Summary

Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire lacks character development and cohesive plot, prioritizing worldbuilding over storytelling. Zack Snyder’s signature style, including fit characters and breathtaking action sequences, is present in Rebel Moon. The film’s expansive universe and impressive production design showcase Snyder’s creativity and potential for future storytelling.

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.

Rebel Moon From director Zack Snyder comes Rebel Moon, a sci-fi action movie set in the depths of space and following a colony that is facing the threat of Regent Balisarius. Sofia Boutella plays a warrior charged with recruiting others in the fight against the tyrant, and his unstoppable forces that are dead set on conquest.  Release Date December 22, 2023 Cast Djimon Hounsou , Sofia Boutella , Charlotte Maggi , Ray Fisher , Jena Malone , E. Duffy , Staz Nair , Doona Bae , Sky Yang , Charlie Hunnam , Cleopatra Coleman Rating PG-13 Distributor(s) Netflix

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.

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.

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire’s Characters Lack Development
Bae Doona and Michiel Huisman in Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire

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.

This is already a problem for Rebel Moon even before it runs into the typical part one problem — it’s a story that has barely begun before the credits start to roll. Much of A Child of Fire’s plot revolves around Kora and Gunnar assembling the team, and thus plays more like many ideas strung together than one of cohesion. It is a relief to know that Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver is only a few months away, but it’s still frustrating to realize that, overall, the story didn’t move as far forward as it should have. In this, Snyder prioritizes worldbuilding over character and plot development, and that hinders Rebel Moon’s potential. Without strong characters to root for, what will make us tune in for the sequel? Personally, 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.

The Snyder faithful will no doubt eagerly devour Rebel Moon, as it holds plenty of his work’s hallmarks: Incredibly fit characters carrying out breathless action sequences, striking visuals, and a lot of slow-motion (a trick that I find exhausting, but I digress). Like Snyder’s previous movies, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire will have an extended director’s cut on Netflix, and that could very well fix some of the issues with its characters and plot. However, if one has to watch an extended cut just to get half the story, then maybe the original version isn’t as successful as it could be.

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire releases in select theaters on Friday, December 15 before debuting on Netflix on Thursday, December 21 at 7pm PT/10pm ET. It is 134 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, sexual assault, bloody images, language, sexual material and partial nudity.

Key Release Dates Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver