Rebel Moon - review. It Was Supposed To Be Zack Snyder's Hit, But It's a Disappointment

It's 6 in the morning and I've just finished watching Rebel Moon. After the screening, as I write this review, I feel hugely disappointed and think it would have been better to sleep in rather than getting up so early. I anticipated a touch of novelty and a captivating story from the loudly announced show, which Zack Snyder envisioned as his grand, two-part cosmic opera, lasting over four hours. However, after seeing the first part, A Child of Fire, I don't feel motivated to watch the sequel, which is set to premiere on April 19, 2024, quite soon, considering how long we must usually wait for the next installments of the series.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, Zack Snyder, Netflix, 2023

Snyder's most recent film for Netflix tells the story of Kora, a mysterious woman who has recently taken up residence in a farming colony on Veldt. The arrival of Admiral Noble leading the army of Regent Balisarius disrupts the peace of the inhabitants of this place. In desperation, facing the danger posed by the Motherworld, they decide to seek assistance from warriors of the galaxy. Kora, who has been revealed as a former member of the Motherworld army, is supposed to find them, with the help of farmer Gunnar. Their journey to different planets begins now, in order to assemble a group of individuals willing to fight on their behalf.

There's no time for explanations, get on the ship

The concept is very straightforward and, unfortunately, completely screwed up. Although the plot description sounds like a preview of an epic journey through a vast galaxy, which we were supposed to get from Snyder (the idea for this picture had been germinating in his head for several decades), don't count on anything like that, at least not at a level that could be satisfying. We leap quickly from planet to planet and from warrior to warrior. There's no time to explore new places or even the characters who play a significant role in the film and whom we should care about, although almost all of them are completely indifferent to us. Because of this, deaths that should perhaps move us, make no impression at all. Experiencing the departure of someone with whom we feel no connection is difficult, as they weren't properly introduced to us.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, Zack Snyder, Netflix, 2023

The characters' motivations in Rebel Moon are entirely incomprehensible due to the limited time devoted to the large cast. The recruitment of each new person can essentially be described like that:

– What's up? Wanna join us to die in a battle for some tiny colony at the edge of the galaxy, which you probably haven't heard of?

- Cool, you can count on me, complete stranger, about whom I know nothing and have no idea if I can trust.

That doesn't sound convincing, does it? No, it doesn't. Rebel Moon fails to demonstrate why these individuals are following Kora and believe they can entrust her with their lives. Especially since most of them are sought-after fugitives, for whose heads a high reward has been set. We might assume that they would be more careful in such a situation, but no, because just a puppy-eyed look from the farmer and the indescribable grimace of the main character are enough to make them decide to take a risk.

The script has significant gaps, and it's unclear whether this is due to Snyder not refining it or if it was edited to save material for the director's versions, which are expected to include an extra hour of content and be released later. If it's a matter of the latter, I think it's a bad move, because then we were given a defective film in the first place, which doesn't encourage us to wait for the second part. Perhaps it's the fault of Justice League and the hype generated by the controversy over the Snyder Cut (his version of the film that he had previously failed to complete and was taken over by another director whose vision wasn't well received). Maybe Netflix wanted to generate a similar commotion so that audience would be equally excited for the director's version of Rebel Moon? The director's first version could have been allowed to be made entirely according to his vision in the R category, rather than shooting a flawed PG-13 version that dampens enthusiasm for the entire series. However, there's a chance that even this expanded version, which we will receive at an unspecified time in the future, won't rescue the story that was simply not polished from the start.

It doesn't make any sense, but at least it's breathtaking

The visual aspect of Rebel Moon is truly impressive and something that you didn't really need to be concerned about. This is the director's forte, as he pays great attention to set design, costumes and special effects, and the same applies to his latest movie. Costumes convey a lot of information about the character. Planets are diverse, at least those parts that have been shown to us. There's also a significant diversity among the alien races, not just human characters, although unfortunately we will only see such in the main cast. It's a shame that we didn't get to see more of the actual planets, which didn't play a significant role here, much like their inhabitants.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, Zack Snyder, Netflix, 2023

However, I need to point out that while the CGI was well-executed in most situations, I noticed a few moments that looked particularly artificial, but this doesn't take away from how visually appealing Rebel Moon is. It's no surprise that Zack Snyder's latest film is among the 10 candidates fighting for an Oscar nomination in the category of best special effects. It's just a shame that this is one of the few pros of the film. The antagonist, who had a chance to make quite a mark here, can still defend himself, in contrast to "the good guys" who just wasted their potential.

The squandered potential can also be discussed in relation to the concept itself. It seemed intriguing in theory, and there were supposedly plenty of ideas – Snyder is said to have a huge bible in which he recorded everything about the Rebel Moon universe, but what of that, when little has been put on the screen? At least in the first part. The presented world is unfortunately a sham, as there's nothing behind its beautiful and interesting appearance. The director keeps the secrets of this universe buried in his mind.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, Zack Snyder, Netflix, 2023

Nevertheless, the fight scenes also deserve some praise. The choreography is well-executed, and Sofia Boutella's performances as Kora clearly demonstrate her passion, which is undoubtedly attributed to her being a dancer. The actress, although she was performing previously learned movements, didn't give the impression that she was following a scheme - she made them her own. It's unfortunate that one of her performances in the fight was so strongly affected by the slow motion that Snyder is known for. The slow motion severely disrupted the smoothness of the fight, making it hard to focus on the actors' or stuntmen's feats.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, Zack Snyder, Netflix, 2023

Coming back to the world of Rebel Moon won't be easy

Do I feel motivated to continue exploring this cosmic universe and see if the emerging rebellion will confront the Motherworld after watching Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire? Not really. After watching the first movie, I don't feel like going back to that world, despite being excited and intrigued by Zack Snyder's announcements. The film isn't entirely bad; you can watch it without feeling tired or wanting to switch it off halfway through, but it only makes for decent entertainment. There's nothing remarkable here, nothing that would be remembered long after the screening, nor anything that would set the Netflix show apart from other sci-fi movies. Star Wars definitely doesn't have to feel threatened.

Rebel Moon is a one-time entertainment experience. A spectacular production to watch and then forget about. Don't expect too much from a movie that may entertain you for two hours but won't leave a lasting impression. At least you won't be disappointed.

OUR SCORE: 4/10

Edyta Jastrzebska

Edyta Jastrzebska

A graduate of journalism and social communication as well as cultural studies. She started at Gamepressure.com as one of the newspeople in the films department. Currently she oversees the Gamepressure movie&TV newsroom. She excels in the field of film and television, both in reality-based and fantasy themes. Keeps up with industry trends, but in her free time she prefers to watch less known titles. Has a complicated relationship with popular ones, which is why she only gets convinced about many of them when the hype around them subsides. Loves to spend her evenings not only watching movies, series, reading books and playing video games, but also playing text RPGs, which she has been into for several years.