Muad'Dib! The Musical

Just for fun, I added some entries into Scalzi's little writing contest over at his AMC column. This is the only one that I didn't think was quite up to the contest standards, so I guess I'll post it here. You can see the others in the comments at the column.

Despite the angelic singing voice of Hugh Jackman, the latest screen version of the novel Dune, Muad'Dib! The Musical suffers from many of the problems that have plagued past adaptations as well as adding a host of new ones.

From the beginning some vocal critiques in the fan community have criticized the role of Paul being given to Jackman, but he does not feel quite as out of place as some more egregiously miscast members such as Fantasia Barrino as the Reverend Mother and Kenny Chesney as Duke Leto Atreides. Despite the many new action sequences the plot slithers along painfully when faced with a cast that seems to realize that this latest installment isn’t going to provide much momentum for their stalling careers. Even Jackman himself seems to react woodenly against with Chesney and his nameless love interest played by the disinterested Renee Zellweger.

Further, technical problems plague the many special effects, probably due to the rushed post-production schedule. If you are least hoping for a Star Wars like bonanza, prepare to be disappointed by flat looking backgrounds and positively uninspired art direction. Universal apparently believes that musicals no longer require any visual stimulation to carry them through.

Overall, you’re better served seeing one of the other musicals adapted from science fiction properties playing currently, Star Trek: The Next Tango or Babylon 6: Musical Disarmament.

I like my first entry particularly, so after the winners are announced, I'll probably repost that one (or perhaps all of them) here.