Rebel Moon Part 1: Ambitious yet underwhelming imitation

Rebel Moon makes a lackluster attempt at revitalizing the sci-fi genre, leaving a notable blemish on Zack Snyder's filmography due to its dullness. Snyder has a proven track record, having successfully revitalized the zombie genre with Dawn of the Dead and brought Alan Moore's Watchmen to life with cinematic flair. His unique take on Superman also showcased his ability to create visually captivating and impactful superhero films.

However, he is also constrained by his own highly specific and impossible to avoid visual style; an excess of polished, screenshot-worthy visuals that inspire awe and nothing more. When the facade fades, all that remains is a lackluster and uninspiring result. With his unlimited freedom with Netflix, Rebel Moon could have been a completely unfiltered Snyder, embracing all of his negative qualities along with everything that makes him a distinctive voice. Unfortunately, aside from a few impressive and enjoyable elements, this new franchise is dead on arrival; ultimately, it is ineffectual at its core.

Rebel Moon starts on a Moon… with a Rebel 

In a distant (but not too distant) galaxy, the Motherworld rules with vengeance, holding onto the remains of the monarchy after the king and princess were killed by an assassin. With the royal lineage now gone, Balisarius (Fra Fee) of the Imperium declares himself regent and sends Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) to the outer edges to crush the rebels.

Meanwhile, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a survivor of war who escaped endless conflict after crash-landing on a moon, fights to earn peace by farming, smiling, and pursuing the possibility of love - even though she feels unworthy. Her sanctuary is soon invaded by an Imperium dreadnought, crashing through its clouds and looming above anything and everything with its enormous gaze. Shortly after, the villagers find themselves under the admiral’s control, forcing Kora to seek willing warriors across the universe who can stand against the oppressors. In summary: Seven Samurai in space.

Their rallying call leads them across the cosmos, encountering Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a mercenary drawn to Kora’s cause, Tarak (Staz Nair), a former nobleman-turned-slave with a talent for being strong and calming animals, General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a disgraced Imperium general in their eyes, and Nemesis (Doona Bae), a cyborg swordsmith armed with what a friend described as “light-wielders” - but not lightsabers. Ray Fisher and Cleopatra Coleman also appear as strong, serious rebel leaders, while Anthony Hopkins lends his voice to Jimmy, a royal droid who clearly plays a larger role in the story than we know.

Rebel Moon already feels diluted

It's a curse on the film that Snyder has a longer, harder R-rated cut of Rebel Moon. An R-rating isn’t a guarantee of quality, and there should be room for sweeping, bruising action blockbusters at a PG-13 level (The Hunger Games did it) – but the movie is clearly shot and envisioned as a violent space opera. The action feels awkwardly and frustratingly neutered in aid of a family-friendly-ish viewing experience, with some scattered teeth aside. It's like watching the TV edit of Saturday Night Fever first – in other words, wrong.

Even the existence and promotion of a director's cut, which will likely provide a fuller and more authentic representation of Snyder's ambitions, for better or worse, before the first edit of the film's release feels like a token gesture to his loyalists ("if you don't like this, you'll love this!"). While his infamous Justice League cut is a pivotal chapter in his history behind the camera, this approach comes dangerously close to defining him in a rather clichéd manner.

The entire story and most of its set pieces come off as empty and unoriginal, with one particular sequence feeling like a mashup of Harry Potter and Avatar, despite its impressive visual effects. The world-building is overwhelming as we jump from one world to another with loosely defined stakes and encounter strange, underdeveloped characters and confusing lore that we are expected to remember for later reference. The villains, including Skrein’s character who is a mix between a Nazi, Peaky Blinder, and Gavin Shipman, and the Imperium foot soldiers who resort to threatening rape out of boredom, are also quite dull.

It’s not all bad

While the immersion factor may be lacking, due to the occasionally unattractive landscapes and massive VFX backgrounds (a certain scene featuring a wheat field seems to have been borrowed from 300, and not in a positive way), there are still some remarkable effects to be found: a creature reminiscent of Buckbeak is brought to life in vivid detail, and Hopkins’ character Jimmy manages to steal the spotlight in each brief appearance, much like The Creator’s skillful seamless visual integration of AI bots with ordinary people. A particularly striking scene featuring a large spider may just put Snyder in the running for a Soulsbourne movie – definitely worth considering.

Boutella delivers her lines with a yawn-inducing monotony, but she remains a capable and engaging lead. However, Hunnam is the only standout star in the film, with the rest of the attractive cast failing to captivate. Additionally, the script does not work in their favor.

While Synder's visual style can feel tiresome, his cinematography is difficult to fault. However, the editing creates disjointed short scenes, failing to create the necessary synergy for an effective story. Fortunately, the score by Junkie XL brings a much-needed grandeur to the film, even though it may not be particularly memorable.

Rebel Moon Part 1 review score: 2/5

Rebel Moon presents a rehash of familiar slow-motion space scenarios combined with excessive melodrama; an uninspired imitation that does not carve out its own niche in the history of major science fiction movies.

Rebel Moon is in cinemas now, and it’ll premiere on Netflix on December 22. You can check out our interview with the cast here.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about Rebel Moon Part 1. On the one hand, I appreciate Zack Snyder's ambition and his attempt to revitalize the sci-fi genre. The film's visuals are stunning, and the cast is talented. On the other hand, I found the story to be unoriginal and the characters to be underdeveloped. The film also suffers from pacing issues and a lack of emotional depth.

Overall, I think Rebel Moon Part 1 is a missed opportunity. It has the potential to be a great film, but it ultimately falls short. I would recommend it to fans of Snyder's work and to those who are looking for a visually stunning sci-fi film. However, I would caution viewers that the film is not for everyone and that it may be disappointing to those who are expecting a more traditional sci-fi experience.