Hey, at least it is an improvement over the last film.
Part 2 of Rebel Moon: The Caregiver is a barren feast. It is a non stop barrage of explosions, cliches from science fiction, and pointless exposition. And yet, in some ways, it is still superior to Rebel Moon: Part 1-A Child of Fire, the first movie in Zack Snyder’s proposed sci-fi epic series for Netflix. (What do these titles signify? Who cares.)
Now that all of the tedious setup is done, Snyder can focus on his real strengths in Rebel Moon Part 2 release date which are ceaseless battles with heroic poses and slow-motion action. Though it appears cool, I wish it added to something.
Here are some spoilers for Rebel Moon: Part 2.
In case you missed the first Rebel Moon film, the storyline blends aspects of The Seven Samurai and Star Wars. Kora, a former elite soldier of a sinister empire, is portrayed by Sofia Boutella. She lives her days cultivating and harvesting crops while in hiding in a picturesque rural town. After a group of rogue soldiers kills the village chief and starts to threaten a young girl, Kora goes on a violent spree (in self-defense!), leaving the town open to a counterattack.
She spends the early portion of the movie recruiting potential warriors to defend the town, such a ferocious swordswoman named Doona Bae and a fallen gladiator named Djimoun Hounsou. (Titus and Nemesis are their names, respectively; although, given the characters’ thinness, those are meaningless.)
Full disclosure: I started writing a Rebel Moon review, but I gave up out of sheer distaste. It was a dull epic that I had to watch for several days without falling asleep. By the time it was done, I was filled with nothing but dread for the next two hours of Rebel Moon.
That may sound like a flattering compliment, but the caregiver at least kept me awake. That’s mostly because there’s a lot more action and the film has a real sense of movement. You may turn off your head and appreciate the beautiful graphics, just as you could with Snyder’s Sucker Punch, Justice League, and Watchmen adaptations. Even though Snyder is more of a stylist than a born storyteller, there are times when his pictures are almost lyrical, such as in this confusing montage of our warriors picking wheat.
It’s unfortunate that I found the movie’s characters and plot to be so uninteresting. We fell in love with a group of misfits and screwups in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy because their stories directly impacted their emotional and personal development. Conversely, Rebel Moon’s cast feels like cardboard copies from better films, and the entire narrative seems forced—by the conclusion, there’s even a plot point for another movie!).
Hounsou does his best to convey Titus’s sorrow through his eyes, but he is limited in his ability. Furthermore, even though Bae’s warrior woman is incredibly fascinating and has an interesting backstory, she is mostly wasted when the action becomes intense. Then there’s Jimmy, an Anthony Hopkins-voiced robot who made a brief appearance in the first movie and reappears again for a few minutes to kick butt. Why? That is unimportant. That character is also, for some reason, significant enough to narrate the two Rebel Moon movies (though, in all honesty, it seems Snyder was only looking for Hopkins’ voice to lend gravity).
Ed Skrein’s portrayal of the evil Atticus Noble in Rebel Moon Part 2 may be the sole true saving point, similar to the previous movie. He’s nothing special as a vicious villain, but Skrein’s exaggerated chewing of scenery adds a fascinating element to the role. Skrein’s Noble is amusingly chaotic, akin to the Joker mixed with Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa from Inglorious Basterds, in contrast to Darth Vader, who emanates a serene feeling of dread. It’s not terrible that he enjoys being evil so much!
There will probably be more Rebel Moon movies in the future, considering how well-liked the first movie was (at least, according to Snyder and Netflix). Snyder recently told Radio Times that he would like to extend the Rebel Moon series to four or six films. Snyder has previously stated that he would like to create a six-hour director’s cut of both movies. That simply seems like a threat, for some reason.
Conclusion
Rebel Moon: Part 2 offers improved action but falls short with a lackluster plot and underdeveloped characters. Despite captivating moments, notably Ed Skrein’s villain portrayal, the film feels uninspired. With hints of future expansions, it underscores the need for stronger storytelling to sustain the series’ potential.
