Full disclosure: similar to my previous post about the 26th Anniverary DVD of The Jerk, I recently received a copy of Dune: Extended Edition from Special Ops Media in return for writing a review. I don’t do this too often, but I make exceptions for things like this that I probably would’ve ended up buying anyway. 
This particular release has been highly anticipated for some time, as there have long been rumors of a four to five hour version of David Lynch’s Dune, as opposed to the two hour, seventeen minute theatrical release. This Extended Edition is not the realization of fans’ hopes for a five-hour cut, and although the film has been recut to two hours and fifty-seven minutes, it was done so without David Lynch’s involvement, hence the “Alan Smithee” director’s credit. There is a set of deleted scenes over and above both versions that is introduced by producer Raffaella De Laurentiis in which she states that “no final cut ever existed outside of the theatrical release,” but apparently there is still some doubt about this amongst fans.
I thought that I had seen the original theatrical version of Dune, but having watched the Extended Edition over the weekend, I obviously have only seen snippets of the film. Having seen the film, I was quite engaged by the epic plotline and really want to read the book(s) now. I also need to watch the original theatrical release, as there is some debate about which version does a better job presenting the expansive storyline and complicated character relationships.
Since I haven’t yet had time to watch the theatrical release, I can’t personally attest to the additions to the Extended Edition and will rely on some other reviews that I’ve read. Rather than the original introductory narration by Princess Irulan, the Extended Edition begins with an opening sequence in which a different voiceover accompanies still paintings that illustrate the Dune Universe and its complicated cast of characters, with a historical perspective that leads up to the film’s events. This narration is repeated throughout key scenes of the film in order to give some perspective on what just occurred, with varying success, in my opinion. There is some debate as to whether the other additional footage introduced into the Extended Edition helps to clarify the complicated relationships and plotlines in the movie. I must admit that I had to pay attention in order to follow everything, but on the whole I was drawn in and didn’t have too much trouble keeping up.
The DVD is double-sided, with the Extended Edition on one side and the theatrical release and Special Features on the other. The metallic case housing the DVD is one of the nicest ones that I’ve seen outside of more elaborate boxed set packagings. The Extended Edition is an anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer that isn’t great compared to some remastering efforts that I’ve seen, but at least they preserved the correct aspect ratio. Some fans had hoped for a DTS soundtrack, but that was obviously shelved. It would be nearly impossible to fit a DTS mix on this single-disc version, which is why rumors of a two-disc release were rampant. Both versions of the film feature Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and on the whole I must admit to being somewhat underwhelmed by the sound mix. The excellent musical score could have made better use of the overall sound stage, and the somewhat disparate volume of dialogue and music was annoying at times.
A booklet insert of Dune Terminology summarizes key concepts, families, and phrases; the other side graphically illustrates the “tree” of Special Features. Special Features include:
- Deleted scenes
- “Designing Dune” featurette
- “Dune FX” featurette
- “Dune Models” featurette
- “Dune Wardrobe” featurette
- Photograph gallery
Despite some of the shortcomings I mentioned above, the value of purchasing this DVD versus the previous release is greatly enhanced by the quality of these featurettes, as they were all very well done and were unusually informative and interesting.
Bottom line, fans of Dune will definitely want to get their hands on this DVD. It may not be the “definitive” version that many were hoping for, but the Extended Edition and the associated Special Features offer enough new material and perspectives to make it worth your while. Newbies to the Dune film/novels or the science fiction genre in general may not find it as appealing, but as someone new to the Dune universe, I found myself more than engaged by the film.
