The review embargo for Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon - Part 1: A Child of Fire lifted earlier today, and critics have been sharing their thoughts on the divisive filmmaker's Seven Samurai-inspired sci-fi epic.
Unfortunately, it sounds like Snyder's attempt to launch his own universe to rival that other galaxy far, far away may have stumbled at the first hurdle.
Despite high praise for the visuals, action scenes and ensemble cast, A Child of Fire is being universally panned for its derivativeness and messy, "patchwork" script, which fails to flesh out its characters in any meaningful way.
With 24 reviews counted, the movie currently sits at an abysmal 17% on Rotten Tomatoes (you can check out our verdict here).
Along with the second part of Rebel Moon, The Scargiver, Snyder has laid out plans for a threequel, a video game, comic books, and various other spin-offs. What this means for the continued development of this universe is no clear, but reviews won't matter if the movie proves to be a hit, and Snyder has a lot of fans out there.
Do you still plan on giving Rebel Moon a go when it hits Netflix? Drop us a comment down below.
From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the making. When a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival.
Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed.
The heroes of Rebel Moon are: Kora (Sofia Boutella), an Imperium deserter who leaves the peaceful Veldt to fight back; Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a mercenary pilot whose Tawau-Class freighter will prove invaluable to Kora’s quest; Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a Veldt farmer who knows little of the galaxy outside of his small, quiet corner of the galaxy; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a hardened gladiator who once served the Imperium; Tarak (Staz Nair), a noble indentured servant who shares a bond with a flying creature called a Bennu; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a cyborg sword master whose mechanical hands allow her to wield molten-metal weapons; Darrian Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher), an insurgent who has been harrying the Imperium with guerilla attacks; and Milius (E. Duffy), a refugee who seeks justice for their home — a colony that has already fallen to the Mother World.
Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire hits Netflix on December 21. The sequel, Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver, will debut on April 19, 2024.