Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is a solid sci-fi fantasy film, packed with the director’s trademark style and action sequences. While very familiar in its homages to other films, it’s fresh enough to keep audiences engaged for the universe to come.

Rebel Moon has all the bells and whistles that are expected from a Zack Snyder production. His visual flair and aesthetic are at full display as the film blends sci-fi and fantasy akin to the likes of Dune. While the film has several homages to icons like Star Wars and Seven Samurai, it’s still unique in its visual identity. The film has an aesthetic feeling closer to an anime or RPG video game than the aforementioned movies. Snyder’s style has evolved from film to film, and some of it can be attributed to how he challenges himself to add new tools to his craft. For Rebel Moon, Snyder wears several hats from director, co-writer, and cinematographer. While his best films shared these responsibilities more evenly, Rebel Moon is truly a Snyder film from every side of production.

Rebel Moon has been in the back of Snyder’s mind for decades. Years before his Justice League trilogy, Zombie flicks, or Watchmen, the director had toyed with the concept of his own space opera. Inspired by the favorite movies and magazines he read growing up, the film almost found its way in the form of a Star Wars film before the studio shifted to The Force Awakens. With the director now at Netflix, a studio looking for its next big franchise, a lot is riding on Rebel Moon to be just that. 

Sofia Boutella leads the film, a victim of war and oppression, kidnapped and turned into a soldier. Audiences find Kora in the middle of her narrative arc, with flashbacks and exposition used to fill in the origins of her story. Kora feels like a blend of protagonists from Snyder’s previous films, while unique enough to stand on her own feet. She’s quiet, and stoic and exudes natural leadership in the fade of adversary. The film follows Kora as she recruits a rag-tag group of myths and misfits to lead a revolution.

Rebel Moon rounds out the cast with an ensemble of Charlie Hunnam, Ed Skrein, Bae Doona, Djimon Hounsou, Ray Fisher, and Anthony Hopkins. It’s a large cast to fit into a two-hour runtime and sometimes it shows. Except for Skrein’s villainous Admiral Noble, many characters feel a little half-baked in their narrative arcs. As each character is recruited to the team, their motivations are explained quickly and their willingness to join Kora happens at a breakneck pace. This is an area where the director’s cut will undoubtedly help flesh out arcs and give more development to each of the characters.

At its best, Rebel Moon – Part One establishes a sprawling universe of interesting ideas. There’s a sense of lore that expands galaxies and while the film’s gaze is strictly on a small group in one corner of that universe, the threat of the Motherworld feels real and intense. The artistic designs for the various planets and alien life are full of creativity, forging a unique playground for a Snyder film to inhabit. This feels especially fulfilled in characters like Anthony Hopkins’ Jimmy, a robot that seemingly holds the secrets to the universe, and Harmada, a spider-like alien portrayed by Jenna Malone. While the former will likely have a huge role in Rebel Moon Part Two, the first film could have used an alien figure in the main cast to help the film feel more otherworldly.

Snyder tends to work best completely unencumbered by restraints or censorship. For Rebel Moon, the reveal of a director’s cut was announced from the outset by Netflix. While the Snyders have publicly stated they stand with the original cut of this film, a far cry from their detachment from 2017’s Justice League, one can’t help but think of the potential of a rated-R, three-hour cut of this film where the punches hit harder and the character arcs feel fleshed out. Ultimately, the decision to release two versions of this film instead of just the latter feels like a misstep.

Snyder’s film is known for action and spectacle, and those elements are definitely present throughout. Junkie XL’s score is strong, both bombastic during the action and rhythmic during the character work. While there aren’t many huge action set pieces in the vein of Man of Steel or Batman v Superman, the film has plenty of slo-mo sequences and brutal fights that will keep fans new and old entertained. Even so, the PG-13 tone-down feels obvious and there’s an eagerness for Snyder to go full Snyder that doesn’t always happen throughout this film’s two-hour run time.

Overall, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire accomplishes its primary goal of establishing an entertaining new universe. The world-building is top-notch, inspired by the icons of the past while fresh enough to stand on its own. The visuals are strong, with Zack Snyder’s trademark style throughout. The characters are engaging, albeit needing the breathing room of a director’s cut to feel fleshed out. While it’s a strong start, the director’s cut just might be the true prize.

3.5/5