Why You Shouldn't Hate Rebel Moon

From one sci-fi writing geek to another, l want to be honest for a second. Rebel Moon was not that bad. As a matter of fact, I loved parts of it.

This weekend I had about a 6 hour block where I wasn’t doing anything and wanting to be inspired by some science fiction stories from someone else for once, I gave the directors’ cuts of Rebel Moon a try. I had no preconceived notion of how good or bad it was going to be, but let’s just say I had Netflix movie expectations. I didn’t expect to be wowed or overly engaged, but I expected to get some entertainment out of it. And I did. I’m going to give you my take without spoilers, and at the very least, tell you what I loved, liked, and disliked.

Out of the gate, I didn’t like how Part 1 had to move so fast to introduce characters. I felt a little disconnected from them but after about 30 minutes; I had developed a solid allegiance to Kora (Sofia Boutella) and dedicated myself to following her and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) wherever they went. I loved her character and instantly got behind her after the writers established the narrative of who she was, what she wanted, and why she couldn’t get it. After they established Gunnar as well, I was in for the long ride.

Knowing the story elements, I had settled into the fact that the writers would stack obstacles in their way until it seemed insurmountable until it all culminated in a glorious battle (and it did). The battle, which was amazingly shot, brutal, and disheartening, left me with no real complaints. I cried in some spots and those scenes hit very hard for me. And the sex scene in Part 2. OMG. That woman lit my screen on fire ….. Sorry, where was I going? Oh yeah.

Overall, I mildly liked Part 1 with all its flaws but loved Part 2.

So why the online hate?

I think a portion of it is because introducing a dozen supporting characters in limited time and having you feel something for them on an accelerated schedule is very tricky business. In six hours of run time, no supporting character truly felt locked in until the dinner before the battle scene (deep into part 2). In that scene, General Titus required them to explain their true identities in order to build trust, and the backstory of the characters is surprisingly extensive. Justly, you become confused why you only found out about it then. I wasn’t in love with any of them until then and it was far too late in the movie to enjoy.

Also, I will not disagree with those who mock the Part 1 Star Wars themed trip to a space port to find a pilot in a bar and getting into a bar fight meme. It didn’t work. I was never smitten by Kai or the romantic flare between him and Kora. It felt dumb. It sucks too because Charlie Hunnam is a significant presence on screen. The scenes are just flat.

Yeah, I get that Tarak’s introduction is a little cheesy, though I’d give a million bucks for his body in some of those shots. We also don't know why he is good with the bird creature and, once again, we don’t find out until the middle of Part 2. We also really never know why he’s a blacksmith at all. I feel like a character point got dropped there.

Nemesis enters with spiders, blades, and badassery. Cool. I have no issues with her introduction. I kinda wish we could have scrapped Tarak and given that role to Nemesis for more screen time. Again, part 2, we realize she has an amazingly sad back story with vivid context behind her character. All too late to embrace.

So what’s really the issue here? Well, in typical Zack Synder style, you have to commit to watching it all front to back. I feel some people forget this and are too quick to press the back button on the remote. Be in this for the long haul or don’t be in it at all. You won’t really know anything until almost the end of Part 2. You’ll have to be settled in for that and have lots of popcorn and alone time.

In full disclosure, for me to love Part 2 as much as I did, I had to suspend disbelief on a few things that some might get hung up on. For instance, who is the girl that comes out and sings in the end? What the hell did I miss there? I feel like I should know. It wasn’t Sam. Who the hell was that?

I feel like a few characters deserved bigger roles like Nemesis. A few deserved a better connection like Den. And what’s with James? We get a great introduction and then he’s missing for three quarters of the film? Granted the cinematography we get in some of his “in the wild” scenes are crazy gorgeous. But it doesn’t really matter overall.

So why do the dislikes not ruin the film for me? Kora. Simply Kora. I loved that badass character and loved her backstory. I loved it about as much as I love Riddicks and I love me some Riddick (btw, it’s what the Motherworld reminds me of). Because of that, I was willing to let everything else slide and just see where the story went, so I did. It didn't disappoint.

Will I watch a Part 3? Of course I will. Kora still hasn’t gotten what she wants yet. This is just a lull in the story. A Pyrrhic victory for the time being. I look forward to more world building and story.

So the question is, should you watch it?

I would say lovers of the Riddick franchise, or cult Science Fiction, will like these films. But you must “commit” to them for a very long time. There will be sections where you’ll convince yourself it’s not interesting enough to leave on or that you’ll never get the information you want. Sometimes you won’t and you’ll have to be ok with that. It’s too much world and building for 6 hours of story. So all I can say is, resist the urge to shut it off and follow the story. Watch it at least once, then tell me what you think. I’m dying to know.