'Dune': Movie Review

DUNE is part one of a futuristic science fiction epic based on the classic 1960s novel. In the story, the Galactic Emperor pits one noble faction, the Atreides family, against the Harkonnen family. He removes the Harkonnens from control of a desert planet, which produces a material called spice that gives people long life and powers space travel. The Emperor transfers the planet’s control to Duke Leto Atreides. Angered by this apparent betrayal, Baron Harkonnen invades the planet and has Duke Leto murdered. Leto’s son, Paul, and Paul’s mother escape, however. Paul believes if he can unite the native population, they can overthrow Baron Harkonnen.

DUNE is a powerful, exciting, satisfying epic. It’s worth seeing on a big screen. Even better, the movie has strong Christological themes, excellent dialogue and conservative statements about freedom and individualism. It affirms a father’s love and the importance of motherhood. DUNE has very little foul language, and no explicit crude content. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children and young teenagers because of intense action violence and references to the hallucinogenic properties of the natural resource called spice.

There are clear conservative themes and statements throughout the movie affirming a father’s love, the importance of motherhood and child rearing, the importance of independence, the clear prophetic vision of a messiah, the oppression of dictatorship and a malevolent Emperor, and much more. All these themes are mixed with the constant knowledge that the spice is a hallucinogen as well as a space propellant and the political intrigue that involves this desert planet because of its rare resource.

Part I of DUNE is exciting and captivating, but, as it should, it leaves a lot of questions to be answered in the next movie. The many loose ends and themes will tied up, but they’re not in this part.

In many ways, DUNE is like LORD OF THE RINGS, which is what the producer and director intended. For those who have read the book, it’s much more satisfying than David Lynch’s 1984 version. In fact, the director and his vision are to be commended.

Because of the intense fighting, which never gets too bloody or graphic, and the hallucinogenic references, the movie gets a caution for older children and young teenagers.

What is amazing is that the filmmakers successfully brought the first book to the screen and brought together many different people groups, actors and craftsmen to create a powerful work of art that’s also entertaining. DUNE has very little foul language and no explicit lewd content.