Watching this for the first time...

I started watching the Sci-Fi Channel Dune miniseries a couple days ago. I've watched the first disc of the series so far and I have already seen some things which I think are inferior when compared to the Lynch movie but I have seen some other things which I think are better. For one, it seems that the miniseries stays much closer to the novel than the movie. The actors who portray Paul and Baron Harkonnen are great but the actors who portray the mentats and Dr. Yueh are quite bland. And what about William Hurt as Leto? Ugh! Jurgen Prochnow was 100x better.

The costume design is rather interesting to say the least. I like the costumes more in the Lynch movie. Oh, and what was the deal with the Guild Navigator? It looked like some underwater fairy with wings! The Guild Navigator in the Lynch film looked much more sinister and mysterious.


Speaking of the actors, I've come up with a comparison breakdown of some of the major roles and whether or not I feel the mini-series had the better actor or the movie did.

1. Paul Atreides I have to give a slight edge to Alec Newman over Kyle McLachlan.
2. Leto Atreides No comparison here at all. Jurgen Prochnow blows away William Hurt.
3. Lady Jessica I like both actresses equally well in their performance.
4. Gaius Helen Mohaim I felt the actress in the Lynch film was much better.
5. Shaddam IV Jose Ferrer FTW!
6. Dr. Yueh No comparison whatsoever. Dean Stockwell wins by a landslide.
7. Baron Harkonnen This one was really tough for me but I give the edge to Ian McNeice.
8. Duncan Idaho Duncan in the movie had such a miniscule role so I cant really compare.
9. Piter de Vries No comparison whatsover. Brad Dourif excelled in that role.
10. Thufir Hawat Same thing here. Freddie Jones was far superior.
11. Gurney Halleck Hmmm...I love Patrick Stewart but I give the nod to PH Moriarty.
12. Feyd Rautha I actually really like the Feyd in the miniseries even though Sting was really great in the movie. His role was just too scaled back.

One thing I dont like in either the mini-series or the movie is how the Sardaukar soldiers look. In Lynch's film, they looked like iron welders and in the mini-series they look like fricking Renaissance festival rejects