@thearmag3ddon here with yet another Netflix Original Movie Review that you didn’t ask for:
Let’s talk about the word “derivative” shall we?
The Oxford definition of the word “derivative” is: (typically of an artist or work of art) imitative of the work of another person, and usually disapproved of for that reason.
The word out here in these skreets is that Rebel Moon, Zack Snyder’s latest, is derivative, and therefore should be dismissed out of hand. Personally I don’t like to hear that word being used to describe a work because to me anyway, derivative and the judgment that comes from it is mostly relative.
Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star wars are pretty universally loved and hailed as the templates for action movies from the 80s onward, but a huge fan of 1939’s Stagecoach might have scoffed in disgust as Indiana Jones sliding underneath a moving truck just as an assailant did in that film, or anyone who’d read Dune, or Lord of the Rings, or John Carter of Mars prior to sitting in a theater in 1977 to watch Star Wars might have felt. My thought is, really at this point there is rarely anything new under the storytelling sun. Even a movie such as The Matrix, which is original in terms of its telling of a world that is a tech-based simulation, only exists in the form it does because of technological discoveries and realities in the real world. But, it is mostly just a retelling of a world where in the past our protagonist realized they were stuck in a world of fantasy or dream, like The Wizard of Oz or Plato’s allegory of the Cave or like Tibetan Book of the Dead.
So then, back to the word or accusation of derivative. How do we determine whether something is derivative or not, when in fact, truly, everything is indeed derivative? We reserve it only for things we don’t like when it in fact actually applies to most things. Quite like the refrain “That’s just your opinion” which is rarely ever stated when you agree with someone. And I say all of that to set up a more constructive critique of why Rebel Moon feels so…..derivative. LOL
Believe it or not, when I’m watching a movie the only time my thoughts veer to critic mode is when I am not engaged with the movie, and my mind starts to wander. And unfortunately I thought up this entire thought process while watching Rebel Moon. Not after it.
I think the main reason why the word derivative is used here is because it basically fails to bother when it comes to actually developing any semblance of characterization from the main character all the way down to the supporting cast. In fact, the most interesting character was the main antagonist, which again…besides his being more dynamic that anyone else we see on screen, what was his deal really? It deals heavily in telling (literally with the main protagonist narrating flashbacks a good hour into the movie) and very rarely ever with showing.
If you look at the poster and promo art for Rebel Moon, you see the standard staggered group pose but each of those characters in the poster have about as much development in the movie as they do in the poster. Most of them simply exist and to some degree take up space. After the climactic scene Djimon Hounsou pops in declaring victory, and to be honest I forget he was even there. However our main actual big bad describes how Diimon paired with our protagonist is one of the worst developments to happen for the enemy. And yet…we never once are shown Djimon, who was a former General, doing anything other than give quips or comic relief, out of maybe the 5 lines he has in all of the movie. And I’m not saying any of this to try and sound snarky, or sassy, (which sometimes I’m known to do) but this is my honest level take on the movie. And I hope it is constructive because I wanted it to be better and was rooting for it.
In this case Rebel Moon reads as derivative because it never bothers to develop anyone. It’s as though it relies on your familiarity with other works of fiction to provide you with reference for this one. As they move from scene to scene, it plays like an outline or skeleton without the muscle and flesh to differentiate it from another similar skeleton. Kind of like with me watching the first 6 seasons of Game of Thrones, I didn’t know anyone’s name, and often characters looked alike both physically and costume wise. So, here we are. Another ally joins the quest. But why? I don’t even know why we need these people. Why is this all so dire? (Spoiler…they are fighting to save a farm.)
I have a theory that a good handful of directors out there are fully capable of delivering a movie of top notch quality, but after a few major hits, the level of studio oversight became less and less, and left to their own devices they’ve begun to consistently turn out content that ultimately leaves us feeling underwhelmed, while also showing us the promise of what could have been. Think Michael Bay the director of Bad Boys and The Rock, vs Michael Bay director of Pearl Harbor, The Island, and Transformers 22: Mega Electric Boogaloo. Zack Snyder for me is firmly in this camp as well as my case study so to speak in that the Zack Snyder that directed Dawn of the Dead seems to be MIA since the end of production of The 300. Add to that fact as visually speaking it’s hard to argue that his films rarely have a rival, but in his last few outings he has even taken over the Cinematography reins so Rebel Moon lacks that same depth and distinction and mood characterized by any of the films photography directed by Larry Fong say.
Even though I knew going in that story isn’t necessarily Zack Snyder’s strong suit, I still hoped we could land on something that was serviceable at least, but instead it does feel like it needed a lot of work to get it to even a C level tale. Rebel Moon actually reminds of how the story for Krull rolled out, a movie that I love, but let’s be real, mostly fueled by nostalgia. It too assumes you to fill in the motives of each of the story’s participants without doing much of the work to get us there. With Rebel Moon, there are (as usual) rumors of a Snyder cut existing that would fill in these gaps, and to be honest, I could see it on screen. It did feel like it was cut extensively for runtime that would be judged as acceptable by an audience groomed to believe that great stories only should be told on screen in no more than 120 minutes, and ideally 90. However you won’t find me clamoring for a release of a Snyder cut as that conversation tends to dip into something other than just allowing the story that needs to be told, being told in the time the story needs. I’m just here to say, it might have just been better to release out of the gates a 4 hour version and dispense with some narrative of a maligned auteur. Afterall, the intended audience for this will be on Netflix, who will be in the comfort of their homes and and who will after this binge watch a 10 season show for 2 days straight. As far as I can tell, their remotes all probably have a pause button, so why force the 2 hours? That’s a conversation for another day. A conversation I’m not going to really have with you but one you’ll have to contemplate for yourselves. All I have to say is Free your Mind neo, and Time is a construct.
But anyway…
Quite like the movie, for what it ended up being, this review didn’t need to be as long as it was to tell you basically not much about the movie. And for that, I apologize.
Rebel Moon felt like a preview rather than a Part one. The promise of it only comes in the epilogue, which means we’ve wasted 2 hours where we could have had a ton more story and world building. In that wasted 2 hours, it might as well have been a 10 minute primer, then move on to the bigger story. Or…as I said, given us the full 4 hour version out of the gate.
Sadly, Rebel Moon was a flat outline that never even rises to the level of worthy. Not for one second.
And that makes me sad. Because I was really hoping for something new to love.
I give Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire *record scratch…(After 2 hours I don’t even know what that means. What the Hell…it’s like trying to give us a title from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but not telling us what it means. Like I know what it means but…ugh anyway…) I give it 2 Vulva shaped warped portals out of 5.
Until the next review you didn’t ask for, @thearmag3ddon, signing off.