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 matter of hype.
When Rebel Moon was announced, my eyes were huge. Director Zack Snyder has never completely disappointed me. He always offers impressive images and knows how to impressively stage action.
The trailer for Rebel Moon alone made my mouth water. Especially after all the disappointments of the last few 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 images:
Rebel Moon – Part 1: Child of Fire | Official trailer from Netflix
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The trailer immediately reminded me of the dark film Rogue One, which offers some of the best space battles in the “Star Wars” universe.
Watch Rebel Moon without Star Wars in mind
Of course, the media was quickly full of terms like “Star Wars killer” and that there was competition for the saga from a galaxy far, far away. That would probably have been the wish of Netflix itself.
Well, that’s not to be expected here. And not necessary either. Rebel Moon is closer to the Star Wars template than to Star Wars itself.
Znack Snyder was heavily inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, as was George Lucas for his Star Wars. It tells the story of a group of samurai who are hired by farmers to protect their village from marauding bandits – and that sums up the entire plot of Rebel Moon. If you don’t know this masterpiece yet, I’ll leave you a link to the iMDB page for “The Seven Samurai”.
Rebel Moon is also much more brutal and dark than Star Wars. Barbaric murders are shown and 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 out beforehand whether it is suitable for this younger audience.
Try to get away from the idea of getting the next Star Wars here and then you’ll see Rebel Moon with different eyes.
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The visuals and worldbuilding are great
The big highlight for me is clearly the world itself.
A large universe is created, with different planets, each with their own population and culture. The focus is on a conflict in this universe, because somewhere you have to be able to rebel.
I particularly like the creative and loving alien designs. They range from a giant spider woman to a small parasite that makes its host speak for itself.
As I hoped from Znack 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 have the feeling that 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 people will only see the film in the home theater on Netflix. The visual power was actually made for the screen.
Even the struggles of individual characters seem impressive. This is also related to the use of slow motion and strong close-ups.
Flat plot, bland characters, blatant villains
Now we come to the crux of Rebel Moon, which could cause disappointment.
You’ve probably seen the story of the film a few times already. There are no surprises. For me personally, this doesn’t always have to be the case if the plot is still comprehensible and well told.
What annoys me about Rebel Moon is how the characters are treated.
The cast is well chosen and the characters all have something interesting about them. Putting this gang together could make for exciting dynamics. However, Rebel Moon only scratches the surface here. The coming together of this group is so central to the film.
I particularly like Nemesis (top left in the picture). The warrior is known for her deadly swordplay and has mechanical prosthetics that replace her arms starting at the elbow. So she heats her swords to red-hot temperatures, which gives them that laser sword look that you can also see in the trailer.
But you hardly get any of this background information because all nine characters have to be introduced in one film.
My colleague Vali from GameStar also saw Rebel Moon. When we were talking about it, he said that it would probably have worked better as a short series with one character in each episode – and I totally agree with him! I would have liked to see that. You can read his review here:
Rebel Moon Part 1 in the film review: The big Star Wars competitor unfortunately turns out to be a fool’s errand (via GameStar)
The same goes for the bad guys, who are really, really bad. You don’t even ask yourself whether there are moral gradations.
They’re all really into war and destruction and torture.
Good entertainment for a Netflix evening
Despite my criticisms, I found myself thoroughly entertained by Rebel Moon. That’s why I would recommend every science fiction fan to watch the film. Especially if you already have a Netflix subscription. You really can’t go wrong.
At least the first part “Child of Fire” has already whet the appetite for the second part. I hope that the second part manages to build more character depth. Otherwise it would be a shame if the actually nice cast of characters was completely wasted.
I’m sure Netflix would have promised more here. Unfortunately, there’s not enough left hanging at the end of the film. A good story stands or falls with its characters, who are our travel companions.
But that shouldn’t bother you out there.
Just approach the matter with appropriate expectations, lean back on the sofa and let the beautiful pictures wash over you.
When does Rebel Moon release on Netflix? From December 22nd you can watch Rebel Moon on the streaming provider. Rebel Moon – Part 2: “The Scar Maker” will come on April 19, 2024.
If the disappointment is ultimately too great, you might find what you’re looking for here: The 13 best science fiction films according to IMDb