Twigs - Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
[Note: This review will discuss elements of Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire that were revealed in promotional material, such as trailers. If you’re someone who enjoys going into recent movies knowing as little as possible, you may want to skip reading this review.]
Even if you go into a movie wanting to like it, it doesn’t mean that movie is going to turn out good.
Despite the criticism lauded at his works, I think Zack Snyder is a competent director. I know I’m in the minority when I say this, but Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t a bad movie. It was just different from what people expected from the superhero genre at the time. However, it’s clear that much of Snyder’s talent comes in the form of high-octane action. 300 is a classic example of this—a simplistic yet bloody good time that relies mostly on its visual presentation than anything else. Which is why when Rebel Moon was first announced, I was looking forward to Snyder honing his talent by utilizing what he’s good at. It didn’t matter to me that it seemed like Star Wars meets Seven Samurai. What mattered was that it was a popcorn flick. A good time with some memorable scenes that would leave me hooked for Part Two in April.
Because, yes, Rebel Moon is a two-part film drawing from the classic trope of gathering a group of warriors to defend a location in dire need of warriors to keep it safe. In Part One: A Child of Fire, the story introduces us to Kora, a runaway from the tyrannical Imperium who is hiding out on the moon of Veldt. While living a peaceful life in her quiet farming community, her new home is soon threatened by the Imperium, who decide they want to take all the grain from their next harvest. Given their peaceful way of life, the people of the community aren’t able to defend themselves. This prompts Kora to leave the planet in search of warriors that can help save them, in particular one General Titus, a disgraced former member of the Imperium. Tagging along with her are timid farmer Gunnar and confident mercenary Kai, who help Kora in her quest of gathering warriors to defend the community.
The elements in this movie are not anything new: The hero gathers a group of warriors to defend a town from villains. In fact, the only real difference is that Part One focuses on the gathering part, while Part Two will focus on the defense. Going into the film, it was clear there would be some unresolved plot threads and a cliffhanger by the end to keep me guessing until the next entry. However, Part One failed to really capture my attention aside from noticing just how many different sci-fi properties the film was pulling from. Given the movie was once pitched to Lucasfilm as a genuine Star Wars film, it wasn’t too surprising to see the influence there. The same goes for Seven Samurai, which is the basic premise the plot utilizes. However, there’s a difference between homage and copying what others have done. There is an entire scene that almost one-to-one reflects the Mos Eisley Cantina introductory sequence in A New Hope. There’s a shot in the movie that is comparable to one in the middle of the original Terminator. More scenes are reflective of other sci-fi stories, but feel lifted right out of them instead of being made to honor them.
Despite these elements making me feel like the movie was lacking in the originality department, I went in with an open mind. I already knew it was going to be a movie prioritizing its fun and its action over everything else. However, even films like that need to have a balance of characterization and storyline development that keeps audiences engaged. Unfortunately, Rebel Moon - Part One failed to live up to these expectations. While the first half of the movie feels like it’s going somewhere, developing its core characters’ personalities and focusing on Kora’s backstory, the movie completely falls apart after the first hour is over. Instead of continuing to display itself as an ongoing narrative about a group of characters growing and changing as they get to know one another, it becomes a montage of gathering heroes with no personalities who fit specific tropes. The sharp dive in the writing quality was incredibly jarring, making the movie feel more like a video game. That is to say, the focus stopped being on the story, and instead became about the presentation.
Which would be fine if the film had done that from the start and also didn’t have a multitude of scenes trying to be about its characters. The introductions for characters that appear later in the film feel superficial, lacking in giving them clear motivations or believable reasons to join the team. These end up feeling even more pointless, though, as the new team members quickly fall into the background of the story. Even General Titus, a character who is built up throughout the film, only has one introductory scene before becoming a barely-mentioned background character for the rest of the movie. The writing feels rushed and unfocused in the second half, dragging down the entertaining first half while souring the idea of watching another two hours when Part Two rolls around. By the time the film’s climactic sequence started, I was checking the time constantly, wondering when it was going to be over.
But I think the most egregious issue with the movie is the decision to release it as a PG-13 film. To put you into my shoes for a moment: The first half hour of the movie focuses on Veldt being occupied by a branch of the Imperium. A group of soldiers are sent to watch over the planet and make sure the food growth is going well. However, an altercation leads Kora to fight back, deciding to take on the soldiers in an action sequence. As soon as the scene began, it was clear the movie I was watching was not the finished product. Fast cutaways, scenes feeling out of order, and a lack of direct focus on what Kora was doing made it clear Rebel Moon was supposed to be released as the 3-hour, R-rated version that’s going to be coming after the PG-13 versions are released. I’m unsure what the mindset was, then, for Netflix to release what amounts to an unfinished movie. While it’s an interesting business move to create a product anyone over the age of 13 can watch, it makes the movie feel like only partially what it’s supposed to be.
However, given the overall development of the film we currently have, I’m dubious as to whether or not another hour and an R rating can save the general premise. Unless there’s a lot more development for the whole group of characters, there’s not much in the way of salvaging this film. Not to mention the frequent blurry shots that made me think my TV was breaking, coupled with more slow-motion than I’ve ever seen in one of Snyder’s films. There’s so much wrong with the movie on a technical and story level that I really don’t know how much an hour more can fix. However, I remain hopeful that it will at least provide a more complete story than this. Because, as it stands, Rebel Moon feels like half of what it’s supposed to be.
While I’ll still be checking out Part Two—after all, it’s part of my job—I’m not really looking forward to it as much as I wish I was.
***
If you like the blog and want to support me, consider buying one of my books here.
For weekly updates on my writing, subscribe to The Crown Informer!
For more Frayed Branches, you can subscribe to get new essays (usually) every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 PM EST—as well as Twigs reviews throughout the week—below:
You can also share this essay by clicking the box below:
Thank you for your support!
ncG1vNJzZmieopbGprDBq5inm5iawG%2B%2F1JuqrZmToHuku8xop2isp560tHnRnpmepF2ivLC6jKmYq6xdpLumecBmmqGhnJk%3D