This review contains spoilers.
This is a review on the standard cut of the television series.
Frank Herbert's Children of Dune is a miniseries that premiered in 2003. The series is produced by the Sci-fi channel and is the follow-up to the 2000's Frank Herbert's Dune miniseries. Twelve years have passed since Paul Atreides has become Emperor. His reign of Arrakis has been filled with strife as he must deal with rebellious Fremen and groups that wish to overthrow him.
Children of Dune is a wildly original miniseries. This is greatly owed to the source material by Frank Herbert's novel of Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. This miniseries is based on those books. The concepts in this movie are unique and original. Paul Atreides is a different character from the previous miniseries. With his ability of prescience, Paul sees the future and possible futures with clarity. This movie dials up this with presenting the concept and elaborating on it. The miniseries feels like prescience and omniscience is a central concept rather than an afterthought. The movie is filled with this and it shows how strong the central ideas are.
Children of Dune has a problem in its budget. The story and its concepts must be executed and it is the production that lets down the movie. The movie puts in a much lower production that can keep up with the cast and story. This puts scenes onto the screen that can look silly. Leto, played by James McAvoy, undergoes a transformation that looks goofy. The goofiness is enhanced with Leto swimming through sand and becoming a spice worm. Some of the acting is not up to the quality of the story. Paul Atreides feels miscast as he should portray a man gifted with prescience but he feels the weight of a terrible future. This is not reflected in the acting.
The production quality also feels cheap. The sets and direction feel bland. However this miniseries is still Dune overall. It feels like a weaker adaptation of Dune. The miniseries has the shape of Dune and its sequel novels however the execution leaves much lacking.
I would recommend "Children of Dune" directed by Greg Yaitanes.
Grade: C.
This is a review on the standard cut of the television series.
Frank Herbert's Children of Dune is a miniseries that premiered in 2003. The series is produced by the Sci-fi channel and is the follow-up to the 2000's Frank Herbert's Dune miniseries. Twelve years have passed since Paul Atreides has become Emperor. His reign of Arrakis has been filled with strife as he must deal with rebellious Fremen and groups that wish to overthrow him.
Children of Dune is a wildly original miniseries. This is greatly owed to the source material by Frank Herbert's novel of Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. This miniseries is based on those books. The concepts in this movie are unique and original. Paul Atreides is a different character from the previous miniseries. With his ability of prescience, Paul sees the future and possible futures with clarity. This movie dials up this with presenting the concept and elaborating on it. The miniseries feels like prescience and omniscience is a central concept rather than an afterthought. The movie is filled with this and it shows how strong the central ideas are.
Children of Dune has a problem in its budget. The story and its concepts must be executed and it is the production that lets down the movie. The movie puts in a much lower production that can keep up with the cast and story. This puts scenes onto the screen that can look silly. Leto, played by James McAvoy, undergoes a transformation that looks goofy. The goofiness is enhanced with Leto swimming through sand and becoming a spice worm. Some of the acting is not up to the quality of the story. Paul Atreides feels miscast as he should portray a man gifted with prescience but he feels the weight of a terrible future. This is not reflected in the acting.
The production quality also feels cheap. The sets and direction feel bland. However this miniseries is still Dune overall. It feels like a weaker adaptation of Dune. The miniseries has the shape of Dune and its sequel novels however the execution leaves much lacking.
I would recommend "Children of Dune" directed by Greg Yaitanes.
Grade: C.