“Rebel Moon -- Part One: A Child of Fire" review: The Mediocre Seven
“Rebel Moon -- Part One: A Child of Fire,” 2023, directed by Zack Snyder ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Zack Snyder, the ultimate auteur of bro-ey slow motion and brooding superheroes, is in a difficult stage in his career. Following the infamous “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”, many associate him with overindulgent runtimes and an unfriendly, cultish fanbase. One would hope that he could use the opportunity that is “Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire” to redeem his public image and craft an original series of sci-fi films that take him a step forward, away from the DC fanboys and forgettable zombie flicks. Unfortunately, though, “Rebel Moon” far too closely resembles its beginnings as a rejected “Star Wars” script, solidifies Snyder as a pathological mimic, and had a longer, R-rated director's cut planned even before its release (an obvious attempt by Netflix to repeat the unrepeatable fan-generated hype around “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”). It’s almost tragic considering how much poten...