DUNE: PROPHECY (4K): Experience Preferred, But Not Necessary

DUNE: PROPHECY - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (4K UHD)

2024 / 392 min

From Warner Bros.

#InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Though set in the same universe as Denis Villeneuve’s epic two-part adaptation of Dune, this six-episode series doesn’t really require that you’ve seen it. HBO’s Dune: Prophecy is set 10,000 years before the events in those films. So while the Atreides and Harkonnen surnames are central to the story, we’ve never met these characters before. And almost none of it takes place on the titular planet. 

Still, the show sometimes operates on the assumption that audiences are familiar with at least some aspects of Frank Herbert’s universe…the importance of planet Arrakis (Dune), civilization’s dependence on spice production, the nature of the Fremen, etc. It also feels like we’re jumping into the middle of the story and being brought up to speed with opening narration by its main character, Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson). But even then, it takes a couple of episodes for the viewer to keep track of who’s who and what they’re up to (and most are up to quite a bit). 

We’re introduced to a huge cast of characters whose purpose and motives are initially ambiguous, which will intrigue some viewers and frustrate others. And unlike the action and spectacle of Villenueve’s films, Dune: Prophecy is far more driven by the political maneuverings of the various “houses” vying for power. The nutshell story arc focuses on the Sisterhood, the school of “Truthsayers” that would eventually evolve into the Bene Gesserit that longtime Dunies are probably familiar with. Headed by Valya and her sister, Tula (Olivia Williams), their ultimate goal is to insinuate their influence on House Corrino, ruled by Emperor Javicco (Mark Strong), in order to put one of their own on the throne.

"My kingdom for a recliner."

But as Harkonnens, Valya and Tula are also driven by revenge, their hatred of House Atreides being an underlying factor in some of their decisions. What ultimately makes Dune: Prophecy interesting is that even though these two are the primary protagonists, their actions and motives are morally questionable at best. In fact, most of the major characters are seen plotting, conspiring and betraying others to serve their own agendas. This political intrigue grows increasingly complex with each episode, with occasional flashbacks that reveal Valya and Tula’s past and how it impacts the Sisterhood’s direction (which doesn’t sit well with everybody). 

Though Dune: Prophecy pretty light on action - even as the season draws to its conclusion - the overall narrative is eventually pretty engaging. Playing almost like a sci-fi soap opera, the series is loaded with plot twists and revelations, some we see coming, others we don’t. Of the plethora of characters to keep track of, the most interesting is Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), an enigmatic soldier whose power and motives threatens the Sisterhood...and everybody else, for that matter.

One aspect the series does share with the films is its aesthetic. Dune: Prophecy is visually gorgeous, each world painstakingly depicted through creative production design and excellent visual effects. It also features a moody, evocative music score by Volker Bertelmann. Conversely, and because this is HBO, there’s a lot more sex in this one, with most of the younger cast bumpin’ uglies at one point or another. 

Dune: Prophecy isn’t quite bingeworthy, but after a slow, murky start, it’s a pretty entertaining prequel series. But be prepared for an overall lack of closure, with a majority of the storylines left open-ended in anticipation of Season Two.

EXTRA KIBBLES

INSIDE THE EPISODE - Summary/breakdown of each of the six episodes.

FEATURETTES - Disc 1: Entering the Dune Universe; Houses Divided. Disc 2: Truth or Lie (2 parts); Expanding the Universe.

BUILDING WORLDS (Disc 3) - Exclusive to disc, this featurette covers how each world/planet was conceived & created.

BEHIND THE VEIL (Disc 3) - Five separate featurettes covering various technical aspects of the series.

DUNE: PART TWO and the World's Most Accurate Meme

DUNE: PART TWO (Blu-ray)

2024 / 166 min

FROM WARNER BROS / #InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Pepper the Poopy😸

I recently saw an amusing meme that read, “Dune is Star Wars for people who listen to Tool.” Not only did I laugh, I had to admit it was a spot-on assessment of the movie itself. If you are at-all familiar with Tool, you know their music is long, complex and damn-near inaccessible to casual listeners raised on three-minute pop tunes. Yet they are currently one of the biggest bands in the world.

Similarly, both parts of Dune are long, complex and damn-near inaccessible to anyone with short attention spans. Yet together, they form what’s arguably the best sci-fi saga since the original Star Wars trilogy. Much of that is due to Denis Villenueve, the only director to successfully wrangle Frank Herbert’s oppressively dense novel (which I got 100 pages into before giving up) without dumbing it down or turning it into a mere highlight reel. 

In our review of Dune: Part One, I mentioned the utter bravery of spending gajillions to tackle half of a story without being sure Part Two would ever even happen. But now that it has, Dune: Part Two demonstrates a considerable amount of bravery as well, beginning exactly where Part One ended, with no recap or exposition of who these characters are and what's transpired so far. It’s literally the second half of a five-hour film, with enough confidence in the ongoing story that dividing it into two parts is not-only logical, but preferred (this coming from a guy who normally condemns the practice as a cash grab). 

Date Night with Paul Atreides.

Part Two is bigger, more action packed and introduces several intriguing new characters, especially the psychotic heir to House Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha (played with menace by Austin Butler). Conversely, Christopher Walken is distractingly miscast as Emperor Shaddam, simply because he looks & sounds like himself. But perhaps the film's most surprising aspect - at least for those of us who couldn’t get through Herbert’s novel - is Paul Atreides’ (Timothee Chalamet) character transformation. Without going into specifics, let’s just say he doesn’t turn into another Luke Skywalker. But best of all, those massive, majestic sandworms show up early and often (a true sight to behold).

Both aesthetically and narratively, there’s so much going on that digesting the entire story as a single five-hour film would’ve been overwhelming in a theater. But while their overall visual and sonic grandeur is certainly diminished at home, watching Parts One & Two back-to-back on the sofa becomes immersive in a different way. It's a sprawling, complex story that may not always display a lot of heart, but is consistently engaging enough to justify two films and an epic overall length, especially for those of us who listen to Tool.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Chakobsa Training; Creating the Fremen World; Finding the Worlds of Dune; Buzz Around the New ‘Thopter’; Worm Riding; Becoming Feyd; A New Set of Threads; Deeper Into the Desert: The Sounds of Dune. These features run 4-13 minutes each and mostly cover various technical aspects of the film, such as various real locations, certain special effects sequences, Hans Zimmer’s brilliant score, production & costume design.

DIGITAL COPY