Dune Discussion Questions and Review written by the Hobbit on November 1st, 2021. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Movie: Dune – Part One (part 2 has been greenlit and is planned for release in late 2022)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Science Fiction, Coming of Age, drama
Length: 2h 35min
Age suggested: 12+
Release Date: October 22nd, 2021
Streaming Service: HBO Max (For one month)
Quick Dune Summary
Dune – Part One (which we will refer to just as Dune) begins on the desert planet Arrakis. It is the only place in the universe that spice – a drug like substance that is necessary for interstellar travel – can be found. The Harkonnen’s have ruled the planet ruthlessly but have been ordered to leave by the emperor. Another prominent ruling house, the Atreides, have been ordered to assume rule. Why has the emperor done this? And what do the dreams of Paul, the heir of house Atreides, mean not only for him but for the people of Dune? This movie covers only some of the novel and there are many books in the series.
Keep reading for our Dune Parent Review and Dune Discussion Questions
Dune Parent Review (Contains Some Spoilers)
***SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT***
The Harkonnen’s have ruled Arrakis and its indigenous people the Fremen for years, seeking only money and power. They are ordered to leave and control is given to Duke Leto Atreides, who leaves his home planet with his consort Jessica and their son Paul. Jessica is a member of the Bene Gesserit, a religious order that has worked for centuries to selectively breed the Kwisatz Haderach, a person capable of seeing through space and time. The emperor has, it is quickly seen, sided with the Harkonnen’s to eliminate the Atreides, who the emperor thinks have grown too powerful.
Dune is based on a book that is over 50 years old, and is still considered a science fiction classic. *Also considered to be racist and mysogynistic.* To remain popular that long you know it has a good story, and the movie does a good job of telling the story. It does so in a way that requires no prior knowledge of the book to draw you in and understand the story, yet is faithful enough to the book to satisfy fans. A central theme is power and greed, and what constitutes power. What are people willing to do to retain power? What happens if power if thrust upon you? These are all questions that are very relevant today. And in looking at the Fremen, and how they have been exploited and killed, we can certainly think back to the fate of the many indigenous peoples of North America. Or, as many have pointed out, consider how Islamophobia and colonization have hindered indigenous people groups.
Dune has a lot of moving parts. Religious prophesies. Visions of the future. Love. Betrayal. Good and evil. Giant sandworms. It does a good job keeping the parts moving and flowing together
–Why Watch Dune (Part One)-
Not all, but many of our favorite stories (and thus movies) are a struggle between good and evil. In many of these the bad guys are, well, pretty much absolutely bad. The central good guys are good, but they face challenges, sometimes succeeding, sometime failing. They are flawed. We also love stories that are coming of age – a young person growing up. Dune follows these patterns. Our central character, Paul Atreides, is a little too spoiled at the beginning, but is already troubled by his dreams. By the end of the movie he has begun to accept adult responsibilities. He stumbles to doing this, he is not perfect. His opponents (the Harkonnen’s) are pretty much purely bad – and we get the impression that the emperor is as well.
If a desert planet, with a boy coming of age, who is learning to control other minds by his words, and who is going to lead a rebellion all sounds a bit familiar, it is. George Lucas has acknowledged that Dune (the book) was one of the inspirations for the first Star Wars movie. While epic is scope, Dune is more of a theatrical tragedy (think Hamlet) than the action-adventure epics that we are used to seeing. However, for a different point of view.
-Is Dune Appropriate? –
Dune is not like most of the action movies over the past several years. There is very little humor. So some kids may find it a bit boring. There is absolutely a lot of violence. However, like modern hero movies, the action is generally (but not always) bloodless, violence more suggested than real, and there is not a lot that could be objectionable. So if the kids are OK with Marvel movies, for instance, they should be OK with Dune.
7 Reasons to Re-watch Star Wars Instead of Getting Invested in the Dune Series…
*Most of my comments about Dune here relate to the series as a whole and not just this first movie. This movie was really good in my opinion. However I just do not want to get invested in this series. Here’s why….*
- Hope!
In Dune, there is a great underdog story of hope. But Paul becomes Darth Vader instead of defeating him. And sure, like Vader he realizes the error of his ways. But it’s too late. And frankly- I’m not interested in watching the rest of this series for that storyline to play out. - More Diverse Heroes.
Do they both have some racial (especially Islamophobic) and misogynistic issues? Absolutely! But at least in Star Wars, Princess Leah kicks butt and the white male leads aren’t overcoming the hardship of too much power. Also there is hope for the oppressed and in overcoming oppressive politics. Dune may be just a little too realistic on that front for it to be hopeful and encouraging. - The Good Guys Win.
In Star Wars, the underdogs are the good guys, and they win in the end. With Dune, the story is a lot more about political and personal turmoil. The underdogs win, but they become what they are trying to defeat and it’s just a sad reflection on humanity instead of an inspiring one. - The Worlds and Movies are Epic But One Was Amazing.
The worlds created for both movies are intricat and amazing. The films are both really well made but Star Wars was so unique and cutting edge for it’s time. Dune doesn’t feel any different to me visually than any other fantasy movie that’s come out recently and it certainly doesn’t hold a candle to even the sequel Marvel movies. (Again, in our opinion). - Sustainability.
Dune has been adapted multiple times and it just doesn’t work or last. I think in large part because the story is just depressing. The worlds are both enormous and well written fantasy worlds but Star Wars has been able to be adapted beyond the main storyline and Dune hasn’t managed to finish a main storyline. - Corrupted Power.
One thing we can take from both Dune and Star Wars is that no matter how in tune with the universe you are, ultimate powers are self corrupting. But Palpatine and Vader beat an evil Paul or baron every time, the characters are just better. - Friendship.
In Star Wars, the unlikely friendships really build the story. There’s strong loyalty and love that guides the characters, especially Luke, and the story. In Dune, Paul’s complicated relationships are focused on the power differentials and his character is built through power and control, even over the people he loves.
Conclusion: Why I’m Not Excited About the Dune Series…
I’ll admit that in the middle of this movie our electricity went out and I couldn’t even make it an hour without electricity before jumping in my car. So to be criticizing a story where two characters survive such incredible odds without even water feels pretty petty- but I’m going to keep going for just a bit.
I’m thankful to the story of Dune for inspiring part of the Star Wars universe. But I certainly don’t need yet another story about people being awful and oppressive to each other without some good underdog hope. And while this movie is hopeful in of itself- the overall story is not.
Is it a well made movie- yes. Are there amazing visuals and epic fights- yes. Is the cast amazing- yes. Is it a good fantasy movie to see on a big screen- yes. It’s also incredibly slow, granted that is because it takes a long time to build such a huge fantasy world. And just because it is a well made movie does not make up for the overall story. And unless they change that for the movie series, I just don’t feel like it is worth investing in. What are your thoughts??
Continue reading for our Dune Discussion Questions
Quotes from Dune
One day, a legend will be born. All of civilization depends on it.
The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. A process that cannot be understood by stopping it. We must move with the flow of the process. We must join it. We must flow
Dreams are messages from the deep.
A great man doesn’t seek to lead; he is called to it. But if your answer is no, you’d still be the only thing I ever needed you to be: my son.
Dune Discussion Questions
Dune Themes to Discuss: Greed, power, destruction of indigenous people and culture, destiny
- Almost at the end of the movie you see one of the Fremen riding a giant sandworm. What would it feel like to ride a creature that can eat houses in one bite?
- “A great man doesn’t seek to lead; he is called to it.” How important is humility in being a good leader? Who is a leader who shows humility that you know?
- Why do people want power? Why do they cling so tightly to it?
- When Stilgar meets Duke Leto he spits at his feet. He and his guards, immediately consider this an insult. But Duncan, who has lived among the Fremen, stops them, telling them that this was an extreme compliment. On a desert planet where water is scarce, voluntarily giving up any of your bodily fluids to another is a sign of great respect. Have you ever thought about ways that we interact with other cultures? Do we always understand them? How does this small part of Dune show us why this is important?
- What other stories does Dune remind you of? Why?
Thanks for reading our Dune Discussion Questions and Review. Check out our related content:
–Shang-Chi parent review– check out this stand alone Marvel movie!
–The Keeper of the Night- a new dark YA book
–Tolkien Movie Review: See the story behind the fellowship
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this Dune Discussion Questions and Review use affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.