First Rebel Moon Reactions May Spell Disaster For Zack Snyder's Netflix Movie

Zack Snyder has long been a divisive director. He has a passionate online fanbase that eagerly eats up anything the filmmaker puts out. Critics are often less kind, with some claiming that every Zack Snyder movie has the same problem. And it seems like his latest venture, "Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire," will be no different.

First reactions to what effectively amounts to Snyder's take on Star Wars have begun pouring in on social media. While there are some bright spots, many viewers took the opportunity to dunk on the film. Mark Cassidy of the "Roll Credits" podcast didn't mince words on X, formerly Twitter, writing, "I wish I could say that I loved or even liked #RebelMoon, but after a promising first act, it launches itself off a cliff. Zack Snyder is more concerned with 'cool' action scenes than establishing and ensuring we're invested in his characters."

Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture had a similar opinion: "Zack Snyder's clunky execution makes even the most basic drama feel tedious. Derivative sci-fi with unimpressive slow-mo action & dull characters." It appears "Rebel Moon" may not win over any prior Snyder haters, as it seems to indulge in the director's most polarizing tendencies. These reactions also make an inauspicious beginning for what's supposed to be a new franchise, with many "Rebel Moon" spin-offs already planned. Perhaps no one was more critical than Eric Italiano from BroBible, who wrote on X, "#RebelMoon is the first movie I've walked out of in a long, long time" and called out "a stunning dearth of drama, aggressive over-direction, and bad acting throughout."

Those first reactions were a troublesome sign of what was to come. Reviews have begun trickling into Rotten Tomatoes, with "Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire" currently standing at a 23% positive rating with 30 reviews. That number will undoubtedly change as more reviews come in, but it's clear Zack Snyder movies remain as divisive as ever.

Alistair Ryder reviewed "Rebel Moon" for Looper and was much more forgiving than many other critics, giving the film a final score of 6 out of 10. He mentioned how it has obvious influences from Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai," but that's not a setback: "Perhaps the biggest triumph of 'Rebel Moon: Part One — A Child of Fire' is that, despite wearing its biggest genre influence proudly on its sleeve and mimicking many of its trademarks, it never feels derivative of it." However, he also criticized the film for its use of sexual violence, an unfortunate trademark in Snyder's filmography.

Jeremy Mathai was far less forgiving on /Film. He rated "Rebel Moon" 4 out of 10 and thought the movie collapses under its own weight, writing, "Ultimately, 'Rebel Moon' resembles little more than a grab-bag collection of world-building influences, mythology, and epic storytelling that we've seen done better many times before." A director's cut could be better received.

The "Rebel Moon" first reactions can generously be described as "mixed." While there's a lot of hate, plenty of critics seem to have enjoyed the sci-fi flick. That's the case for Molly Edwards of Total Film, who tweeted, "Okay #RebelMoon is quite simply epic! Massive scale, beautiful visuals (of course), awesome action, and some really fascinating mythology." With these reviews, it's paramount to remember that a sequel is already in the works and will come out soon. 

"Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver" will be released on Netflix on April 19, 2024, and this first movie seems to do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of worldbuilding to get the sequel's story where it needs to be. However, it's not just the sequel that people are looking forward to for a more satisfying character-driven tale. There's also the coveted director's cut, which has already been confirmed. It'll be longer than the cut people can see initially, and it'll be rated R instead of PG-13. 

Many critics view the version of "Rebel Moon" they saw as an appetizer, and they're just waiting for the main course. That's the case for Joseph Deckelmeier of Screen Rant, who wrote on X, "I loved the action in #RebelMoon and this brilliant international cast, but I wish we spent more time with the rebel recruits. Zack Snyder's director's cut is the version I want." The "Zack Snyder's Justice League" placed greater emphasis on fleshing out characters, and one would assume an extended version of "Rebel Moon" would do the same, perhaps alleviating many of the qualms detractors have presently. 

Static Media owns and operates Looper and /Film.