Actuarial Science Movie Reviews

it must be said...Oh crap, it's a classic. Have to make this short as just about to watch a katey hepburn classic on tv - this is a film I've seen several times, twice at cinema, several times on tv and video also 1/2 times on dvd.

This time I will deal with te accusation of weak blacks in the dvd transfer (no, not a racial issue).

In the "making of dune" by ed naha, the DOP stated that it was his intention that there be no true blacks in his film....always browny blacks. If you've ever seen this at the cinema you'll realise this was so.

Will continue soon, must get back to kate.

Doc

Oil planets, rubber suits, flying Buicks and lots of industrial images and soot...
Who else could come up with a vision like this for the Frank Herbert novel other than David Lynch?
This so-called box office disaster has to be one of the most controversial sci-fi films to ever grace the silver screen, and though it has been repeatedly bashed by sci-fi buffs and Dune purists, the two-hour-plus feature always manages to surface either on television (in a hastily- and carelessly-edited extended cut), in conversations among admirers of sci-fi or cinema, as well as in personal movie collections worldwide.
So why was it scorned during its initial release?
Expectations of the film adaptation were high. The film hardly captured every facet of the novel. But how could it?
Also, many theatergoers and sci-fi fans were expecting, well, more of a futuristic approach to Dune as opposed to Lynch's industrial vision. A spaceship with plush leather interior lacking any flashy computers just didn't do it for the Star Trek/Star Wars crowd.
However, Lynch's script remains faithful to the story and its characters. The first-rate casting, combined with (undeniably) Lynch direction, pack enough flair to make the film more than worthwhile viewing and certainly worthy to own on DVD.
The entire cast give first-rate performances, most notably Kenneth McMillan, Jose Ferrer, Sian Phillips, Francessca Annis and, of course, Patrick Stewart.
Toto, the 80s rock band that proved to everyone that musicianship isn't everything, contribute a worthy score, though it steers toward a Flash Gordon-esque style in the film's finale.
In sum, Lynch - like a true visionary - leaves us with more fantastic impressions of the enigmatic Dune world than he does comprehensive storytelling. The impressions, however, are lasting. They are the key to why this sci-fi flop survived the relentless criticism and has proved, repeatedly, to be in demand among consumers.
Note: Lynch withdrew his screenwriting and director's credit from the extended TV version of the film, and for good reason.

Dune is the open door to fall in love with the whole Frank Herbert work. I was just a child when the dark and tragic vision of David Lynch made an impact in my life showing me a new whole concept of science fiction far beyond Star wars, more complex, deep and adult.
This time the good special effects wasn't the most important thing, not even the action, It' was the drama, the tragedy of Paul Atreides in his way to became a future messiah.
The best thing of David Lynch is the understanding of the whole universe of Frank Herbert making a movie that you can watch once and again finding new things.
The cast is the best they can found, far better acting than this trash for TV bad called Frank Herbert's Dune (is anything less a faithfully adaptation of Frank herbert work) and the soundtrack is amazing specially the love themes.
Forget the John Harrison brainless adaptation, the David Lynch version it's far beyond the common science fiction movie.

Close Encounters meets Field of Dreams?

Yikes! I normally feel that there are very few works, of any kind, that deserve one star...but I just couldn't justify giving this two. This was just a REALLY BAD MOVIE! Sixth Sense was pretty good, although IMO it was let down a little let with the casting of Bruce Willis in the lead (don't have much against Willis, just thought he was all wrong for that part); Unbreakable was asinine; in its own way, Signs might've been even worse. It's not just a matter of this movie being "oversold" by friends, relatives, acquaintences, and some reviews--I would've thought it was dumb anyway.

1) The movie was hyped to be more about the crop circles than it really was. After the first part of the movie, the whole crop circle angle essentially dropped out of sight. If the crop circles were going to be used to set up the plot, it seems like it would've made sense to provide a bit more information about their purpose, other than to just have the omnipresent TV voice say they might be some sort of navigation device. You go to the trouble of showing all of these elaborate designs, including using them in all of the publicity for the movie, and then don't provide more info about them? Kind of like a little "bait and switch," almost. I'm not really much into crop circles or UFO's, but I think that most of the people who saw this movie were pulled in by the whole crop circle angle, yet this was just one of one of the many story elements that were not fully developed in this film.

2) The chain of foreshadowing, revealed at the end of the movie, was really a strecth, much more so than either of M. Night's two earlier movies (even the fragile Unbreakable). I think it's time for him to abandon this whole device. It's the kind of plot device that really only works in a one or two movies, anyway...but for the whole thing to be set up by the dying wife uttering, "Swing away, Merrill?" Then the daughter's leaving half-full (or half-empty, if you prefer) glasses of water lying around turn out to be a vehicle for the "alien's" (and I'll get to them in a minute) demise? Then the son's asthma ends up saving his life.

This film takes the whole, "everything happens for a reason," concept (which I happen to believe BTW), and hits the viewer over the head with it (no pun intended) in the most unsubtle ways. So we're supposed to buy that the minister's wife goes out for a walk before dinner, so that the vet (who appeared to be Asian-Indian--was there supposed to be some eastern spiritual signigicance to that? Like he was the mystic "[SUV]ehicle" for the events to unfold) could fall asleep at the wheel and smash her into a tree, so that she could have the "Swing away, Merrill" prophecy, that would help to save the rest of the family? And, correspondingly, the minister's brother's not being able to lay off a bad pitch was also a vehicle for the rest of the family to be saved? I am a Buddhist, but I am unable to "suspend my disbelief" enough to buy this implausible "karma chain." This all just seemed dumb, dumber, dumbest, to me. A sixth grader could write a better screenplay than this.

3) A fifth grader could come up with more original "aliens" than these. Spider men who shot poison gas out of their wrists instead of webs. Also, the whole hostile alien thing has been way overdone in movies for like half a century now. If we're going to continue to make "little green, or gray, or plaid, men" movies, Let's try to be a little more original with their appearance--and their motives for traveling across the universe to visit this little green and blue planet. The whole chameleon thing was a dumb idea, too. I almost laughed out loud when the alien's arm matched the pattern on the kid's shirt.

4) The acting left something to be desired, too, even Gibson's melodramatic performance (as an aside, I like Mel Gibson, but I'm already getting a bit tired of him using his film career to push his faith in less than subtle fashion, i.e. this role, and his upcoming Christ movie). Certainly not the first time in film history that the kids stole the show in a movie. The worst performance may have been from the woman who played the sheriff.

5) Another thing I just thought of, on the subject of faith. I'm sorry but, "crisis of faith," or not, what daddy--let alone an ex-minister--would deny his young son a prayer at the dinner table, especially when they all think the world's about to come to an end? He lets him have french toast and mashed potatoes for his "last supper," but he can't muster up one last prayer? Sorry, I'm not buying that for a minute. That whole dinner table seen was really dumb, esp. Gibson's part.

6) The usually weak and oddly placed injections of humor frequently undermined the already tenuous current of tension in the movie.

7) I completely disagree with the reviewer who thought the last 15-20 minutes was so great: I thought this was one of the weakest resolutions I've ever seen in a suspense movie.

8) From what I had heard about the movie, I was expecting a spiritual element to the resolution; but something better than "minsister loses faith when wife dies...then regains his faith after his brother, and a few half glasses of water, kill an alien to save the rest of his family."

Bottom line: this movie built up a lot of expectations, both in the publicity for it, and during the movie itself...and it didn't deliver on any of them. Hopefully, M. Night's made enough money to retire now. I'm out.

I'm suprised by all the bad reviews for this movie. I do admit that it could have been even better than it was... btu it was still a really good movie.
It think that a lot of people didn't like it because it was portrayed in the trailers to be a horror/thriller about crop circles and aliens... and really, that was the background story. So, I think that the Blair Witch lovers out there were a little disappointed that it wasn't what it was made out to be in commercials.
The movie is about a widowed-ex-priest and father of two(Mel Gibson)who is having a hard time coming to grips with the death of his wife. His brother moves in the farm-house with him to help him with the housework and the kids.
Out of nowhere, these perfectly detailed crop circles start popping up in the middle of their corn fields - and when they turn on the news they find out that they're not alone! They are popping up all over the world! And when it is revealed that aliens are behind the crop-circles and that they are planning on taking over earth, panic breaks loose all over the world as people search for a way to fight them off.
But, as I stated above, the aliens and crop circles aren't the main focus of the movie. The movie has a much deeper plot - trying to drive home the fact that EVERYTHING in life - no matter how insignificant it might seem at the time - happens for a reason. Like the daughter who drives her father crazy with the bad habit of leaving half-full glasses of water ALL over the house, his son having asthma, his wife's last words, his brother-in-law being an ex-baseball rookie... it was all for a reason - to help them fight off the aliens in the end.
I think that it was a really good ending. If you watch it and don't expect a horror flick or a movie full of intesnse suspense, then I think that you will enjoy the movie too. It's full of good acting, some laughs, and a deep, meaningful plot. I recommended it.

It's the end of the world, aliens are here, the only thing to do is save you family!
Mel Gibson, starring as a father who's an ex-vicer, has to save he's family. This film makes you feel like your there, i don't get scared easily but this film, made my pants wet!
WATCH IT! or they may came for YOU!

There are 36 dramatic situations in the known universe. Every plot is a variation on these 36 dramatic situations. The Greek playwrites came up with all of them and honed them to perfection. What does this have to do with Star Trek Nemesis? Well a lot, actually. It isn't a remake of Wrath of Khan. Certainly there are some basic plot similarities but these are mostly superficial. Thematically the film has less to do with Trek 2 than with Trek 8. So if there are 36 dramatic situations (and everything, remember, is a variation on these)and there are 10 Trek films, what is the likelihood that there could be some plot similarities? A whole lot actually and Trek 8 in my humble opinion does it better in some areas and, yes, a bit worse than Trek 2 in others. It's not the worst of the Trek franchise that a lot of Trekkers claim but it's not the best either. For the worst of the Trek films featuring the Next Gen, I'd recommend Generations which was like an episode of the series (not a particularly brilliant one I might add but average)inflated into an epic film for the big screen.

What does work in Nemesis works extremely well. Picard celebrates the end of an era with his crewmates as Troi and Riker get married. As if that wasn't enough change, Riker assumes command of another ship (the Titan)with Troi at his side. Commander Data finally moves up in rank (and does so without anyone dying)to second in command of the Enterprise.

After celebrating their wedding on Earth, Riker and Troi embark back to Troi's home world for a ceremony there aboard the Enterprise. En route to the planet Betazoid, the crew picks up a signal that could only be from a positronic brain like Data's. Intrigued, the crew go to this planet unsure of what they will find. It's pretty darn close to the Neutral Zone so Riker, still Picard's right hand man, suggests caution. They discover another of Data's long lost relatives in the process.

Meanwhile, Star Fleet has received a communication from the new Praetor of the Romulan Empire. They've requested a Star Fleet representative come to Romulus immediately. Since the Enterprise is the closest ship available, Picard and crew are sent there where there are a number of surprises awaiting them.

Contrary to a previous review, the acting is solid throughout and hangs in there with some of the best in the Next Gen film series. I'm rather surprised that the director Stuart Baird elected not to reintegrate any of the cut sequences for the film. They would have actually strengthened the narrative and explained a lot (for example, why Worf was on the Enterprise after being appointed to a position on Klingon. Turns out the diplomatic life wasn't for him. That line of dialog was lost during the cutting phase of the film). The cut sequences consistent of interesting character moments and revealed quite a bit about Picard, his feelings about meeting Shinzon the new Praetor of Romulus.

My suggestion--give Nemesis a chance. It's an entertaining film that has a number of marvelous battle sequences and some nicely nuanced acting from the Trek veterans. While the pacing is a bit sluggish at times, the overall pace of the film actually helps the film achieve some of its thematic gravity and momentum. I'd also suggest lightening up a bit here--it's a film in a franchise series that attempts to entertain while examining a number of interesting themes (whether our decisions create who we are or if we are just a victim of circumstance and formed by these very circumstances).

The visuals are top notch. I had my reservations about the digital visuals used in the film (actually it began as far back as First Contact where the Enterprise was a virtual Enterprise and not a model) but I've been proven wrong. They look impressive and there are visuals that couldn't have been accomplished with models and animation that are accomplished here.

After 72 episodes of the original series, over 100 episodes of the Next Generation, ten feature films (not to mention the spin-off series DS9, Voyager, Enterprise and all the novels spun off from the various series), sooner or later there was bound to be a dramatic situation that was repeated. It happened before (during Next Gen and the other series). I'm not quite sure what some fans were expecting but Nemesis is a fine (but far from perfect) addition to the Trek films. Remember, next time you think you've seen that plot before, you probably have so be kind in your judgment. Nobody has had any success coming up with a 37th dramatic situation yet and until they do, we're stuck with 36 over and over and over again. Remember, the play's the thing.

Star Trek: Nemesis, the 10th (and possibly final) feature film based on Gene Roddenberry's seminal science fiction TV franchise, isn't as bad a Trek film as some would lead one to believe. Sure, it isn't as good or satisfying as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, but then again that film had Nicholas Meyer at the helm, which gave the Original Series' cast a worthy farewell.

Noted film editor-turned-director Stuart Baird isn't Nick Meyer, who gave his two Trek chapters its clever mix of Horatio-Hornblower-in-the-stars, literary allusions (Dickens and Melville in The Wrath of Khan and Shakespeare in The Undiscovered Country) and some outsider's irreverence to counter the first, flawed Star Trek film's pondering pretentions of grandeur. But as a Trek outsider, Baird attempts to tell a dramatic tale which pits Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise-E crew against Shimzon (Tom Hardy), a human who has been a slave on the Romulans' sister planet Remus and has become Praetor of the Romulan Empire in a deadly coup d'etat. Cunning, ruthless and brimming with resentment, Shimzon is not only a fierce warrior and a veteran of the Dominion War, he's also Picard's clone.

For all its perceived flaws, Nemesis somehow plays better on the small screen than it does in the multiplex. It feels more natural watching this at home on a DVD player; screenwriter John Logan is an admitted Star Trek fan and blended elements from Star Trek II (which this movie's plot bears a similarity to in various respects) with an above-average Data-and-Picard episode from The Next Generation. After all, Nemesis revolves around Picard and Data (Brent Spiner, who, with Logan and producer Rick Berman, co-wrote the story); each finds a mirror image of himself -- Picard/Shimzon and Data discovers his flawed prototype B-4 -- and each is forced to deal with his "evil" twin.

At the heart of the story, Nemesis is also about family and the many transitions families go through in life. We first see the Enterprise family celebrating the long-awaited "conjugation" between Cmdr. William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and ship's Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), who, like children leaving home for college, are leaving the Enterprise for the USS Titan, Riker's first command. We follow the crew on this final trek across the stars, only to watch as they mourn the loss of a cherished comrade.

Star Trek: Nemesis' special effects are excellent, and Baird's experience as both an editor (Superman: The Movie) and director gives the action sequences a kinetic energy absent from the previous film, Insurrection. The score by noted composer Jerry Goldsmith is also outstanding. (Brent Spiner fans who know the actor is also a gifted singer should find his rendition of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" as a very enjoyable bonus.)

The Paramount Widescreen Collection DVD is above average considering it's not a 2-disc "Collector's Edition." It not only has a crisp digital transfer and clear sound, but it has audio commentary by Baird, deleted scenes and a handful of "making-of" documentaries.

This film has haunting music, great special effects, and terrific themes. The DVD has incredible extras. A must have for anyone who likes action movies.

There are 36 dramatic situations in the known universe. Every plot is a variation on these 36 dramatic situations. The Greek playwrites came up with all of them and honed them to perfection. What does this have to do with Star Trek Nemesis? Well a lot, actually. It isn't a remake of Wrath of Khan. Certainly there are some basic plot similarities but these are mostly superficial. Thematically the film has less to do with Trek 2 than with Trek 8. So if there are 36 dramatic situations (and everything, remember, is a variation on these)and there are 10 Trek films, what is the likelihood that there could be some plot similarities? A whole lot actually and Trek 8 in my humble opinion does it better in some areas and, yes, a bit worse than Trek 2 in others. It's not the worst of the Trek franchise that a lot of Trekkers claim but it's not the best either. For the worst of the Trek films featuring the Next Gen, I'd recommend Generations which was like an episode of the series (not a particularly brilliant one I might add but average)inflated into an epic film for the big screen.

What does work in Nemesis works extremely well. Picard celebrates the end of an era with his crewmates as Troi and Riker get married. As if that wasn't enough change, Riker assumes command of another ship (the Titan)with Troi at his side. Commander Data finally moves up in rank (and does so without anyone dying)to second in command of the Enterprise.

After celebrating their wedding on Earth, Riker and Troi embark back to Troi's home world for a ceremony there aboard the Enterprise. En route to the planet Betazoid, the crew picks up a signal that could only be from a positronic brain like Data's. Intrigued, the crew go to this planet unsure of what they will find. It's pretty darn close to the Neutral Zone so Riker, still Picard's right hand man, suggests caution. They discover another of Data's long lost relatives in the process.

Meanwhile, Star Fleet has received a communication from the new Praetor of the Romulan Empire. They've requested a Star Fleet representative come to Romulus immediately. Since the Enterprise is the closest ship available, Picard and crew are sent there where there are a number of surprises awaiting them.

Contrary to a previous review, the acting is solid throughout and hangs in there with some of the best in the Next Gen film series. I'm rather surprised that the director Stuart Baird elected not to reintegrate any of the cut sequences for the film. They would have actually strengthened the narrative and explained a lot (for example, why Worf was on the Enterprise after being appointed to a position on Klingon. Turns out the diplomatic life wasn't for him. That line of dialog was lost during the cutting phase of the film). The cut sequences consistent of interesting character moments and revealed quite a bit about Picard, his feelings about meeting Shinzon the new Praetor of Romulus.

My suggestion--give Nemesis a chance. It's an entertaining film that has a number of marvelous battle sequences and some nicely nuanced acting from the Trek veterans. While the pacing is a bit sluggish at times, the overall pace of the film actually helps the film achieve some of its thematic gravity and momentum. I'd also suggest lightening up a bit here--it's a film in a franchise series that attempts to entertain while examining a number of interesting themes (whether our decisions create who we are or if we are just a victim of circumstance and formed by these very circumstances).

The visuals are top notch. I had my reservations about the digital visuals used in the film (actually it began as far back as First Contact where the Enterprise was a virtual Enterprise and not a model) but I've been proven wrong. They look impressive and there are visuals that couldn't have been accomplished with models and animation that are accomplished here.

After 72 episodes of the original series, over 100 episodes of the Next Generation, ten feature films (not to mention the spin-off series DS9, Voyager, Enterprise and all the novels spun off from the various series), sooner or later there was bound to be a dramatic situation that was repeated. It happened before (during Next Gen and the other series). I'm not quite sure what some fans were expecting but Nemesis is a fine (but far from perfect) addition to the Trek films. Remember, next time you think you've seen that plot before, you probably have so be kind in your judgment. Nobody has had any success coming up with a 37th dramatic situation yet and until they do, we're stuck with 36 over and over and over again. Remember, the play's the thing.

Star Trek: Nemesis, the 10th (and possibly final) feature film based on Gene Roddenberry's seminal science fiction TV franchise, isn't as bad a Trek film as some would lead one to believe. Sure, it isn't as good or satisfying as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, but then again that film had Nicholas Meyer at the helm, which gave the Original Series' cast a worthy farewell.

Noted film editor-turned-director Stuart Baird isn't Nick Meyer, who gave his two Trek chapters its clever mix of Horatio-Hornblower-in-the-stars, literary allusions (Dickens and Melville in The Wrath of Khan and Shakespeare in The Undiscovered Country) and some outsider's irreverence to counter the first, flawed Star Trek film's pondering pretentions of grandeur. But as a Trek outsider, Baird attempts to tell a dramatic tale which pits Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise-E crew against Shimzon (Tom Hardy), a human who has been a slave on the Romulans' sister planet Remus and has become Praetor of the Romulan Empire in a deadly coup d'etat. Cunning, ruthless and brimming with resentment, Shimzon is not only a fierce warrior and a veteran of the Dominion War, he's also Picard's clone.

For all its perceived flaws, Nemesis somehow plays better on the small screen than it does in the multiplex. It feels more natural watching this at home on a DVD player; screenwriter John Logan is an admitted Star Trek fan and blended elements from Star Trek II (which this movie's plot bears a similarity to in various respects) with an above-average Data-and-Picard episode from The Next Generation. After all, Nemesis revolves around Picard and Data (Brent Spiner, who, with Logan and producer Rick Berman, co-wrote the story); each finds a mirror image of himself -- Picard/Shimzon and Data discovers his flawed prototype B-4 -- and each is forced to deal with his "evil" twin.

At the heart of the story, Nemesis is also about family and the many transitions families go through in life. We first see the Enterprise family celebrating the long-awaited "conjugation" between Cmdr. William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and ship's Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), who, like children leaving home for college, are leaving the Enterprise for the USS Titan, Riker's first command. We follow the crew on this final trek across the stars, only to watch as they mourn the loss of a cherished comrade.

Star Trek: Nemesis' special effects are excellent, and Baird's experience as both an editor (Superman: The Movie) and director gives the action sequences a kinetic energy absent from the previous film, Insurrection. The score by noted composer Jerry Goldsmith is also outstanding. (Brent Spiner fans who know the actor is also a gifted singer should find his rendition of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" as a very enjoyable bonus.)

The Paramount Widescreen Collection DVD is above average considering it's not a 2-disc "Collector's Edition." It not only has a crisp digital transfer and clear sound, but it has audio commentary by Baird, deleted scenes and a handful of "making-of" documentaries.

This film has haunting music, great special effects, and terrific themes. The DVD has incredible extras. A must have for anyone who likes action movies.

I didn't like this film at all.
Too much fuss for nothing!
Too many heroes,extraordinary unreal characters and behaviours...

I like S.F. films however this one is way out of proportions.
Armageddon, Deep Impact and Space Cowboys were FAAAR better films, more believable I would say.
Take my word for it!

P.S. You ought to watch it if you want to laugh.

This is a standard formula action flick, but for that genre, it is a good one. Will Smith does a great job. The viewer is invested in the outcome, which is highly satisfying. Worth your time if you want an escape one afternoon.

This movie took an old idea of alien invasion and updated it flawlessly. It also includes pop culture UFO references. I hope Independence Day 2 gets made.

John Harrison's adaption of Dune for the small screen acomplishes much of what David Lynch's film adaption could not. A coherent story, emphasis on the book's major dramatic conflicts, and a realistic portrayal of the evil Harkonnens. This version of the mini-series solves many of the problems the original broadcast version DVD could not. The final battle at the palace of Arakeen was given short shrift in the original broadcast but has much more impact here when shown in full, as originally intended. Some scenes containing nudity were originally edited but are now much more realistic. And I for one won't complain about seeing the lovely Barbara Kodetova in the buff! All in all this is a much more satisfying experience than the original broadcast DVD and puts even more distance between itself and the Lynch movie version. If you only buy one, buy this, and you won't regret it!

Despite my 5-star rating, there are some pretty big problems that need to be pointed out:

-it was too short
-some weak casting, especially for Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
-considering the quality of the source material, John Harrison should be ashamed of much of the writing in especially the first episode
-the Fremen aren't portrayed correctly (clean, water-fat white people? I don't think so)

The last point doesn't really bother me, considering the circumstances, but the other three would have wiped out any chance of a perfect score if not for three main points: 1) If it were not for these bad points it would, like the book and its sequels, stand high above all others as a pinnacle of excellence of Shakespearean proportions--instead, it is forced to contend with other 5-star movies, such as Pitch Black, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings; 2) I believe that for all its shortfalls, it really captures the spirit and essence of the novel; and 3) this DVD set includes not only a good 5-hour movie, but also a nice load of excellent special features.

The movie follows a basic sequence of increasing quality from beginning to end. In truth, if the whole thing were like the first episode, I wouldn't have such a high opinion of it. The words in the book should have been taken much more seriously than they were. But the beginning isn't all bad. On the contrary, the scenes with the Baron Harkonnen are very high quality. Ian McNeice and Matt Keeslar work perfectly together throughout the movie.

The second episode is better than the first. At this point, many people are unhappy, because it looks like everything was shot on a sound stage, which it was. Part of the problem is that the sand that was delivered to them was not the same color as what they had ordered. Personally though, I thought it added an artistic touch, giving the movie an elevated quality, like a play about an epic Greek tragedy--a quality that often matches part of the mood of the book. It is also in this episode that you are finally treated to the outstanding performance of Barbara Kodetová, the best actress in the world. Even if you don't like the rest of the movie, you're sure to enjoy watching her fantastic treatment of the Chani character. Like the first episode, this one also races through the story much faster than it should. This is unfortunate but not fatal. By the end of this episode, you should be very excited to begin the next.

The final episode is the best of the three. This is where director John Harrison and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro really earn their pay. Even Zuzana Geislerová's terrible acting couldn't ruin this episode, although a better actress could still have improved it. As it draws closer to the end, the spirit and feeling of the book are captured more closely than I would ever have thought possible. My favorite scenes near the very end are the real reason that I couldn't bear to give it less than five stars. If the whole thing were this good, it might give a partial idea of just how magnificent the book is.

It's also worth noting great performances by Laura Burton (Alia) and Julie Cox (Princess Irulan). Have you ever seen a little girl acting circles around a room full of seasoned actors? You'll have your chance in the scenes with Alia. As for Julie Cox, she is the definitive Princess Irulan, plain and simple; although Purists might be unhappy about her expanded role.

If you don't have any experience with the books, you should be aware that The Master's writing can't be accurately adapted to the screen. He uses techniques that are exclusive to the book format. My point is that you should not think that watching any movie will give you much of an idea of what DUNE is all about. But it's a great movie in its own right, and it's great to be able to see parts of the story play out in live action.

All I can say is this is just good. I'm a big dune fan and I didn't like the original movie, it failed, but when I saw this one, it was like Whoa! I loved it.

John Harrison's adaption of Dune for the small screen acomplishes much of what David Lynch's film adaption could not. A coherent story, emphasis on the book's major dramatic conflicts, and a realistic portrayal of the evil Harkonnens. This version of the mini-series solves many of the problems the original broadcast version DVD could not. The final battle at the palace of Arakeen was given short shrift in the original broadcast but has much more impact here when shown in full, as originally intended. Some scenes containing nudity were originally edited but are now much more realistic. And I for one won't complain about seeing the lovely Barbara Kodetova in the buff! All in all this is a much more satisfying experience than the original broadcast DVD and puts even more distance between itself and the Lynch movie version. If you only buy one, buy this, and you won't regret it!

Despite my 5-star rating, there are some pretty big problems that need to be pointed out:

-it was too short
-some weak casting, especially for Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
-considering the quality of the source material, John Harrison should be ashamed of much of the writing in especially the first episode
-the Fremen aren't portrayed correctly (clean, water-fat white people? I don't think so)

The last point doesn't really bother me, considering the circumstances, but the other three would have wiped out any chance of a perfect score if not for three main points: 1) If it were not for these bad points it would, like the book and its sequels, stand high above all others as a pinnacle of excellence of Shakespearean proportions--instead, it is forced to contend with other 5-star movies, such as Pitch Black, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings; 2) I believe that for all its shortfalls, it really captures the spirit and essence of the novel; and 3) this DVD set includes not only a good 5-hour movie, but also a nice load of excellent special features.

The movie follows a basic sequence of increasing quality from beginning to end. In truth, if the whole thing were like the first episode, I wouldn't have such a high opinion of it. The words in the book should have been taken much more seriously than they were. But the beginning isn't all bad. On the contrary, the scenes with the Baron Harkonnen are very high quality. Ian McNeice and Matt Keeslar work perfectly together throughout the movie.

The second episode is better than the first. At this point, many people are unhappy, because it looks like everything was shot on a sound stage, which it was. Part of the problem is that the sand that was delivered to them was not the same color as what they had ordered. Personally though, I thought it added an artistic touch, giving the movie an elevated quality, like a play about an epic Greek tragedy--a quality that often matches part of the mood of the book. It is also in this episode that you are finally treated to the outstanding performance of Barbara Kodetová, the best actress in the world. Even if you don't like the rest of the movie, you're sure to enjoy watching her fantastic treatment of the Chani character. Like the first episode, this one also races through the story much faster than it should. This is unfortunate but not fatal. By the end of this episode, you should be very excited to begin the next.

The final episode is the best of the three. This is where director John Harrison and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro really earn their pay. Even Zuzana Geislerová's terrible acting couldn't ruin this episode, although a better actress could still have improved it. As it draws closer to the end, the spirit and feeling of the book are captured more closely than I would ever have thought possible. My favorite scenes near the very end are the real reason that I couldn't bear to give it less than five stars. If the whole thing were this good, it might give a partial idea of just how magnificent the book is.

It's also worth noting great performances by Laura Burton (Alia) and Julie Cox (Princess Irulan). Have you ever seen a little girl acting circles around a room full of seasoned actors? You'll have your chance in the scenes with Alia. As for Julie Cox, she is the definitive Princess Irulan, plain and simple; although Purists might be unhappy about her expanded role.

If you don't have any experience with the books, you should be aware that The Master's writing can't be accurately adapted to the screen. He uses techniques that are exclusive to the book format. My point is that you should not think that watching any movie will give you much of an idea of what DUNE is all about. But it's a great movie in its own right, and it's great to be able to see parts of the story play out in live action.

All I can say is this is just good. I'm a big dune fan and I didn't like the original movie, it failed, but when I saw this one, it was like Whoa! I loved it.

A good film will never take itself too seriously. A good film will remind you that you are watching a film, not a slice of reality. In most respects, this makes it all the more fun to watch. Troopers is the epitome of tongue-in-cheek.
Troopers never, ever, ever takes itself seriously. And it does it well. It's funny because it's ridiculous, because it's so... gross. You feel for the characters because they're so blatantly two-dimensional. You care about them.
I mean, come on. Massive bugs that want to destroy humanity? Hardly an original set-up for a film. Throw in some megabudget CGI, some rather weak actors, a shower scene and LOTS of fake blood, this could have been a huge flop. But because it was tongue-in-cheek all the way through, because it acknowledged its own absurdity, Troopers has become a cult classic. Even if nobody 'gets' the satirical undertones, it's a fun film that's fun to watch, with lots of nice gory action sequences.

ok, bugs in space splattering blood and guts all over the camera. a bit much at times but if you remember that its just a make-believe movie and don't let kids anywhere near it, its good.

I love Starship Troopers. It's an awesome totally underrated sci-fi action flick. It's really a movie made a high school audience but is made an adult world.

Starship Troopers was directed by Paul Verhoven(Robocop,Total Recall, Basic Instinct). It's easily one of the best pictures he's ever done. He's an underrated director in Hollywood and it's a shame more people don't know who he is.

The movie is based of the Robert Heimlin novel. I don't know how accurate it is to the book, because I've never read it. The movie tells the story of a bunch of kids who are graduating from high school. They live an a nazi based society. They all join the service so they can become citizens. They all end up fighting bugs and saving the day. Well the ones that live.

The movie has great special effects. In Disc 2 on the extras they go through and show how a lot of the stuff was done. Some of it is impressive and it shows how much time can go into just a couple of simple shots. All the bugs look realistic. Plenty of humans get ripped to shred in all the blood and gore. The space shots and ship shots are also great. The movie can't be praised enough for it's special effects.

The movie has a great young cast. Casper Van Dien plays an outstanding lead guy. It's a shame this has been his only hit movie. He's great as Johnny Rico. Denise Richards is awesome in the movie. She has to be easily one of the most beautiful woman in the world. It's also got the guy from Doogie Howser and it's kind of funny to see him again. Dina Meyer is in it and she's hot too. Just a great young cast.

I love Starship Troopers. I don't know what else to tell you about other than I love it. I love sci-fi action flicks and this is one of the best I've ever seen. It's a very rated R moive for blood,gore,violence,language, and nudity. What else would you ecxpect from Vonhoven. It's an awesome movie. Don't miss out.

A good film will never take itself too seriously. A good film will remind you that you are watching a film, not a slice of reality. In most respects, this makes it all the more fun to watch. Troopers is the epitome of tongue-in-cheek.
Troopers never, ever, ever takes itself seriously. And it does it well. It's funny because it's ridiculous, because it's so... gross. You feel for the characters because they're so blatantly two-dimensional. You care about them.
I mean, come on. Massive bugs that want to destroy humanity? Hardly an original set-up for a film. Throw in some megabudget CGI, some rather weak actors, a shower scene and LOTS of fake blood, this could have been a huge flop. But because it was tongue-in-cheek all the way through, because it acknowledged its own absurdity, Troopers has become a cult classic. Even if nobody 'gets' the satirical undertones, it's a fun film that's fun to watch, with lots of nice gory action sequences.

ok, bugs in space splattering blood and guts all over the camera. a bit much at times but if you remember that its just a make-believe movie and don't let kids anywhere near it, its good.

I love Starship Troopers. It's an awesome totally underrated sci-fi action flick. It's really a movie made a high school audience but is made an adult world.

Starship Troopers was directed by Paul Verhoven(Robocop,Total Recall, Basic Instinct). It's easily one of the best pictures he's ever done. He's an underrated director in Hollywood and it's a shame more people don't know who he is.

The movie is based of the Robert Heimlin novel. I don't know how accurate it is to the book, because I've never read it. The movie tells the story of a bunch of kids who are graduating from high school. They live an a nazi based society. They all join the service so they can become citizens. They all end up fighting bugs and saving the day. Well the ones that live.

The movie has great special effects. In Disc 2 on the extras they go through and show how a lot of the stuff was done. Some of it is impressive and it shows how much time can go into just a couple of simple shots. All the bugs look realistic. Plenty of humans get ripped to shred in all the blood and gore. The space shots and ship shots are also great. The movie can't be praised enough for it's special effects.

The movie has a great young cast. Casper Van Dien plays an outstanding lead guy. It's a shame this has been his only hit movie. He's great as Johnny Rico. Denise Richards is awesome in the movie. She has to be easily one of the most beautiful woman in the world. It's also got the guy from Doogie Howser and it's kind of funny to see him again. Dina Meyer is in it and she's hot too. Just a great young cast.

I love Starship Troopers. I don't know what else to tell you about other than I love it. I love sci-fi action flicks and this is one of the best I've ever seen. It's a very rated R moive for blood,gore,violence,language, and nudity. What else would you ecxpect from Vonhoven. It's an awesome movie. Don't miss out.

A good film will never take itself too seriously. A good film will remind you that you are watching a film, not a slice of reality. In most respects, this makes it all the more fun to watch. Troopers is the epitome of tongue-in-cheek.
Troopers never, ever, ever takes itself seriously. And it does it well. It's funny because it's ridiculous, because it's so... gross. You feel for the characters because they're so blatantly two-dimensional. You care about them.
I mean, come on. Massive bugs that want to destroy humanity? Hardly an original set-up for a film. Throw in some megabudget CGI, some rather weak actors, a shower scene and LOTS of fake blood, this could have been a huge flop. But because it was tongue-in-cheek all the way through, because it acknowledged its own absurdity, Troopers has become a cult classic. Even if nobody 'gets' the satirical undertones, it's a fun film that's fun to watch, with lots of nice gory action sequences.

ok, bugs in space splattering blood and guts all over the camera. a bit much at times but if you remember that its just a make-believe movie and don't let kids anywhere near it, its good.

I love Starship Troopers. It's an awesome totally underrated sci-fi action flick. It's really a movie made a high school audience but is made an adult world.

Starship Troopers was directed by Paul Verhoven(Robocop,Total Recall, Basic Instinct). It's easily one of the best pictures he's ever done. He's an underrated director in Hollywood and it's a shame more people don't know who he is.

The movie is based of the Robert Heimlin novel. I don't know how accurate it is to the book, because I've never read it. The movie tells the story of a bunch of kids who are graduating from high school. They live an a nazi based society. They all join the service so they can become citizens. They all end up fighting bugs and saving the day. Well the ones that live.

The movie has great special effects. In Disc 2 on the extras they go through and show how a lot of the stuff was done. Some of it is impressive and it shows how much time can go into just a couple of simple shots. All the bugs look realistic. Plenty of humans get ripped to shred in all the blood and gore. The space shots and ship shots are also great. The movie can't be praised enough for it's special effects.

The movie has a great young cast. Casper Van Dien plays an outstanding lead guy. It's a shame this has been his only hit movie. He's great as Johnny Rico. Denise Richards is awesome in the movie. She has to be easily one of the most beautiful woman in the world. It's also got the guy from Doogie Howser and it's kind of funny to see him again. Dina Meyer is in it and she's hot too. Just a great young cast.

I love Starship Troopers. I don't know what else to tell you about other than I love it. I love sci-fi action flicks and this is one of the best I've ever seen. It's a very rated R moive for blood,gore,violence,language, and nudity. What else would you ecxpect from Vonhoven. It's an awesome movie. Don't miss out.