Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire: A Sci-Fi Adventure Filled with Potential and Frustration

Introduction

Few directors seem as controversial or beloved as Zack Snyder. The director who famously kicked off the DCEU in 2013 and whose cut of Justice League sparked a fierce fan campaign has his admirers and his haters, and he is frequently the subject of online discourse. To be perfectly frank, I’ve never felt that Snyder’s work was my cup of tea, but I was also fully aware that all I had seen from him was his DC movies. Looking ahead to Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, I was genuinely curious to see whether an original sci-fi would endear me more to him. Having watched all two hours and 14 minutes of it, I can say that while there are many elements I enjoyed, there are more that left me frustrated. With Rebel Moon, Snyder is positively bursting with exciting ideas, but they lack compelling characters and a solid plot to hold them up.

Sofia Boutella's Kora aiming her gun and looking over her shoulder in Rebel Moon Part One A Child of Fire

What Is Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child Of Fire About? As voiceover narration from Anthony Hopkins’ robot character Jimmy helpfully informs us, Rebel Moon is set in an expansive galaxy controlled by the Motherworld and its Imperium, a tyrannical, power-hungry force. On the quiet moon Veldt, a battle-hardened woman named Kora (Sofia Boutella) has her chance at peace in a farming village thwarted by the arrival of Imperium forces led by the sadistic Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), who seeks to take the village’s crops for his army. After a tragic incident brings the village under Imperium rule, Kora realizes that fighting might be the only option to keep her home safe, despite her reluctance to get involved. And so, she sets off with her friend, fellow farmer Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) to put together a group of warriors who can stand against Noble and his forces. I’ll be tempted to see what happens, but I can’t say I was left with a desperate need to have the next movie right this second when the movie ended.

Jimmy in Rebel Moon image

A Child Of Fire's Worldbuilding Is Expansive Even those who don’t follow Snyder’s work will quickly see he has big, big plans for the Rebel Moon universe. The title Part One: A Child of Fire signals there is more to come in this story and, frustratingly, it falls into the typical pitfalls that come from a movie that is advertised to only be one half of the tale. Snyder wrote the screenplay alongside Kurt Johnstad and Shay Hattan, building upon his original idea for what was once a Star Wars movie. Much of A Child of Fire is spent traveling from planet to planet recruiting characters, and each new world feels distinctive and vibrant, thanks to the work of production designers Stephen Swain and Stefan Dechant. This is where Snyder’s creativity truly shines, and it is genuinely impressive to see. Each planet could sustain myriad stories (and Netflix likely hopes that they will), and that’s before one even touches the twisty lore of the Motherworld. Rebel Moon is a universe rich with opportunity.

Lightsabers Rebel Moon

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child Of Fire's Characters Lack Development The problem, though, is that the same cannot be said for the film's characters; at least, not in the way they are presented here. Snyder has assembled an impressive cast, including Charlie Hunnam (as roguish pilot Kai), Djimon Hounsou (as the disgraced yet legendary General Titus), and Ray Fisher (as resistance leader Darrian Bloodaxe). It is abundantly clear that Snyder has conceived deep backstories for each character, and yet the only one who gets more than a sentence of development is Kora, whose backstory unfurls over not one, but two expository monologues and flashback sequences. Kora makes for a compelling protagonist, and Boutella is excellent in the role, but so much of her journey feels emotionless. We're left to fill in the gaps for ourselves as to why each character is willing to join Kora and Gunnar on their mission, and the whole team barely gets any time to interact with each other. Arguably, the character who gets the most development beyond Kora is Jimmy, and he disappears from the plot after the first act. Before he goes, though, he’s a delight.

Bae Doona and Michiel Huisman in Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire