Dune: Prophecy First Reviews: Like Game of Thrones in Space, but Weirder

If the magnificent sequel Dune: Part Two wasn’t enough spice for your life, this year also brings the prequel TV series Dune: Prophecy. Debuting November 17 on HBO and Max, where you can also watch Denis Villeneuve’s Certified Fresh Dune movies, the show follows the origins of the sisterhood known as the Bene Gesserit. The first reviews of the first episodes celebrate its cast, weirdness, cinematic visuals, and likeness to Game of Thrones, but some say it’s packed with too much plot and characters.

Here’s what critics are saying about Dune: Prophecy:

Is it as good as the movies?

Sure, there’s no Timothée Chalamet or Zendaya gracing our screens, but the talent of the cast mixed with the absolutely stunning visuals and production design make the universe feel fathomless… It feels like this show has been plucked directly from the movie instead of feeling like a lesser imitation.
— Therese Lacson, Collider

The show fails to live up to most of what is so technically astonishing about the Villeneuve films. But… it offers moments of handsomely produced, morally murky scheming and backstabbing.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

If what drew you into Villeneuve’s films was mostly the haunting ambiance, you may be disappointed.
— Elijah Gonzaliez, Paste Magazine

This show indulges more sex and nudity than the Dune movies allow. It could be argued that elements like this introduce a liveliness often missing from the portentous big-screen behemoths, marking an improvement.
— Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle

There are echoes of what we see in the movies, but they come in different tones, as if the devolution toward the ascetic in the films is just beginning.
— Graeme Guttmann, Screen Rant

Even at its best Dune: Prophecy feels exceedingly dull when compared to its feature film counterparts.
— Joshua Ryan, FandomWire

(Photo by HBO)

Is it weirder?

If you’re looking for some of Dune’s wonderful sci-fi weirdness you’re in luck. Dune: Prophecy makes a meal of the Sisters’ many strange visions, in some cases even eclipsing Villeneuve’s interpretations of the Bene Gesserit’s internal powers.
— Belen Edwards, Mashable

The show’s horror elements lean into the weirder, more supernatural elements of the Dune universe that the first two movies haven’t touched upon quite as much.
— Reuben Baron, Looper.com

Villeneuve’s Dune films never go as fully wild as the books, but they at least retain a degree of oddness; Prophecy, on the other hand, seems almost afraid to get too weird.
— Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

Will it appeal to anyone other than longtime franchise fans?

A veritable exposition bomb in the show’s first 10 minutes is enough to make it seem like Dune: Prophecy is only accessible for hardcore Dune lovers. Yet… [it] unfurls into a deliciously varied sci-fi epic with a little something for everyone.
— Belen Edwards, Mashable

There’s just enough here for both the Dune diehards who know too much about how the Spacing Guild works and those who recently glided in on a Chalamet-lead rebellion and the ethereal vibrations of Zimmer’s score.
— Elijah Gonzaliez, Paste Magazine

To my shock (and personal delight), though, Dune: Prophecy is not built for the normies. Dune: Prophecy gives Frank Herbert’s vast and strange world back to the science fiction dorks like me.
— Megan O’Keefe, Decider

Knowledge of the Herberts’ epic world will certainly provide extra context for viewers, and make hologram sword practice scenes and spotting some of the older relatives of House Harkonnen, Corrino, and Atreides that much more thrilling.
— Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly

Devotees of the franchise should appreciate this show’s commitment to honoring its many, many layers, while first-time audiences might have more trouble accessing its specifics while still grasping its boldness, scope, and vision.
— Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz

There’s the demographic who hasn’t seen the movies and couldn’t be made to care about the books but just loves a grand sci-fi epic, and that’s the group of people I’d be most excited to see give the show a try.
— Mary Siroky, Consequence

(Photo by Attila Szvacsek/HBO)

What about Game of Thrones fans?

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and other HBO properties, you are sure to love Dune: Prophecy. It very much gives off the same vibes, focusing heavily on politics while being unafraid to lean into nudity and sex.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Truly, this is the closest TV has gotten to the idea of “Game of Thrones… in space!”
— Belen Edwards, Mashable

In the first episode alone, there is enough death, betrayal, and scheming to match Game of Thrones.
— Graeme Guttmann, Screen Rant

It even calls to Game of Thrones aesthetically — the scenes on the Harkonnens’ snow planet might as well be stationed near Winterfell or the Night’s Watch, except with fewer direwolves and more furry whales.
— Reuben Baron, Looper.com

They’re calling this prequel series Dune: Prophecy, but House of the Sandworms would have been just as appropriate.
— Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle

There’s a very real sense that somebody cut and pasted lines of dialogue from a Game of Thrones template script and just added the word “spice” at random intervals.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

Does it overcome the usual prequel problems?

We already know how that ambition plays out — it involves a lot of drugs, sandworms, and a blue-eyed man who can see the future — yet watching the small but growing sisterhood teeter between ascendancy and destruction is nothing short of captivating.
— Dominic Baez, Seattle Times

Dune: Prophecy is an origin story that shapes the way the world will be in the future but intentionally can never get there, instead foreshadowing many developments with fan-service tie-ins to hint at familiar characters.
— Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz

(Photo by Attila Szvacsek/HBO)

What does the show do best?

Prophecy is at its best when all of its morally gray band of characters are scheming together and against one another to achieve their goals.
— Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly

At its best, however, the series offers a new look at a different era of Dune, allowing for an increased appreciation of the depth of storytelling in this fascinating franchise.
— Tyler Robertson, IGN Movies

How is the cast?

The double-casting of Watson/Barden and Williams/Canning is the center of the show, and all four actresses are excellent and impeccably on the same page in their characterizations.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

I can’t imagine a better pair of actors to play Bene Gesserit sisters than Emily Watson and Olivia Williams… They stand at the top of the heap as two of the most captivating performers.
— Therese Lacson, Collider

Anchoring the perfectly paced storytelling is the excellent acting led by Watson and Williams. The two share a dazzling chemistry as sisters who’ve overcome great odds but face still more danger.
— Dominic Baez, Seattle Times

With storied actors like Watson and Olivia Williams out front, it’s enough to keep you coming back to the spice rack.
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine

The performances are spot-on, with Emily Watson giving a powerful and magnetic performance, and her actions have visceral consequences.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation

Watson alone is reason enough for me.
— Graeme Guttmann, Screen Rant

The strength of the ensemble is one of the most enticing aspects of Dune: Prophecy, and there’s not a weak link among them.
— Mary Siroky, Consequence

(Photo by HBO)

What about the story?

There is so much going on here… and it doesn’t always feel clear what is driving the (space) ship, Herbert’s infamously knotty lore often feeling a bit tangly.
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine

Each of the four episodes sent to critics exceeds an hour, which is too much, but is at least enough for a whole lot of context into the war with “thinking machines,” the political structure of the Imperium, and the origins of elements from later in the plot, like the Voice.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

While this TV format is honestly a more natural fit for Dune’s dense worldbuilding and storytelling than the movies, there’s still too much crammed into this show’s short six-episode run.
— Elijah Gonzaliez, Paste Magazine

These many intertwining stories are a lot to take in, especially when paired with the deep, strange lore of Dune.
— Belen Edwards, Mashable

(Photo by Attila Szvacsek/HBO)

How does it look, compared to the movies?

Pierre Gill’s cinematography is on par with Villeneuve’s films, which is saying something because those films are visual masterpieces.
— Dominic Baez, Seattle Times

Several of its stunning scenes evoke the same moody, atmospheric visuals depicted in Dune and Dune: Part Two, juxtaposing the warm, hazy hues on the Earth-toned planet Salusa Secundus with the stark, unforgiving mountainous region of Wallach IX, where the Bene Gesserit reside.
— Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly

Dune: Prophecy delivers some of the most stunning sets and costumes on TV this year.
— Belen Edwards, Mashable

It is dark, gloomy and, despite the size of some of the palaces, citadels and whatnot, frequently claustrophobic.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

The visual presentation only partially measures up to the most recent Dune adaptations.
— Elijah Gonzaliez, Paste Magazine

As impressive as the visual scale is here, it’s simply not on the same level, an inevitable comparison.
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine

It’s clear the TV show is trying to walk in lockstep with the movies, and while there are some creative images on display – especially in the moments of trippy space magic – the overall look and feel is flimsy despite the HBO of it all.
— Tyler Robertson, IGN Movies

Does it take some time to get into?

It starts out slow.
— Elijah Gonzaliez, Paste Magazine

I found myself becoming increasingly invested as it went along. Maybe by the end of the first season, I’ll be hooked.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

Once the narrative overcomes the challenge of establishing the immense number of names, titles, rules, and motivations involved, the series quickly hits its stride.
— Mary Siroky, Consequence

72% Dune: Prophecy: Season 1 (2024) premieres on HBO on November 17, 2024.

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