Callum reviewedOctober 27, 2025 ⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5) Dune – Spice, sand, and a story that does its duty, if not much more.
“Dune” takes on Frank Herbert’s sprawling epic with ambition and sincerity, delivering a faithful — if somewhat uneven — adaptation. Spread across a miniseries format, it has the time to explore the intricate politics and philosophy of Arrakis, but not always the budget or performances to make it soar.
The production design is serviceable, occasionally striking, though the early-2000s effects have aged about as well as a sandstorm. Still, the commitment to Herbert’s complex world and themes deserves credit — it tells the story, hits the key notes, and gives newcomers a fair idea of why Dune has loomed so large in science fiction for decades.
There’s little here to truly dazzle, but also nothing to offend the source material. It’s solid, competent, and earnest, if never quite transcendent. For fans of the saga, it’s a decent step into the desert — but for everyone else, it may feel more like a history lesson than a revelation.
A respectable retelling that gets the job done — spice included, spectacle optional.
