I watched it. My biggest problem is taking it for its own merits. I read the book and watched the movie a couple months ago (getting ready), so the other is fairly fresh. Thus it’s hard to take this version and see how it stands on its own merits.
The first night was slow and ponderous, and rather confusing with a parade of bland characters that are hard to sort out. I didn’t know who Dr. Yueh was until the betrayal scene. That was one thing I thought the movie did better on casting. Making the characters stand out.
Also, William Hurt as Leto? Leto was dynamic, excitable, vivid. And black haired. William Hurt is quiet, passive, timid, bland. Even when he gets angry at the attempt on Paul’s life, you don’t believe it. I thought the movie casting was much better.
The miniseries followed the movie’s misappropriation. In the book, it’s the Padishah Emperor that is the redhead. Not the Harkonnens.
I also had trouble with the names. Practically every pronunciation chosen in this version is different than the ones I use. Layto. Hark uh nuhns. When Chani pronounced “paradise” as “pah rah dees”, I cracked up.
Overall the costumes weren’t bad - a little elaborate, but I get a sense that the flashiness is meant to portray the regal appearances. Clearly the Sardaukar uniforms are meant to reflect the Swiss Guard uniforms of the Vatican. I thought that an interesting homage. Sure they’re frilly and poofy and goofy - but based in tradition.
The stillsuits overall were better in the movie, but one thing this version did right was the hats and face masks. The movie version had the heads totally exposed. At least these stillsuits covered the head.
The second night was better, and the third night was gripping. The third night seemed very close to the book.
The new parts with Irulan were done in my mind to flesh her out as a character, I suspect partly in an effort to bulk up the women’s roles a little. While not true to the book, I’m trying to look at the miniseries and if it works. The visit to Feyd was the substitution for another character in the book, with a slightly different purpose.
I thought the portrayal of the Harkonnens much better in this version, much closer to the book. The movie version they were brutal, vile, and disgusting, but the whole boils and diseases, and cult of blood stuff was way over the top and not true to the book at all. The Baron was an effete epicurean, not a blood crazy swine. And the whole “heart plug” thing was stupid. I appreciated seeing a little more of the Harkonnen interal conflict.
And yes, I caught the similarity of appearance of Jessica to Marina Sirtis.
Exposition wise, I felt some was lacking. There wasn’t much of an explanation of what the test that the Bene Gesserit conducted on him was supposed to designate. The Kwisatz Haderach info didn’t come until later. There was no explanation of the role of the mentats. They came off as some sort of mild court adviser rather than the serious planning asset they were supposed to play.
I did like the special effects better. Better thopters, much better shields, no stupid “weirding modules”. And I, for one, liked these Guild Navigators better than the movie - at least what they did with the navigation. Not sure about the shape and look, but the act of navigation was so much better. The movie version was a big light show that made no sense and looked lame and would have been much better being one of the omitted scenes.
The movie suffered from being too confusing if you had not read the book and too glossed over if you had.
This version is in a lot of ways a more complete and truer adaptation.
