The three-part show adapts all of the politics, betrayal, lust, greed, and world-saving conflict of Frank Herbert's classic novel for a new generation, all written and directed by John Harrison. The large cast is led by Alec Newman, who you may recognize from any of his four dozen television credits.
But to me, and most audiences in 2000, he was an unknown. And while the young Scotsman is not the most charismatic version of Paula Trady's, I definitely warmed up to a style by the end of the lengthy experience. His offer, Peter Mantra, fear is the mind-killer, serves as meditation before he undertakes another dangerous task or test.
His co-stars include plenty of other talented, if lesser-known TV actors doing excellent work, including Sasuke Reeves, James Watson, P.H. Moriarty, Gina Cartel, Janine, Julie Cox, and Barbara Katova, who gives a compelling and capable performance as the beautiful warrior Chani. Last, and unfortunately, in terms of screen time also at least, is Academy Award-winning William Hurt, who actually receives top billing on the project despite being absent from
the second and third episodes.
While Puris May claim he's not as formidable as Herbert originally wrote him, I found Hurt's more understated and compassionate performance really powerful. He is a sympathetic leader more interested in peace than power. He still quickly prepares Paul by admitting, this is my legacy to you, son. The greatest wealth in the universe and the never-ending struggle to defend it.
Obviously, the biggest advantage this version has over lynches is the runtime. Namely, Harrison's adaptation is allowed to deliver exposition more organically with a slow-drip approach, and since the narration is kept to a bare minimum, we mostly learn things when the characters do, so it doesn't feel like we're cramming for a pop quiz.
A great example of this is when Newman quickly and calmly prevents a gesture of thanks, tribe leaders still gar spitting at the duke, from being misinterpreted as hostile or disrespectful.
As the audience is just as naive as Hurt, we're momentarily taken aback by this action too, before the mini-twist is revealed, whereas in Lynch's version there would have been a wall of text or something 40 minutes earlier, explicitly preparing us for this scenario in hopes we'd remember its meaning and context later.
Similarly, on the subject of length, I'm glad the entire middle act of this story hasn't been reduced to a single two-minute montage, but if I'm being honest, this is where the story does drag the most, fascinating as all the interpersonal drama may be.
A well-paced adventure that delivers an entertaining mix of political intrigue, action, world building, and sex appeal. This is a fun experience all fans of the book ought to watch. Despite its technical shortcomings, Frank Herbert's tune is an ambitious TV show worth exploring. I thought it was a good adaptation, and one that's remarkably more coherent than its predecessor.