MeinMMO Editor-in-Chief Leya Jankowski draws a conclusion about “Rebel Moon – Part 1: Child of Fire” without spoilers. She would recommend the film to any science fiction fan.
It’s always a thing with hype.
When Rebel Moon was announced, my eyes were wide. Director Zack Snyder has never completely disappointed me so far. He always delivers impressive visuals and knows how to stage action spectacularly.
Just the trailer for Rebel Moon made my mouth water. Especially after all the disappointments of the past years in the “Star Wars” universe. I still haven’t recovered from the Obi-Wan series…
The comparison to Star Wars was always obvious in the visuals:
The trailer immediately reminded me of the dark film Rogue One, which features some of the best space battles in the “Star Wars” universe.
Watch Rebel Moon without Star Wars in mind
Of course, the media quickly filled with terms like “Star Wars killer” and that a competitor to the saga from a galaxy far, far away is coming our way. That would probably have been Netflix’s wish itself.
Well, that is not to be expected here. And not necessary either. Rebel Moon is closer to the source material for Star Wars than to Star Wars itself.
Zack Snyder was heavily inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s “The Seven Samurai”, just as George Lucas was for his Star Wars. The story tells of a group of samurai hired by farmers to protect their village from predatory bandits – and this sums up the entire plot of Rebel Moon. If you are not familiar with this masterpiece, I will leave you a link to the IMDb page of “The Seven Samurai”.
Rebel Moon is also much more brutal and darker than Star Wars. Barbaric murders are shown, and even the topic of rape as a war crime is not shied away from. If you want to watch the film with a younger audience, I recommend checking in advance if it is suitable for this younger audience.
Try to free yourself from the thought of getting the next Star Wars here and then you will see Rebel Moon with different eyes.
Visuals and world-building are top-notch
The big highlight for me is clearly the world itself.
A vast universe is created, with various planets, each having their own population and culture. At the center is a conflict in this universe, as there has to be a place to rebel.
I particularly enjoy the creative and lovingly designed aliens. They range from a giant spider woman to a small parasite that makes its host speak.
As I had hoped from Zack Snyder, there are always images in this film that I would hang on my wall. Especially in the village where the protagonist Kora lives, I feel like I can smell the grain in the fields.
I was able to see the press screening in the cinema. It’s a shame that most will only see the film at home on Netflix. The visual power is really made for the big screen.
Even the fights of individual people look impressive. This also has to do with the use of slow motion and strong close-ups.
Flat plot, bland characters, over-the-top villains
Now we come to the crux of Rebel Moon, which could lead to disappointment.
The story of the film has certainly been seen a few times before. There are no surprises. Personally, I don’t always need surprises if the plot is still coherent and well told.
What frustrates me about Rebel Moon is how the characters are treated.
The cast is super well chosen and all the characters have something interesting about them. The assembly of this gang could lead to exciting dynamics. However, Rebel Moon only scratches the surface here. Meanwhile, the assembling of this group is so central to the film.
Especially Nemesis (top left in the picture) has captivated me. The warrior is known for her deadly sword fighting and has mechanical prosthetics that replace her arms from the elbow down. This allows her to heat her swords to glowing temperatures, giving them that lightsaber look, which you can also see in the trailer.
You hardly get to learn anything about all these backgrounds, as all nine characters have to be introduced in the film.
My colleague Vali from GameStar also saw Rebel Moon. When we talked about it, he mentioned that it probably would have worked better as a mini-series, where each episode focuses on a character – and I absolutely agree with him! I would have liked to see that. Here you can read his review:
Rebel Moon Part 1 in the film review: The big Star Wars competitor unfortunately turns out to be a dud (via GameStar)
The same goes for the villains, who are really very, very evil. One doesn’t even wonder if there are moral gradations involved.
They are all just really eager for war and destruction and torture.
Good entertainment for a Netflix night
Despite my criticisms, I felt well entertained by Rebel Moon. Therefore, I would recommend the film to any science fiction fan. Especially if you already have a Netflix subscription. You really can’t go wrong there.
At least the first part “Child of Fire” has already whetted the appetite for the second part. I hope the second part can manage to build more character depth. Otherwise, it would be a shame if the actually nice assembly of characters completely fizzles out.
I’m sure Netflix expected more from this. Unfortunately, in the end, there’s just too little that sticks with you after the film. A good story stands and falls with its characters, who are our travel companions.
But that shouldn’t bother you out there.
Just approach the whole thing with the appropriate expectations, lean back on your sofa, and let yourself be entertained by the beautiful visuals.
When does Rebel Moon release on Netflix? From December 22, you can watch Rebel Moon on the streaming service. Rebel Moon – Part 2: “The Scar Maker” will be released on April 19, 2024.
If the disappointment turns out to be too great in the end, you might find something here: The 13 best science fiction films according to IMDb
