Zack Snyder is on a mission. The universe perceived by science fiction fans as a potential “Star Wars killer” had the effect of a damp squib on Netflix. In August 2024, the American director is relying on an adult version and two hours of additional scenes to save what can be saved. Are these two Director’s Cuts enough to revive sci-fi fans’ interest in this stillborn franchise?
Everything you need to know about the Director’s Cut of Rebel Moon
Netflix had put all the chances on its side to make Rebel Moon the standard-bearer of science fiction on the competitive SVOD market, and even in cinema. The streaming platform has spent lavishly (the budget for the diptych amounts to 166 million US dollars excluding marketing costs) and has extended this emerging universe to video games, animation and comic books. Bad luck for him because The Firechild was shot down by critics (22% on RottenTomatoes) nipping in the bud any hope of one day competing with the undisputed master of space opera… Star Wars. And Rebel Moon: The Hacker manages to do worse than its predecessor (17% on RottenTomatoes) four months later.
The feedback is unanimous. Zack Snyder had carte blanche and he screwed up, resulting in a fresco lasting more than 4 hours deprived of the talent of its mastermind. However, the filmmaker behind Watchmen: Guardians and Man of Steel has a big surprise in store for Netflix subscribers. Rebel Moon Part 1 and Part 2 were just sketches. The real versions, the “adult” ones, offer two hours of new scenes, and finally offer the uncompromising vision of its director. If the Director’s Cut doesn’t live up to expectations, it will be Zack Snyder’s fault and no one else. Otherwise, Netflix will be held accountable.
The synopsis of Rebel Moon: A peaceful colony on a moon at the edge of the universe finds itself under threat from the armies of the tyrannical regent Balisarius. From then on, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger, becomes the best hope for survival of the villagers whose lives she shares. Responsible for recruiting seasoned fighters to repel the Mother World, Kora brings together a small troop of soldiers: misfits, insurgents, peasants and war orphans who share the same need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire kingdom falls on the most vulnerable of moons, a new army of heroes is born. (Netflix USA)
The cast of Rebel Moon: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Anthony Hopkins, Michiel Huisman
The Director’s Cuts of Rebel Moon: The Firechild and Rebel Moon: The Slasher are available exclusively on Netflix from August 2, 2024.
Sex and blood to save Netflix’s Star Wars!
Zack Snyder is no stranger to this. He even made it a trademark over the years. His filmography is punctuated by Director’s Cuts supposed to put the church back in the center of the village. It is common in Hollywood for a director to be completely or partially dispossessed of his work, and this has been the case with Z. Snyder in the past on many occasions. The long versions thus allowed him to clean up certain affronts made to his films, the most notable examples of which are Watchmen: Guardians, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and especially Justice League. But what about Rebel Moon? Netflix gave Zack Snyder carte blanche. The very existence of Director’s Cut is therefore on paper a total nonsense.
From a purely mathematical point of view, these two long versions of Rebel Moon “offer” Netflix subscribers one hour each of new scenes for a diptych now spanning 6 hours and 30 minutes. This is an opportunity for Zack Snyder to explore this science fiction universe that has barely been touched upon until now and to delve deeper into the characters who have remained in the background. And it is proper to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. The Director’s Cut of L’enfant du feu tries to correct the situation without succeeding. The first 20 minutes, however, blow a wind of hope by focusing on the character of Aris.
Better yet and I no longer believed it. Zack Snyder is capable of directing a fight scene without chopping it up with a lot of slow motion. Proof, if needed, that the filmmaker can do soberly. Unfortunately, he falls back very quickly, too quickly into his usual ways. The Director’s Cut could have cleaned the action of these “slow motions” which ruin the staging, but this is not the case. What remains in memory after viewing are several sketches centered on figures that are too little highlighted and two or three visually stunning sequences imbued with a gentle macabre poetry.
This new version of Rebel Moon was mainly sold on a promise… to serve the uncompromising and uncensored vision of Zack Snyder, which translates to the image in sex and blood. And you will be served. It cuts, it explodes, it slices, it kills, it oozes and it copulates as you please without ever serving the purpose of the two films. The most disappointing thing at this stage remains the Director’s Cut of The Entailer which really adds nothing to the story. Even the scene concerning the regent Balisarius and the one establishing a bond between Aris and the villager Sam turn out to be anecdotal. What a waste!
2 additional hours to say nothing more (or almost). The Director’s Cut of Rebel Moon, which, as a reminder, lasts 390 minutes, achieves an unprecedented feat: standing still. There is no doubt that the Zack Snyder saga is trying to go somewhere, but I can’t say where.
