It was only a few short months ago that Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire (sigh) debuted to plenty of commentary, but also much derision. The new space opera, pieced together from a multitude of inspirations, dropped a metric ton of lore and mythology on its audiences, but the film struggled to elicit investment in its characters and conflict.
The abundant criticism was no secret to the filmmakers, some of which even touched upon the supposed backlash. Sofia Boutella stated that the reviews affected her mentally and emotionally. Director Zack Snyder had a different response, suggesting the movie was undeserving of such pointed criticism. It should be expected (and understandable) that artists would take such pride in their work. If anything, that pride should be encouraged. As long as it doesn’t get personal, from either side, there’s nothing wrong with disagreeing about the entertainment value of a work. Thankfully, the perception of Rebel Moon’s quality, while passionate, seems to be relatively drama free. Which is not something we could say for the entirety of Snyder’s filmography.
But as far as the defensiveness the filmmakers have displayed, I can’t say it makes me reconsider how plodding and mediocre the first entry in this franchise turned out to be. Yes, there’s some interesting visuals, cool weapons, and hints of intriguing character backstories, but it feels hollow. The movie seems like a lot of STUFF, but it lacks the ability to come together as an efficient and entertaining ensemble, part of which is a result of a lack of emotional relatability.
None of this inspires much confidence for the movie’s sequel… or better half, however you choose to look at it. Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver (it’s like the titles have a word count) is hastily approaching for an April 19th release date, promising to be the concluding chapter of at least this first part of the story. I say “at least” because it seems every two weeks there’s a new announcement for a Rebel Moon tie-in product or project in development. Snyder wants to make this a big brand, one that sticks around for years to come. However, if the quality of the films do not get drastically better very quickly, I don’t see much of a future for this contending fighter. The latest trailer, seen below, is our most extensive look yet at the sequel:
Well, as expected, this is where the story is going to absolutely let loose on the action. In fact, it’s hard to tell if the ballistic pace of this trailer is a response to the complaints that the first movie was too slow, or if this really will be nonstop violence for two hours straight. Given who’s in the director’s chair, nothing should surprise us. Some of the setpieces do look pretty dazzling and intense. Although, there’s already hints that the film will still lay the slow motion on thick, to my chagrin. But it’s a Zack Snyder movie – at this point, it’s part of the package deal.
As far as if this trailer is a good sign, the movie will still need to show if it can hit a balance between visual thrills and giving us characters we can actually root for. Thus far, I and many others have been mostly apathetic to Kora (Boutella) and the rest of her friends of misfit toys. Ed Skrein returns as the central antagonist, Atticus Noble (LOL!), and he’s already taking on a more physically active role than his contributions in the first film, but I didn’t get a sense of menace and genuine intimidation you’d want out of such an integral villain. The character still feels a little bit silly, even if they’re clearly trying to show a more violent side of him – but jury is still out on if they’ll stick the landing.
Meanwhile, it seems like we are getting an immediate payoff for Jimmy (Anthony Hopkins), as the robotic Knight seems poised to be one of the film’s biggest ass kickers. I’m honestly interested to see what Snyder does with this character, which so far is a nice twist on the typical ‘droid’ we’ve come to expect in these types of movies. Given that Jimmy is one of the oldest characters in the movie, going back to the universe’s previous monarchies, he’s a crucial element to piecing the mythology and overarching narrative together.
I think when looking at a character like Jimmy, he’s exemplifies the potential and promise of Rebel Moon – that being taking old tropes and giving them a fresh coat of paint. Sure, this story thus far is mostly a mashup of Star Wars and Seven Sumarai, and commenters have been tripping over themselves in a rush to make jokes that illustrate that point. But Star Wars itself was largely comprised of old tropes, made new. Can The Scargiver be a junior/diet version of that? It’s possible, but we may also just be at the point where there’s no need in anticipating new reflections on the work of Zack Snyder. Those who love what he does will continue to do so, and those who feel starved by the director’s shallow plots and characters will continue to grow hungry. But if there is anything, and I mean anything, more to this enterprise than what seems like a Star Wars skin washed in Mountain Dew, we’re finally near the finish line of determining if we can write this story off and send it back into space.
Rebel Moon: Part 2 – The Scargiver gets its last chance to make this franchise worth our while when it hits Netflix on April 19, 2024.
