Rob Brown

Very good adaptation. Visually perfect, perfectly cast, decently acted. It corrects the main problem that the 80s adaptation had: you can follow it without having read the book. The secondary problem the the 80s adaptation had was frantic pacing. This one borders on the opposite: at times it is a little slow. Sound and score are ok but sometimes the score makes it impossible to understand the dialog. With the exception of the body armor the effects are very good. Interesting choice for where to end it, but I might have chosen to do so right after the second escape or right after the encounter with the sandworm, but I guess they felt they needed to introduce Chani first. Hopefully the do make 'part 2'. If so then the pair should make a satisfying visual event.

I want to like it but after 2 episodes I don't have much hope that it will be able to live up to it's potential. Thin characterization, poor attention to detail (you can't carbon date a metal ring; people delirious with infection should look the part, at least they should look like they are sweating with fever; not even going to start about moving around at all, even with help, after a back injury from falling off a cliff... make a litter and drag him for crying out loud.) I can handle some implausible details but this is just sloppy. I'll give it one more chance.