Zack Snyder’s forthcoming sci-fi space opera “Rebel Moon” is a project he’s been kicking around for over ten years. It started out as an R-rated “Star Wars” film idea in 2012 that he pitched to Kathleen Kennedy. “I thought that “Star Wars” was in a vulnerable state, so I thought I had a chance,” Snyder said in a recent THR profile. It then morphed into a “”Game of Thrones” in space” television series idea until Snyder eventually shaped it into the two-part Netflix epic it is now.
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So, given all of that development, “Rebel Moon” must be a slam dunk for Snyder and Netflix, right? Not according to early critical reviews of “Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child On Fire.” With reviews trickling in this morning for the film’s limited theatrical release before debuts on Netflix next Thursday, Snyder’s latest currently sits at 17% on Rotten Tomatoes from 24 reviews so far. That’s abysmal, and not a good sign for “Part Two: The Scargiver,” out on April 19, 2024, or for the extended, R-rated director’s cuts on the way. In short, it looks like “Rebel Moon” is a trash fire. To dilute its critical appraisal so far to one word or phrase, it’d be: “ooph.”
So what went wrong on this project? Tweets below indicate walkouts, poor world-building, and boredom throughout the movie’s two-plus hour runtime. But others see a lot of promise in Snyder’s vision, praising his visuals and intrigued by how expansive the extended cuts will be. Others even suggest “Rebel Moon” is better than anything to do with the “Star Wars” Universe recently. So the reviews aren’t all scathing, but certainly divisive. But they also indicate that if a viewer wasn’t a Zack Snyder fan before, they definitely won’t be after screening his latest.
Still, one has to feel for the massive ensemble cast of “Rebel Moon,” especially its star Sofia Boutella. How reminiscent is this of the atrocious reviews for “The Mummy” back in 2017, another blockbuster starring the actress that was supposed to launch a franchise and blast her into Hollywood superstardom? But there are plenty of other actors here who now may be scratching their heads over their involvement. Like Ed Skrein and Michiel Huisman, two “Game Of Thrones” alums, or Charles Hunman, who really needed a bounce back after “Shantaram” didn’t connect with anyone. Let’s see how “Rebel Moon” fares with further critics and and then an actual audience before we write this project off as a outright failure, though.
“Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire” introduces audiences to Kora (Sofia Boutella), a solitary former soldier who has built a quiet but fulfilling life on the far-flung farming moon of Veldt. That calm is shattered when the Motherworld army (led by an evil Admiral played by Ed Skrein), land on the moon, dredging up Kora’s past and threatening her future. Faced with this impending imperialism, Kora teams up with a local farmer (Michiel Huisman), who band together to form the rebels fighting against the encroaching evil, and mythical legends soon enter the picture.
The “Rebel Moon” movies also feature Djimon Hounsou, Doona Bae, and Ray Fisher, with Charlie Hunnam and Anthony Hopkins as the voice of Jimmy. The rest of the ensemble cast includes Staz Nair, Fra Fee, Cleopatra Coleman, Stuart Martin, Ingvar Sigurðsson, Alfonso Herrera, Cary Elwes, Rhian Rees, E. Duffy, Jena Malone, Sky Yang, Charlotte Maggi, and Corey Stoll. Snyder pens the film with Kurt Johnstad and Shay Hatten.
If the reviews below scare you away from seeing Snyder’s movie in theaters, don’t worry: “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire” premieres on Netflix on December 21. Meanwhile, “Part Two: The Scargiver” premieres on April 19, 2024. Read the mixed (but mostly scathing) reactions below.
