Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sci-fi war epic has cult appeal; expect gore, stereotypes.
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Dune (1984)
What's the Story?
In DUNE, the evil House Harkonnen and the heroic House Atreides are locked in war over the production and distribution of a drug called "spice" that enables users to travel vast distances and extend their lives. Spice exists only on one planet, Arrakis, which is also known as "Dune." Unfortunately, the planet is patrolled by monstrous killer worms. The horrible Baron Harkonnen (Kenneth McMillan) strikes first and kills House Atreides' beloved Duke Leto (Jürgen Prochnow), but he doesn't realize that the duke's son, Paul (Kyle MacLachlan), is actually the "chosen one" who's destined to travel to Arrakis and lead the native Fremen to freedom. Paul learns some mystical battle tactics, forms an army, and launches an attack on the Harkonnens. But can Paul survive the ultimate test of the "water of life"?
Is It Any Good?
This movie is mainly interesting as a curio in the career of brilliant director David Lynch (The Elephant Man, Mulholland Drive). Fans may enjoy combing through Dune to find his special touches, but his detractors will argue that it's just more "weird for weird's sake." Unfortunately, anyone looking for a satisfying and coherent science fiction epic will have to look elsewhere. Lynch compressed Frank Herbert's 500-page novel into an awkward 137-minute movie, resulting in an overuse of terrible, expository dialogue and characters "thinking" out loud to explain their motivations. A 177-minute version was assembled for television, but Lynch didn't approve it and removed his name from it. In fact, Lynch openly considers Dune to be his worst movie.
However, fans of "bad" sci-fi movies may get some enjoyment out of the movie's odd visual effects, and the cheesy score by Toto and Brian Eno certainly has some majestic moments. The impressive ensemble cast may also provide some pleasures; it includes Patrick Stewart, Virginia Madsen as the narrator, Brad Dourif, pop star Sting, Max von Sydow, a very young Alicia Witt, Sean Young, and Jack Nance (the star of Lynch's Eraserhead).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of being "the chosen one" in Dune. Do you think Paul really was special, or is that just what people believed? Does Paul make any decisions of his own? Does he conquer any fears? Does he use his power wisely?
How does the film indicate that Baron Harkonnen is the villain? What do you think of books and movies tying physical traits to villains? What kinds of lasting damage does it cause, if any, if people only see villains look and sound a certain way in movies and television?
What roles do women play in the world of Dune? Consider Lady Jessica, the Bene Gesserit, Chani, Shadout Mapes, and Princess Irulan. Are these positive examples of women? Are they stereotypical?
How did the violence in the film make you feel? Was there anything in the movie that scared you? Why? Did it have to do with pictures, or sounds?
Does this movie adaptation make you want to read the book it was based on? If you've seen the more recent adaptation by Denis Villeneuve, how do you think this compares?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 14, 1984
- On DVD or streaming : March 31, 1998
- Cast : Kyle MacLachlan , Patrick Stewart , Sean Young
- Director : David Lynch
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 137 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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