One of the biggest stories of 2023 has been the release of the Zack Snyder film Rebel Moon. Supposedly, this was the movie that Snyder pitched as an R-rated Star Wars project to Lucasfilm, to which Lucasfilm said thanks but no thanks. So, Snyder went ahead and made his movie with Netflix with a limited theater release before the Netflix premiere. 

Also making the news are the reports of critical reviews from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, each citing low critical review scores. It’s worth the discussion to dive into this and see if those low critic scores are deserved or just folks looking over the brim of their glasses yelling at the local kids to get off their lawns. 

Snyders Expectations 

Synder approached Lucasfilm with what he thought could be an IP that could be adjoined to the existing Star Wars universe, and that planned roadmap is extensive. You can find Rebel Moon Part 1 now on Netflix, with a run time of 2 hours and 13 minutes. Part 2 is slated for an April 2024 release, also on Netflix. Past the release of this 2 part introduction, Snyder appears to have a trilogy of movies, a video game, and even a series of graphic novels lined up. 

Also announced in 2023 was an animated series, a narrative-based audio podcast, an animated comic, and more. How much mileage Snyder and his production company actually get out of this brand-new universe remains to be seen and should be viewed as a gamble moving forward. Getting the public to pay attention to a new property with this much content will either prove to be what the consumers are looking for, or it will overwhelm them and keep them from diving into any lore surrounding it. 

If Zack Snyder is correct, and this IP takes off, we could see Rebel Moon around for some time. That, of course, is always a challenge. Starting a new universe like this will draw immediate comparisons to other science fiction and fantasy franchises. Rebel Moon will no doubt be compared to Star Wars since Snyder originally envisioned it as an entry to the Star Wars saga. 

What Rebel Moon does right 

First things first, this movie is visually stunning. From the movie’s starting scenes to the last scene, before the credits roll, we see the use of visuals and cinematic effects to be top-notch. The creatures shown are all interesting, and the sets and use of colors are fantastic. 

Also of interest is the design of the ships used by The Imperium (the bad guys) and the rebel fleets in the movie. At first glance, they appear to be unique and not drawing inspiration from ships from the major science fiction franchises best known today, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, or others. 

Another feather in the cap of this movie is the casting. The movie was cast well, and the actors made their roles believable. Of particular note were the jobs done by Charlie Hunnam as Kai, Ed Skrein as Atticus Noble, and Sofia Boutella as Kora. Each of them does a phenomenal job of getting your attention and wanting you to invest in their characters for different reasons. Of these three, I must admit that Ed Skrein stands out for just how good of a bad guy he can really play and the amount he gets you to dislike Atticus Noble. Charlie Hunnam’s character gets you to like his aloof mentality and playfulness, while Sofia Boutella draws you in with her backstory and the depths she has gone to outlive her past. 

Where it all went wrong 

As you watch Rebel Moon, however, you very quickly begin to understand why this movie has been rated so poorly by critics. I try not to read why critics didn’t like it, but I can’t say that I didn’t see the number of reviews outside of Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic that gave this movie less than favorable reviews. 

Here are my biggest issues – 1) It’s too long for its content; it needs to be a solid 45 minutes shorter. 2) The excessive use of slow motion. 3) The campy and predictable dialogue. 4) The movie doesn’t know who it wants to be when it grows up. I found myself frustrated with this movie often and nearly shut it off at least three times, only to end up rage-watching because I had invested so much of my time in it. 

Let’s address those issues individually – 

1. The Editing team was on vacation. Of the first 40 minutes on film, at least a solid 20-25 of that was unnecessary. Near the 40-minute mark; I paused the movie to refresh my drink and was shocked to see that there was so much left in the film. This movie is where time stands still, or at least it feels that way. An edit for time would tighten up the story and not make it feel like things are moving at tortoise speed or as if it’s meandering at times with no purpose. 
2. Slow motioned to death. I began to think that Zack Snyder was getting a stipend from the Slow-motion Film Society (they aren’t real, but if they were, Snyder would be the president) for the amount of slow motion he used in this film. Whatever the amount is that you think he used slow motion, think more. A LOT MORE. Slow motion is like a spice to a dinner. Used in the right amount, your dinner can be enjoyed and remembered for some time. However, if you put in too much salt, no one will remember the meal, just the bad taste left in your mouth. That’s where I am. I am slow-motioned to death. 
3. The words coming out of their mouth. Okay, the dialogue isn’t the greatest, and as a Star Wars Prequels fan, I don’t have a lot of legs to stand on. However, I also said that George Lucas should only be the idea guy and leave someone else to write the movies. If you don’t believe that Star Wars has bad dialogue, I dare you to watch Episode II: Attack of the Clones and not nearly lose your lunch with the Naboo scenes. ANYWAY … I digress. This movie isn’t much better with the dialogue. In many instances, what both the good and bad guys are going to say is obvious, and after a while, you even begin to be able to guess how they are going to phrase it. I’ve heard worse, but I have also heard better. 
4. Who am I? This is the biggest issue for me. Knowing that this was proposed to be a Star Wars entry, I watched it very closely. Star Wars it is not, and for that, I am VERY thankful. On the other hand, though, this movie is very confusing with its inability to clearly mark its identity. This movie tries to be Dune, but the 1984 version. Then it was Gladiator, then the Vikings TV show, then it was Zack Snyder’s Justice League. And not one of these nods to the other movies is done well. I didn’t want this movie to be Star Wars, but I did want it to be enjoyable and not as confusing as it decided to be. However, the best description of this problem comes from Facebook; Nick Looman says, “ Did you like Pixar’s A Bug’s Life (1998) but wish it was a violent space saga? Then you will love Netflix’s Rebel Moon!” 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Long and short, this movie needed more time in the editing bay. It’s overproduced in some areas and falling apart in others. It’s ambitious but falls short of the mark, sadly so. 

I had been excited to watch this movie since the first trailer debuted. Excited to see how Snyder built and shaped this universe. As someone who has appreciated other works of Snyder, I was excited to see how he would follow up on his Justice League era. 

Saying that I’m disappointed in this movie would be an understatement. There is so much unrealized potential in this movie. Rebel Moon suffocates itself with what it could be. After watching this first installment, I don’t know that I have a reason to or any interest in watching the 2nd part when it airs on Netflix in April 2024. 

This is one of the few times the critics got it right in the last few years. Rebel Moon is a movie I suggest you only watch if you have lost a bet or are willing to donate nearly 2-½ hours of your life that you will never get back. I wanted to rate this higher. I did. But unfortunately, I am being generous at 4 out of 10 soup cans. Viewer beware.