HBO Max’s 2-Part Space Opera Is Better Than Peak Game of Thrones In Every Way

Game of Thrones remains a benchmark for the best storytelling years of HBO. Back before fantasy was as prevalent as it is now, the gritty epic was a gateway for fans from all walks of life to discover the genre. As hard as it may be to believe, this would only be the start of what was possible on HBO.

Now with two movies already in the bag, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune saga is prime real estate on the platform. The HBO Max space opera triumphs over the best years of Game of Thrones and does it with fewer hours to spare.

Dune Was Ingrained in Game of Thrones From the Start

Game of Thrones is remembered for its compelling characters and powerful storytelling, but all of that didn’t just happen spontaneously. George R.R. Martin was incredibly influenced by one of the best sci-fi writers of the day, Frank Herbert. Even from the setup of Game of Thrones Season 1, it isn’t hard to see what was influenced in the fantasy series.

The complex political machinations of Game of Thrones come from Dune, at least in the beginning. Just as Ned Stark finds himself in a dangerous situation, unable to refuse, so too did Duke Leto Atreides. Dune starts with an act that has devastating consequences for House Atreides down the line.

After generations of generating spice on Arrakis, the Harkonnens are dismissed, and the Atreides are installed as stewards of the planet. Leto understands that while overseeing spice production seems to be a gift, it is really a death sentence. Set up to fail, his head is on the proverbial chopping block.

Ned is a little less savvy about his situation in Westeros, but he finds himself in a similar snare. Unable to refuse the request to be the Hand of the King, Ned travels to King’s Landing, where he is so ill-equipped to deal with the landscape that his head literally ends up on the chopping block.

Both Ned and Leto die because they represent honor in a world where that is quickly diminishing. Game of Thrones takes other mechanics from Dune, though on a smaller scale. The concept of great houses stems from Dune and their struggles over power. Even the Fremen resemble the Dornish fighters, who thrive in a desert ecosystem.

Martin expertly converts Herbert’s sci-fi world into a fantasy one, but the fingerprints remain noticeable. Game of Thrones is undoubtedly a gold standard in fantasy but still cannot hold up to the majesty and prowess that is the world of Dune.

Dune’s Female Characters Leave Game of Thrones in the Dust

Game of Thrones’ biggest failing was hubris. When the series was first being adapted, HBO was certain they wouldn’t run out of material. Even though George R.R. Martin had yet to finish the series, everyone was confident he would before the series caught up with the books.

This little hiccup grew to be a chasm when Game of Thrones approached its later years. Without a blueprint, it turned out that HBO didn’t quite live up to the name. This setback was not an issue that Denis Villeneuve had when adapting the Dune books.

Instead, the director made sweeping changes that allowed Dune to become a better option than Game of Thrones in every way. While the fantasy series sometimes sticks to the subject material a little too closely, Dune reinvents the classic sci-fi story in fascinating ways. One of the biggest changes was how the story approached female characters.

Chani and even Lady Jessica have supporting roles in Dune source material to a degree, but in the adaptation, they are allowed to break free. Jessica is given her own subplot as the devil on Paul’s shoulder, while Chani arguably becomes the main character of Dune: Part Two. Instead of the malleable romantic interest, she becomes a force that drives the narrative forward.

All of the events take place as they need to, but instead of using the book like a blueprint, Villeneuve expands and explores. He makes the relationship between Chani and Paul even more significant by adding the tragic elements that drive them apart. Game of Thrones didn’t have the benefit of finished source material to expand on, but even when it did, it was more of a shadow than an elevation of the text.

Now with Dune: Part Three about to hit theaters, fans will see the culmination of five years of hard work that has done more for the story than Game of Thrones was allowed.

Dune Pulls Off the Political Storyline Better Than Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones’ ultimate failure was not the fault of the creatives, but it isn’t hard to see why Dune has developed a better version of HBO politics. Both stories are about the dangers of wielding too much power. Game of Thrones fumbles the ultimate message, while Dune is the best vision of the idea that absolute power corrupts.

No matter how much the finale of Game of Thrones attempted to salvage the story, it left many fans wanting. Already, the first of Dune’s two parts has not disappointed. These films split the first book in two, giving the story the time it needed to finalize the central themes.

Paul Atreides starts as a well-intentioned son of a duke who is wary about accepting power. He doesn’t have a choice once Leto dies and goes through many trials just to ensure his own survival and that of his mother. Throughout rising to the occasion, however, he also realizes he has a talent for control.

The story of the Lisan al-Gaib is not one of triumph, but of tragedy. Paul doesn’t become a hero, but a ruthless dictator, a fact that is cemented in the final act of Dune: Part Two. If there was any doubt about whether Paul was a hero or not, this is confirmed when he states he has to become like the Harkonnens to defeat them. When he does defeat them, he doesn’t give up his power. Instead, he gets even more, manipulating and killing his way to the seat of the Emperor.

This is a choice that causes the deaths of billions as Paul’s fanatical Fremen soldiers scour the Imperium for non-believers. Dune is the space opera that beats Game of Thrones when it comes to scale and cinematic value in a franchise that does not miss.

Release Date

September 15, 2021

Runtime

155 minutes

Director

Denis Villeneuve

Writers

Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, Frank Herbert

Producers

Herb Gains, John Harrison, Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr., Mary Parent, Richard P. Rubinstein, Cale Boyter, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Joshua Grode

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  Timothée Chalamet

  Paul Atreides

• Rebecca Ferguson

  Lady Jessica Atreides