Rebel Moon - Part 1: A Child of Fire

Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire

Distributor: Streaming on Netflix

Director: Zack Snyder

Writers: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Shay Hatten

Production: Grand Electric & The Stone Quarry

Tagline: War comes to every world

When I first heard the name “Rebel Moon”, I thought it was a Star Wars film. As it turns out, there is a reason for this besides the name. Zack Snyder first pitched this to Lucasfilm as a Star Wars story. Disney did nothing with it and it became what it is today – the beginning of a new Sci-Fi franchise. The story definitely has a Star Wars feel to it… minus the raunchy elements.

Sofia Boutella does well as the strong female warrior lead, Kora. Captured as a child and raised by the very soldiers who killed her entire family, Kora one day breaks away from the Mother World after rising to command a unit herself. Kora states she was broken and rebuilt into one of the very soldiers responsible for the destruction of her home world.

The story begins in a peaceful farm village on a moon of a distant planet where Kora remained hidden for two years. However, Kora was not meant to hide. Her destiny was to lead and fight.

Attacked by the ruthless army of the Mother World, the peaceful settlement must choose their fate. Kora must choose to stand with them or runaway. Her fate is decided by the screams of a young girl about to be gang-raped. Fight not flight. Once the young girl is safe and the soldiers left behind are dead, the village sends Kora and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) to bring back rebels for the inescapable fight to come.

I enjoyed this movie despite its dark side and predictability. Michiel Huisman’s expressive eyes communicate the depth of his character, as usual. Although I love Michiel Huisman, my favorite character in Rebel Moon is Prince Tarak (Staz Nair). Tarak is a mix of a strong native warrior reminiscent of Twilight and Avatar and a deposed royal resonant of The Lord of the Rings. His first scene was to earn his freedom by riding and taming a bennu, a griffin-like winged animal from Tarak’s home world of Samandrai. As Tarak approaches the bennu and speaks to it in Tarak’s native tongue, I was taken back to Harry Potter’s first experience with a hippogriff.

Although listed as PG-13, there are some scenes which are inappropriate for young teens. I look forward to the next installment of Rebel Moon in April 2024. Until then, enjoy!