Hey, at least it’s an improvement over the prior film.
The second part of Rebel Moon, titled “The Scargiver,” is a feast worthless. It’s a continuous assault of explosions, sci-fi cliches, and pointless exposition that doesn’t amount to anything at all. In spite of this, it is still superior to the first installment of Zack Snyder’s proposed science fiction epic franchise for Netflix, which was titled Rebel Moon: Part 1 – A Child of Fire from the beginning. (What are the true meanings of these titles? Who gives a damn?
Snyder is able to let his actual talents shine through in Rebel Moon: Part 2 by offering countless bouts that are replete with slow-motion action and heroic stances. This is because all of the dull table-setting has been completed. I only wish that it added up to anything, because it looks really cool. Any and all.
There will be spoilers for the second part of Rebel Moon.
In the event that you were unable to watch the first Rebel Moon movie, the main premise is that it is a combination of Star Wars and The Seven Samurai. The character of Kora, played by Sofia Boutella, is a former elite soldier of a malevolent empire who is currently hiding out in an agricultural village that is far too lovely, where she is simply planting and harvesting her lives away. When a group of military thugs kills the chief of the village and begins to threaten a young girl, Kora goes on a killing spree (in defense!). This leaves the tribe vulnerable to a reprisal strike by the military.
In the first film, she devotes her time to recruiting potential fighters to defend the hamlet. Among the individuals she recruits are a fallen gladiator played by Djimoun Hounsou and a badass swordswoman played by Doona Bae. They are referred to by their individual names, Titus and Nemesis; nevertheless, these names are not particularly significant because the characters are so superficial.
To be quite honest, I attempted to write a review for the first Rebel Moon, but I ended up giving up altogether out of disgust. It took me several days to watch it without falling asleep because it was such a startlingly boring epic. I was able to watch it without falling asleep. I was only left with a sensation of dread by the time it was over, and that was because I knew that I still had two hours of Rebel Moon to go.
Despite the fact that it is relatively worthless praise, I will say that I did not fall asleep while watching The Scargiver. The majority of this is because the movie actually has a sense of movement and a great deal more action than it did before. In the same way that you were able to do with Snyder’s adaptations of Sucker Punch, Justice League, and Watchmen, you are able to switch off your brain and appreciate the lovely pictures. Despite the fact that Snyder is more of a stylist than a natural storyteller, there are times when his visuals can be nearly lyrical. One example of this is a montage of our heroes picking wheat that is quite perplexing.
It’s simply a shame that I didn’t attach much of an emotional attachment to any of the film’s characters or any of its narrative elements. We fell in love with a group of misfits and screwups thanks to the third installment of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, which featured narratives that directly led to the characters’ personal and emotional development. In contrast, the cast and crew of Rebel Moon come across as cardboard cutouts from more successful films, and the general plot appears to be fabricated (by the time the film is complete, there is even a setup for another film).
With his eyes, Hounsou makes an effort to sell the sadness of Titus, but he is only able to do it to a certain extent. And despite the fact that Bae’s warrior woman radiates cool (and has a pretty interesting flashback), she is largely ineffective when the action truly starts to heat up. In addition, there is Jimmy, a robot whose voice is provided by Anthony Hopkins. Jimmy was introduced in the first film for a brief period of time, and he makes a brief appearance in this picture to kick butt. How come? It makes no difference… That persona is also significant enough to serve as the narrator for both of the Rebel Moon films, but it appears that Snyder was only interested in Hopkins’ voice because he wanted it to add gravitas to the proceedings.
Similarly to the first picture, Ed Skrein’s performance as the malevolent Atticus Noble is maybe the only true saving grace for Rebel Moon: Part 2, which is also named after him. Skrein’s heightened scenery munching makes the character entertaining to watch, despite the fact that he is really nothing remarkable in terms of his role as a vicious villain. Unlike Darth Vader, who emanates a calm feeling of dread, Skrein’s Noble is entertainingly chaotic. He is like the Joker combined with Hans Landa from Inglorious Basterds, played by Christoph Waltz. Simply put, he enjoys being a horrible person a great deal, and that is something!
Considering how well received the first film was (at least according to Snyder and Netflix), it is highly possible that additional Rebel Moon films will be released in the future. Snyder has stated in the past that he would like to create a director’s edit of both films that is six hours long, and he recently stated to Radio Times that he would like to extend the Rebel Moon series to a total of around four or six films. To me, that seems to be a threat in some particular way.