Zack Snyder completes his two-part streaming event with a bombastic, explosive finale. Here’s our Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver review.
Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child Of Fire was designed as the cinematic event of 2023, at least when it came to Netflix’s original programming. Critics weren’t huge fans of the film, many finding fault in Snyder’s extravagant style and convoluted plot. The film quickly faded from public consciousness.
As Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver arrives on Netflix, we’re all wondering the same thing; does anyone care still?
If you didn’t enjoy A Child Of Fire, The Scargiver probably won’t tickle your fancy either. The story picks up pretty much straight away after the first film as Kora, Gunnar and the rest of their group arrive on the moon Veldt after seemingly defeating the villainous Admiral Noble.
As we saw at the end of A Child Of Fire, the Motherworld (think of it as the Empire of Rebel Moon) has the technology to revive the dead, so Ed Skrein’s Admiral Noble is still very much with us and serious about catching Kora.
In fact, everything in Rebel Moon is deadly serious. Both films strive for greatness, but their plots are meandering and the self-seriousness strips out all the fun that could be had with a story set in space with funky creatures, robots and bennus (a sort of griffin-type flying beast).
The Scargiver still includes riveting action sequences. They’re trademark Snyder: lots of slow-mo and big explosions, but even on a smaller screen, they look pretty ace. The big battle isn’t constricted to just the end of the film either; it starts around the halfway mark and to Snyder’s credit, he keeps the momentum going for the entire final hour.
The cast are once again compelling, but they get even less to work with here. Bae Doona brings a lot of vulnerability to Nemesis, who was the highlight of A Child Of Fire. Equally, Djimon Hounsou is able to elevate the material he’s given.
Due to the script’s focus on the climactic battle, Boutella’s Kora is particularly poorly served. Her romance with Michiel Huisman’s Gunnar feels underdeveloped and unnecessary. Anthony Hopkins returns to voice Jimmy, a servant/warrior robot, and he’s an inspired choice, even if the film’s could use more of him.
As the cast told us last year, The Scargiver dives into the backstories and motives of the characters. Kora and co. teach the villagers on Veldt how to fight against the troops of the Motherworld who will reach the moon in five days, but we also get a nice moment when our heroes share their stories.
What slightly hinders The Scargiver is the fact that we know a third part is on the way. The ending undermines Kora’s arc and The Scargiver inevitably feels like a middle part of a bigger narrative rather than its own film. It benefits from its one location setting rather than the planet-hopping style of the first , but the ending feels disappointingly incomplete.
Even though Snyder often succumbs to his worst instincts in The Scargiver, this will surely please his fans. The rest of us can only hope that part three offers us something new and fresh.
Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver is now streaming on Netflix.
