Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child Of Fire Movie Review

After washing his hands of superhero flicks and sharing his original vision of Justice League, director Zack Snyder is partnering with Netflix again, this time with a return to the science fiction genre. Attempting to launch a completely new franchise is a tough challenge in the modern film landscape and sadly Rebel Moon is unable to make an impression.

Drawing on an original screenplay, Rebel Moon takes place in a galaxy ruled by the authoritarian Motherworld Empire. Having cast aside their benevolent ways, they ruthlessly conquer planetary settlements and steal their resources. On the planet of Veldt, things take a different turn as the former Motherworld commander Kora (Sofia Boutella) begins an uprising, recruiting many individuals to make a stand. In the first half of its runtime, Rebel Moon is very derivative (especially with a bar scene ripped straight from Star Wars) and it fails to properly develop its world and characters. We alternate between finding new comrades and the machinations of the nefarious Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein), but neither side is very deep or well thought out. When we do get some potentially interesting moments, the narrative stumbles. Rather than building up characters and showing proper introductions, Rebel Moon skips straight to the action. At several points you will wonder if a scene was cut out or removed, as if the filmmakers were afraid of boring the audience. Without these finer details, the aspirations towards a grander space-faring tale ring hollow; this is all too evident in the climax where some of the rebels meet their demise with no dramatic flourish or payoff.

Like so many of Snyder’s previous works, none of the characters are very interesting or likeable. We’re supposed to witness a team coming together and combining their unique skills, but all five main characters range from wooden to underused. Sofia Boutella tries her best, offering up a stoic soldier persona, but with Kora’s backstory told through flashbacks, there isn’t much for her to do, despite being the lead protagonist. Her compatriots don’t fare any better with Michiel Huisman’s Gunnar having little to no chemistry. An old general named Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a swordsman known as Nemesis (Doona Bae) and the roguish smuggler Kai (Charlie Hunnam) are barely characters at all. We learn next to nothing about them and the brief scenes they do share together refuses to bring out their individual characteristics; it’s unacceptable to keep these details back for the second film when the first part wants us to get invested. The side characters are also incredibly weak; Ed Skrein is very forgettable as the antagonist and Anthony Hopkins is utterly wasted as the voice of a mild-mannered robot who disappears from the story minutes after he’s introduced. The village farmers should have been the emotional anchor of the story, but we never see them connect with the team. Characters are so important to the bigger picture, a basic lesson that Rebel Moon constantly misses.

At first, Rebel Moon does show signs of originality in its world; the audience is taken to many different planets, each with their own atmosphere and tone. The peaceful faming colony contrasts well with a grungy mining planet for example. The effects for the spaceships and other technology also work well, though on occasion the CGI creatures don’t blend well with the cast. Even with all these well-rendered vistas and detailed sets, the action struggles to engage. Be it shootouts or hand-to-hand, the combat feels very toothless for a 15-rated production. This is often down to the frustrating number of mid-range cuts during the action, preventing the hits from landing with the right impact. The final showdown between Kora and Atticus is passable but every other sequence feels lacking. In one recruitment scene most of the cast just stands around, refusing to get involved with Nemesis and her mission to save a young child’s life. The use of slow-motion doesn’t really improve things either as the actors are often placed in awkward poses. On the audio side, things feel quite samey with a soundtrack that relies too heavily on sweeping notes. Any potential for a unique star system and society is quickly hampered by some middling technical decisions.

For all the money and talent thrown at it, Rebel Moon is another new sci-fi flick that falls woefully short when compared to other releases. Aside from some mildly interesting lore and large scale backdrops, there is little to enjoy here. The story is set to continue with a second part in 2024 but you’ll struggle to care. Steer clear of this latest effort and wait for more engaging productions.

Rating: 1.5/5 Stars (Bad)