Simply 4 years in the past, when Max was nonetheless referred to as HBO Max and Max Originals had been nonetheless a factor, the nascent streaming platform launched its first sprawling, unusual, science-fiction epic “Raised by Wolves.” The primary two episodes had been directed by movie legend Ridley Scott. The story balanced timeless questions concerning the nature of humanity and the trimmings of religion with creepy house monsters and bloody battle scenes. The finances was sizable sufficient to shoot in South Africa and accommodate 3,700 VFX photographs. By all measures, “Raised by Wolves” was set as much as be successful.
As a substitute, it was canceled after two seasons and wiped off the platform it was meant to assist placed on the map. (If you happen to search for “Raised by Wolves” trailers and clips on YouTube, all you’ll discover are “This content material is unavailable” messages.) Thus is the age through which we stay, the place artwork that doesn’t hit its quotas is made to look prefer it by no means occurred, however that solely makes the arrival of “Dune: Prophecy” that rather more peculiar.
Right here we’ve one other sprawling, unusual, science-fiction epic, asking questions on religion vs. science, destiny vs. free will. Once more, a revered cinematic auteur was employed to direct the primary two episodes — Denis Villeneuve, the person who took over Scott’s “Blade Runner” franchise, ended up leaving the undertaking solely, with out a lot as an honorific govt producer title — and WarnerMedia as soon as extra supplied sufficient funds for a global shoot crammed with sensible units and results (plus loads of CGI). Heck, they even share a star: Travis Fimmel, who performed a creepy soldier-turned-stowaway in “Raised by Wolves,” is again for extra eerie, oft-bloody antics in “Dune: Prophecy.”
The most recent sci-fi extravaganza carries a number of traits that distinguish it from what got here earlier than. Outwardly, Mom and Father’s blue shimmering physique fits have been changed by the Sisterhood’s black, head-to-toe shawls, and “Dune” now sports activities the HBO model, which “Raised by Wolves” by no means attained. However typically (genre-ly?) talking, what separates the brand new present from the outdated present comes down to at least one key issue: “Raised by Wolves” was primarily based on an authentic thought from Aaron Guzikowski (who, coincidentally, additionally wrote the screenplay for Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 movie “Prisoners”), whereas “Dune: Prophecy” is pushed by I.P.
And “Dune: Prophecy” doesn’t simply take its cues in fashion and tone from Villeneuve’s very profitable movie franchise. Its type and performance are additionally formed by the very profitable TV franchise that’s been round since effectively earlier than HBO entered its pressured marriage with Max. “Dune: Prophecy” is one more try to copy “Recreation of Thrones,” and whereas some shared constructing blocks assist make the transition moderately easy, it’s unclear after 4 episodes simply what sort of future this “Prophecy” can assist.
Initially working underneath the working title “Dune: The Sisterhood” (and primarily based, partially, on the 2012 novel “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson), the “Dune” collection (from showrunner Alison Schapker) borrows a lot from outdoors sources it’s no surprise it lacks a lot of an identification of its personal. In a barrage of exposition, the opening voiceover introduces our protagonist, Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson), in addition to The Sisterhood and what led to its creation. A very long time in the past (greater than 10,000 years earlier than the films happen), in a galaxy not too distant, mankind waged battle in opposition to “pondering machines,” leading to a everlasting ban on any form of automated know-how. (Not a nasty thought, in the event you ask me.) However whereas many battle heroes had been celebrated for his or her bravery, Valya’s father was banished for his cowardice, and the Harkonnen household has lived in disgrace ever since.
Valya, nevertheless, is sick of disgrace. “The historical past [House] Atreides wrote was spun out of lies,” she says, shouting out the household destined to supply little Timmy Chalamet’s Lisan al Gaib. So the offended teen (performed in flashbacks by Jessica Barden) leaves her household behind to affix a gaggle of ladies “unafraid of their energy.” The Sisterhood — who will develop into the Bene Gesserit — trains its disciples to be “Truthsayers.” Utilizing enhanced powers of notion gained from exhaustive psychological and bodily conditioning, every sister kinds fact from lies on behalf of their assigned Home leaders. Doing so offers them entry to history-altering choices, and the Sisterhood’s secret directive is to share what they know with one another to allow them to information the individuals in energy towards a greater, brighter future — a way forward for their making.
However that’s not their solely secret. Presently within the “Dune” chronology, the Sisterhood is break up: Half of them assist constructing an enormous genetic archive to breed rulers absolutely managed by the Sisters. The opposite half sees such authoritative management over the destiny of the universe as heresy. However Valya is all for it, and she or he’s growing a hidden energy of her personal: the Voice, which she makes use of to devastating impact earlier than “Dune: Prophecy” reaches the tip of its overwhelming prologue.
Not like the films — which had been praised for making Frank Herbert’s elaborate world-building comparatively painless to course of — the “Dune” collection can’t discover a technique to effortlessly combine its exposition. Apart from the dense voiceover, scripts depend on repetition to emphasise complicated or vital plot factors (which, actually, might be all the things), and that results in dialogue so clunky even pristine abilities like Watson, Olivia Williams (as Valya’s sister and Sister, Tula), and Mark Robust (the Emperor) wrestle to promote. The collection recycles lots of the motion pictures’ slicker visible improvements, from the worms gliding throughout the desert to the glowing physique armor that flashes blue or pink throughout battle, however it struggles to unveil any slick improvements all its personal.
Episodes are higher at using their big-screen predecessors’ immersive sound and manufacturing design — one character jokingly describes the Sisterhood’s homeworld as, “If you happen to like barren landscapes and minimalism, you’ll be very joyful” — and central characters carry first rate dramatic potential of their dynamic conflicts. (Extra potential, some would say, than the flattened movie leads.) “Dune: Prophecy’s” core query is certainly one of belief: Who must be trusted to form an empire? Ought to Truthsayers be taken as actually as their title implies — appearing as impartial human lie detectors on behalf of emperors and princesses — or ought to their hard-earned witchy powers even be relied upon to plot out a greater future solely they will see? If it’s the latter, “higher” for whom? If it’s the previous, what (and who) is misplaced when clever insights are ignored? Does absolute energy corrupt completely? Does absolute religion do the identical?
Such questions could appear suited to growth, however when “Dune: Prophecy” strays from the Sisterhood, its storytelling strains to maintain up. Political scheming lacks sparks. The tone is simply too typically monotonous and staid. (The place’s the humorousness in a world the place, sometime, a boy might be named “Duncan Idaho”?) The lives of the royal relations appear oddly formulaic in comparison with what we’ve seen elsewhere. (Why would I moderately see a princess hit the golf equipment when, in the identical established universe, there are individuals driving sandworms?)
A few of these points might stem from the inventive turnover throughout “Dune: Prophecy’s” improvement. (Anna Foerster, who helms the premiere episode, is the third director employed to shoot the pilot, and dismissed showrunner Diane Ademu-John did a lot work on the primary season she’s nonetheless credited as a co-creator.) However when a collection is tasked first with constructing a universe, its characters can really feel like stepping stones to one thing greater, moderately than as large as they might in any other case really feel on their very own. “Dune: Prophecy” is simply too hung up on scope and too trusting in its audiences’ adoration for its preexisting I.P. to really feel as unusual and spectacular because it ought to. We’ve seen related points in loads of different prequels, sequels, and spinoffs, the place the urgent want to point out audiences what they already love trumps any probability the newest extension has of making one thing new.
Say what you’ll about “Raised by Wolves,” however familiarity wasn’t certainly one of its issues — and it might show a death-knell for one thing as supremely bizarre as “Dune.”
Grade: C
“Dune: Propehcy” premieres Sunday, November 17 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max. New episodes might be launched weekly.