Zack Snyder’s venture into the epic space-opera genre, Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire, has received negative reviews. Released on December 21, the film promised an epic (albeit small-screen due to the nature of Netflix) experience with an ensemble cast, including Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Michiel Huisman, Djimon Hounsou, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Cleopatra Coleman, Jena Malone, Fra Fee, Ed Skrein, and the legendary Anthony Hopkins.
The premise of the film is set in a universe dominated by the corrupt government of the Motherworld, where the moon of Veldt faces a dire threat from the forces of the Imperium. Kora, portrayed by Boutella, a former member of the Imperium seeking redemption, takes on the daunting task of recruiting warriors from across the galaxy to stand against the oppressive regime before it returns to the planet.
The film has scored a less-than-stellar 24 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 42 reviews. The critical consensus reads, “Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire proves Zack Snyder hasn’t lost his visual flair, but eye candy isn’t enough to offset a storyline made up of various sci-fi/fantasy tropes.”
Here are some of the reviews:
Valerie Complex from Deadline criticises the film for its scatterbrained, incoherent storytelling, remarking, “Another Zack Snyder movie that deals with the same old issues. I feel like a broken record.”
William Bibbiani of The Wrap notes the film’s significant budget but describes it as an uninspired ‘Star Wars’ knockoff with thrilling action sequences tainted by moments that he deems truly ugly. “A hugely expensive but uninspired ‘Star Wars’ knockoff,” he comments.
Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com takes a particularly critical stance, suggesting that Rebel Moon often feels more like an animated pitch than an actual movie with human characters and emotional stakes. Abrams notes, “Rebel Moon often looks more like an animated pitch for a movie than an actual movie.”
David Ehrlich from IndieWire adds to the criticism, labeling the film as a collection of a million isolated storyboards lacking a unifying element. “A movie that feels like a million isolated storyboards without a single thing welding them together,” he critiques.
Germain Lussier of io9.com, while acknowledging the film’s undeniable beauty and expert design, finds it to be a cacophony of sci-fi tropes. Lussier conveys, “Rebel Moon is a cacophony of sci-fi tropes… it’s undeniably beautiful, expertly designed, and enjoyable enough to watch, but leaves little lasting impression.”