Of his critically reviled but fan-loved piece sucker Punch to his infamous 2017 internet favorite “Snyder Cut.” Justice LeagueZack Snyder is no stranger to stirring up controversy whenever one of his films is about to be released. His latest attempt for Netflix, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Firehas previously sparked discussions about a three-hour, R-rated director’s cut to give its fans an alternative taste Rebel Moon – Part Two is coming to the streaming platform early next year. But while Snyder does his best to craft a dark, compelling universe that captivates viewers, Rebel Moon is a limp, soulless regurgitation of tropes stolen from much more impressive films.
The script, direction, production and recording are by Snyder. Rebel Moon follows Kora (Sofia Boutella), a battle-hardened soldier with a tragic past. Although she tries to live an inconspicuous life in a peaceful farming colony, Kora is forced to take on the role of warrior once again when the Mother World sends a military contingent led by the brutal Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein) to occupy her new home . With the help of a humble farmer (Michiel Huisman), Kora embarks on a galaxy-spanning adventure to recruit a ragtag group of fighters to defend her homeland.
Attempting to create an original, compelling science fiction world is no easy task for even the most accomplished writers, and it’s painfully clear that Snyder borrowed strong aesthetic and stylistic influences from genre classics like… war of stars And Dune, without understanding the story and emotional beats that made the aforementioned franchises so popular. Of course, there are plenty of science fiction spectacles Rebel Moon To be amazed: The characters are all dressed in tattered gray robes, brandish retro-futuristic weapons and talk about the “mother world” and the “empire”.
But while every element of the production design, costumes, and world-building is certainly specific, none of it is inspired or purposeful. Instead, Rebel MoonHis stylistic sense feels like Snyder just threw all the sci-fi greats into a blender and called it a day. Great attention is paid to presenting lore and history, but Snyder forgets to flesh out the characters that populate his meticulously detailed universe.
Aside from Kora, whose tragic backstory and brutal upbringing are conveyed entirely through clunky expository monologues that segue into extensive flashback sequences, the rest of Rebel Moonis the large ensemble cast Everyone is allowed five minutes of dialogue, if that. Kora and her crew scurry to a new planet and are treated to a stunning demonstration of their new ally’s fighting prowess CliffsNotes version of her tragic backstory (is there another?), and then this character just falls into the fold, never to be examined or explored with any real intent again.
As for Kora herself, Boutella brings the usual strength and stoicism one would expect from a dystopian youth protagonist, without any heart or passion. Kora, constantly glowering from beneath her shock of dark hair, is a painfully uninteresting heroine whose stoicism is certainly understandable given her history, but whose personality couldn’t be a more lukewarm protagonist. Although she is quite ferocious in combat, Kora appears distant and distant when not engaged in combat, giving the entire film a distant, inaccessible emotional core. After two hours and 15 minutes Rebel Moon is a tedious cinematic experience – why should the audience care about the events of the film when the protagonist herself barely seems to?
Rebel MoonThe lack of interest in exploring its own characters is made even more frustrating by the cruel, visceral nature of its villains – while we don’t get much personality from Kora, Gunnar and the other would-be heroes, us Are is treated to several extended sequences that revel in the cruelty and violence of the Empire. The vaguely fascist ruling faction is clearly an inadequate proxy war of stars‘ Empire, but Snyder mistakes on-screen brutality for effective writing. In the film’s first act, viewers witness a lengthy sequence in which Imperial soldiers attempt to rape a villager, a scene that serves no purpose other than to make it clear to the audience that they are, in fact, the authoritarian military occupiers Villains act.
The world Snyder has created is cold, brutal and completely devoid of any charm, whimsy or excitement. The next Rebel Moon There are no emotional reactions at all during the action-packed, slow-motion fight sequences. Stories like war of stars And dune Soar by using far-fetched worlds and fantastical settings to question relatable, deeply human ideas. Rebel Moonon the other hand, draws on the aesthetic hallmarks of these classics without bothering to engage on an emotional or philosophical level.
Although Rebel Moon Although the book ends on a relative cliffhanger and promises a sequel, it’s hard to imagine why you’d want to spend another two hours in this soulless drudgery of a universe. Certainly Snyder is a master of his particular brand of highly stylized action sequences, but the sheer lack of emotional stakes and memorable characters makes it clear Rebel Moon toothless.
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire begins streaming on Netflix on December 21st.
This review originally published At The AV Club.
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