Rebel Moon Part 1: A Child of Fire is now streaming on Netflix, and while the movie certainly has its defenders, the majority of critics have not been kind to Zack Snyder's sci-fi adventure.
One of the many issues raised in reviews is how derivative of other sci-fi properties (particularly Star Wars) the universe Snyder created is, and many detractors feel that his story stepped over the line of paying homage into outright rip-off territory.
During an interview with Variety, co-writer Kurt Johnstad was asked about the Star Wars comparisons.
"It’s impossible not to be compared to Star Wars. They’re very different worlds. We’re trying to do very different things. I have great respect for George Lucas and everything that he’s done for 50 years. He’s changed the shape of this entire town, so we can’t say that we haven’t been affected or haven’t absorbed some of those lessons and cinematically those experiences. It would be false, and we’d be lying. The idea is, if given our own opportunity — just like George was a complete rebel in this town and an iconoclast — how can we do the same thing in our time? That isn’t a written mandate, but it’s just like, “Oh, how can I write the most provocative, inspiring, interesting, twist and turn kind of story?” George used Campbell’s hero’s journey, as did we. This is Kora’s story, and she’s at the heart of the movie."
Johnstad also weighed in on the negative reviews, and claims that he hasn't read them.
"I don’t read the reviews, I never have. Critics have a job to do. We live in a democracy. Everybody gets to vote. If people watch the film, they’ll have an experience, and they will either enjoy it or they won’t. It’s flavors of ice cream. In my career of 20 years doing this, reviews have never equated to performance. A movie will either perform or it won’t. People will either love it and be connected to it, and I think what this movie has is an emotional drive and a core and characters that are vulnerable. And of course, there’s sequence and action and visual — it’s a magnificent looking film. But I think that at the core of it, it’s got emotion. There’s an emotional engine and a currency that runs through the film that I think works, so I’d invite people to check it out."
From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the making. When a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival.
Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed.
The heroes of Rebel Moon are: Kora (Sofia Boutella), an Imperium deserter who leaves the peaceful Veldt to fight back; Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a mercenary pilot whose Tawau-Class freighter will prove invaluable to Kora’s quest; Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a Veldt farmer who knows little of the galaxy outside of his small, quiet corner of the galaxy; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a hardened gladiator who once served the Imperium; Tarak (Staz Nair), a noble indentured servant who shares a bond with a flying creature called a Bennu; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a cyborg sword master whose mechanical hands allow her to wield molten-metal weapons; Darrian Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher), an insurgent who has been harrying the Imperium with guerilla attacks; and Milius (E. Duffy), a refugee who seeks justice for their home — a colony that has already fallen to the Mother World.
Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire hits Netflix on December 21. The sequel, Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver, will debut on April 19, 2024.