★ | The moon won’t help us this time
Zack Snyder calls Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire a “wild and original sci-fi epic”.
Within seconds, that proves untrue. While this is, technically, an original film, there is barely an original idea in it. It’s a tame, lifeless, and dull slog that’s only half the full story.
From Dune to Star Wars, Battle Beyond the Stars, Seven Samurai, and a host of other – far better – films, Rebel Moon is a collage of influences that rarely work together. It’s the work of a great visual stylist who either has no understanding or interest in the context of what he’s putting on screen.
The threadbare plot has little to say, yet the film constantly halts for stilted exposition and dire boilerplate banter. It’s as if Snyder had little faith in the audience, who by now are more than familiar with this kind of story.
On a remote farming planet, young Kora lives amongst people who’ve adopted her as their own. One day, the space-fascists of The Motherworld arrive, with intent on dominating everything in their path. It’s not long before Kora must lead a tribe of rebels against the oppressors – until a limp cliffhanger leaves us waiting for the second part, due next year.
As always with Snyder’s work, Rebel Moon boasts an excellent cast in search of a better film. Sofia Boutella is a striking presence, and she carries her empty role with grace. Djimon Hounsou, Charlie Hunnam, and Doona Bae would make for an incredible crew with a better script. Only Ed Skrein, as the villainous Atticus Noble, seems to be having fun.
This is, after all, the same story we’ve seen a hundred times. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, Star Wars built its empire on Joseph Campbell and Flash Gordon. But it’s how you tell it that matters. Something that Snyder has rarely, if ever, excelled at. Rebel Moon is no exception. It wants to be the next Star Wars (and originally began as a pitch for the mammoth franchise). Yet it also wants to be edgy, dark, and (sigh) mature.
But those desires bring nothing to the table. More bloodletting won’t make Rebel Moon less dull, only more violent. If the promised director’s cut restores any semblance of plot or character, it will be a mystery why it was cut in the first place.
Most likely, as his endlessly long version of Justice League proved, the longer version is another vanity project. After all, if the mainstream cut is this lifeless, it would take a miracle to revive it in any meaningful way.
Rebel Moon has so little of its own that it’s hard to recognize what excess length can bring to the table. Its visuals are bog-standard, with little flair or innovation. The world building relies on every tired, cynical trope Snyder leans on in every one of his films. Like Michael Bay, Snyder mistakes objectifying for empowerment. He uses every opportunity to place women before a male gaze that feels sleazy.
What does stand out, you can recognize from its influences. The Motherworld goons look like cast-offs from Starship Troopers; the ships are from Dune. Everyone speaks of “ye olde English” in the style of Star Wars.
From that familiarity comes boredom, as every plot twist and every character beat is recognizable from a mile away. Before the scene even begins, anyone who has seen an adventure film before can tell what is going to happen. In response, Rebel Moon compounds excess upon excess to distract from how empty it is.
It’s all seasoning, no meat. Which seems to sum up Snyder’s filmography to date.
Rebel Moon will find its fans. Mostly from the already devoted. For the rest of us, it’s yet another big budget film with lackluster writing and lifeless visuals that leaves the viewer exhausted.