The long-awaited release of the movie Dune has finally arrived!  As a bit of a sci-fi nerd, I have been looking forward to this movie almost as much as the next Marvel Cinematic Universe film. However, unlike MCU movies, I have to admit to coming into watching Dune with a bit of trepidation. To understand why let’s talk a bit about the history of the story.  

Before you go further, you might want to want to check out our Dune Movie Primer, from earlier this year.  It provides a good foundation of the backstory and lore of the Dune universe.  

The History of Dune (The Novels and the Adaptations)

The novel Dune (by Frank Herbert) was published in 1965. It won multiple awards and ended up being the first installment in what would become a 6-book series. Additional novels written by the author’s son (Brian Herbert) have been released over the years, as well. Dune was a groundbreaking novel for its time as an incredibly sprawling world-building endeavor, with highly detailed cultures, politics, theology, and technology. 

For many years, it was considered largely unfilmable. The story was just too sprawling and the special effects and locations would require a huge budget.  An early attempt in the 1970s was scrapped as the budget became too high for the studio to work with.  It wasn’t until 1984 that a studio was willing to take a chance of putting it on film, with director David Lynch taking his shot. It is questionable if the final movie that reached theaters was Lynch’s full vision but in any case, it met with a generally poor reception from critics and audiences. It’s an odd movie to watch and I can’t say I was a fan. 

Later, the book was adapted into a miniseries for the Sci-Fi Channel in 2000, called Frank Herbert’s Dune. Then a sequel in 2003 called Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune. They were fine for cable TV shows but didn’t exactly wow audiences.  This all brings us to Denis Villeneuve’s take as the filmmaker. Villeneuve has a history of making visionary sci-fi (Bladerunner 2049, and Arrival). So, what does his version of Dune look like? 

What’s The New Movie About

The story is set in the distant future, when humanity has spread out among the stars, evolving into a feudal interstellar society in which a variety of noble houses control entire planets, with an intergalactic emperor in charge of it all. The movie focuses on the members of one such noble house - House Atreides - with the main character being Paul Atreides, the young heir to the house. At the beginning of the film, the family and household (including servants and a military force) take stewardship of an inhospitable desert planet called Arrakis. The planet’s importance to the empire is that it is the sole source of Spice, a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. It is also a required element for interstellar navigation, and so the entire empire relies on the security of the planet and the production of Spice.

House Atreides takes over the planet from House Harkonnen, the clear villains of the film. They have largely subjugated the human population of the planet, driving the indigenous Fremen out into the desert.  From here the story revolves around political intrigue at an intergalactic level, with houses playing against each other for the favor of the emperor. House Atreides has become extremely popular among the empire’s population for being an honest and honorable house. This has made them plenty of enemies, including the Harkonnens and quite possibly the emperor himself. 

Being given stewardship of Arakis is both an opportunity and a terrible trap. Without giving anymore more away, we will see Paul and his mother on the run from enemy forces, escaping into the desert and discovering the secrets of Dune. 

Half the Story

Before you head into the theater or fire up your HBO Max service (the movie was released in theaters and on the streaming service on October 21, 2021) you should know that it is officially called Dune Part 1.  This is because the film will only cover the first half of the story from the novel. Anyone who has seen a novel split into two movies knows this will inevitably lead to a feeling that the story ends at the halfway point.  This is definitely the case with Dune. Part 2 is in pre-production and has not been fully guaranteed at this point. The studio is waiting to see the results of Dune Part 1, before committing to making Part 2. So, unlike something like Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (which was made into two movies, filmed concurrently), we’ll have to wait a bit for Dune Part 2, assuming it gets the green light.

Watch it or Not?

If you’re a sci-fi fan, then it’s a no-brainer. This is a serious attempt to adapt one of the most famous and influential sci-fi novels of all time. You kind of have to watch it. At the same time, the movie is quite a spectacle. The special effects are impressive and the story itself is deep and enthralling. It’s a bummer that it ends halfway through, but it’s still worth the watch.