Filmmaker Zach Snyder pitched his ideas for a Star Wars movie to Lucasfilm, and their response came back with a resounding, “No, Thank you.” With that knowledge in mind, I tried very hard to keep an open mind when going into this screening. However, after watching this film on the big screen, I can see exactly why the producers turned it down. Snyder’s latest attempt at movie-making comes across as a very unoriginal and blatant rip-off of various other science-fiction and fantasy stories that are way better than the result of this cinematic mess.
In a far-away galaxy, a once benevolent monarchy rules over various planets and civilizations, but a particular faction that craves more power takes over. It establishes a new universal order over the subjects of the “Motherworld” and takes a more aggressive approach to their rule. After several years, former Imperium soldier Kora lives a quiet and peaceful life on the planet Veldt, where the residents live humbly as farmers. As the Imperium seeks to conquer more planets, Kora realizes she must come out of hiding, take a bold stance, and inspire others to stand up against this tyrannical rule.
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire comes across as a shameless knock-off of previous stories, which are so much better than that of this movie. As someone who loves Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings and mostly enjoys the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I was so frustrated and irritated by the different elements copied from these properties. The characters, plot, visualization, and creature design are so ludicrously stolen from other beautiful stories and movies.
Though many of the cast seem on board with this film’s proceedings, lead actor Sofia Boutella is so bland in her role as Kora. The movie’s writing does not do her any favors, but she never transcends the script’s weaknesses. I never found any reason to care for her or what happens in this universe.
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is available for streaming on Netflix, but it is one of the worst films I have seen this year.