We need to talk about Rebel Moon
CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES looks forward to a new two-part film promising to be an adult take on Star Wars
No matter your opinion on director Zack Snyder (love him, hate him or the most mentally-balanced option, mild indifference mixed with occasional interest), no one can deny that he is one of the greatest modern directors. He has his own, unique style, his directing techniques inspired plenty of new filmmakers and his mastery of cinematography is undisputed. Stunning visuals that closely adhere to storyboard art, time-ramping action scenes (slowing and speeding up time) instead of the usual multi-cut approach, and a meticulous pre-production schedule are Snyder’s trademarks. Now, it would be nice If he let other people write the script and take criticism from an experienced producer every once and a while, but hey, nobody’s perfect.
When he was released by DC, Snyder went where all filmmakers go when they want full creative control and a budget that would make a small state in Southeast Asia weep: the streaming behemoth, Netflix.
His first outing was the post-apocalyptic zombie action comedy, Army of the Dead, a movie that was so loved by fans that it spawned a sequel and a future series. The film had all the hallmarks of a Snyder classic: visually stunning, great action scenes, bad writing and ridiculously long runtime. No matter the shortcomings though, it was a huge success and prompted Snyder to pitch Netflix execs a project that he had been working on for almost 30 years. A sci-fi space opera called Rebel Moon.
Created to be an adult take on the Star Wars franchise, negotiations with Lucasfilm broke down when the studio was acquired by Disney. And Disney of course had no intention of making a gritty Star Wars movie.
After he had the door slammed in his face, Snyder reworked the script into an original IP. I mean, it does tell the story of an evil empire that oppresses people and sends its chief enforcer to crash a rebellion but other than that, no Star Wars themes. Except there is a princess. And a faithful droid. And fighters with special, almost psychic abilities. And lightsabers. And… you know what? Let he/she who has a completely original idea cast the first comment. No one? Thought so. Moving on.
Rebel Moon looks amazing. The colour palette is gorgeous, the action scenes promising and the impeccable CGI proves that animators are fine if you give them time to do their job properly. The cast is stellar, with much riding on Ed Skein playing the villain Atticus Noble, who looks like a Soviet high-ranking officer ripped straight out of the nightmares of Joseph McCarthy. Along for the ride is Sofia Boutella, a veteran warrior who thought she left her past behind her but her sins have caught up. Again, originality is not what we are striving for here.
A bit about the plot: Kora, nickname Scargiver (don’t start with me, I know!) abandons her career as a soldier for the Imperium for a life of a simple farmer on the outskirts of the galaxy, in a remote community on a remote planet. The Imperium is not done with her though, so they send soldiers to track her down and bring her back. The reason is unknown, outstanding fines is my guess. Kora makes short work of them but realises that now the Imperium knows where she is, they will come not only for her but for everyone. Channelling the legendary 7 Samurai, Kora sets out to recruit allies to her cause. The mercenary pilot Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a disgraced general named Titus (Djimon Hounsou), the nobleman turned blacksmith Tarak (Staz Nair) who can also talk to animals, a cyborg swordmaster called Nemesis (Doona Bae), warriors Devra (Cleopatra Coleman) and Darrian (Ray Fisher) Bloodaxe (because at this point this is a D&D session) and Jimmy, the last of a race of noble mechanical knights (voiced by Anthony Hopkins). Yes, in a universe with names such as Admiral Noble, the Scargiver and Bloodaxe, a mechanical Arthurian time knight is called Jimmy. Oh well.
One movie of course was not enough to properly lay out Snyder’s vision so it was cut into two parts. A movie by Snyder that overruns its intended duration? I know, I was shocked too.
All jokes aside, I have high hopes for this. If this succeeds it will spawn a completely (eh, almost) original IP. A breath of fresh air in a world dominated by sequels, prequels and reboots.
Rebel Moon: Child of Fire will be released on Netflix on December 22, while Rebel Moon: Scargiver will be out on April 24, 2024.