one chance to enter the Dune universe.

Dune has a solid pre-occupation with the ongoing and eternal world of human politics; a classic example of the syndrome that whatever the century, wherever the planet, human kind will evolve a society dedicated equally to all that is good and all that is bad. As ever, the barriers and boundaries between these will be fluid, vague, and subject to ruthless manipulation by those who have power or those who can take it from someone else. Plus ca change !

Power in the Dune universe is rooted just as ever in status, commerce, influence, territory, resources control, and the ability to inflict retribution or policy by force or arms, and of course that old `universal leverage' called `fear'. The movie embodies all these concepts in stark racial characterisations based on Herbert's acute and detailed-to-the-bone portraits of the opposing key societies. On Caladon we see inherited nobility, sacrifice, duty, discipline, honour, formality of being, and contro. We see `heaven and hell' contrast between the two worlds. One would not wish for an ordinary (disposable) citizen's life on Geidi Prime, where preoccupation with torture, forced bodily mutilation, cruelty, voluntary infection and disfigurement rule the day. All this in a bleak and foreboding landscape tyrannised by a truly mad bad and dangerous ruling family.

Dune's visual strength is of an all-encompassing universe. It has monumental scale, an intriguing mix of dark industrial and grandiose vault like palaces and a merge of Elizabethan / Arabian design including combat tech fashions which would make Jean Paul and Versace weep.

Dune is packed with wonderful character types and clans, the Spacers Guild who alone possess the power to manipulate space and time using the mutations of the rare Melange spice dominate the galactic power scene and even the Emperor fears them.The black robed `nun like' Bene Gesserit `witches' train for generations to enhance their acutely managed empathic and mental force skills, nano level bio-physiological and endocrine control, and amazing `voice' command power over other minds. The elusive and enigmatic Fremen warriors roam the vast Arrakian deserts at will like Bedouin worshipful of `Shai Halud' miles long sand worms about which little is known yet much is rightly feared. They hold a prophecy that ` a man will come, a Messiah to lead them into freedom' You have archaic combat merged with futuristic sonic-mind warfare, samurai-like dedication and training, alliances and treacheries, nuclear tactical weaponry and `folding space' ..travel on a vast scale without moving. The Mentat race featuring less strongly, have accelerated their minds by drug use. They work for all sides.. but again have their own sinuous interests...Rituals abound, secrets breed and fester, old ways endure.

The hero in Dune is Paul Atreides the Ducal heir, a son born out of love and defiance from his Bene Gesserit mother, concubine to the Duke, and whose evolution into something more than human in Dune is just the start in the books of a vast dynasty, a warped progression covering centuries which changes the face of worlds.

Yes I wish now someone would do it again, do it better, using better special effects better script and acting, and yes I am sure as others have said casting could be better. We devotees (the Faithful as the Fremen say) should be fortunate anyone made the effort to create this world visually in our minds even if it's not the best it could have been. The one film just cannot cover the vast imaginative universe Herbert imagined for us. How many Harry Potter movies are there now?... but there is only one Dune. Timeless...

Never one drop of rain on Arrakis....

Rating: - The way story is ment to be told

This is relay is how the story should have been told. Nothing like the "movie" wich to be honest had a lot of "directers powetic liecence" about it.

This on the other hand is very much like the books. Athow not exsacly like the books it keeps the over all feel and strucher of the books and so the odd seen added or missing dose nothing to spoile the over effect.

Some pepal have given this a bad rating. I think you raly need to be a fan or at lest have the pashonts to see past the first 30 minuets wich it seting the over all seen of the "world" of dune and its cariters.

Persenaly haveing read or got nerly every book and played every game of dune i feel this interprtashon relay is an epicin it self and werth worching espeshaly if you have trubel reading the books

eventhow its clasted as a TV seires dont be folled. its more like 3, 90 minuets moves. a bit like whot was done with the lord of the rings. and at a VERY competative price tag its werth worching if your a dune fan or even a sifi fan.

To thows who are especting a acshon film, this may not be for you. it has plenty of acshon but its not a "james bond", "xxx" or "Tome rader" take. its mreo about the strugel of a pepal and the signifacents one man plays

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