To me, director Zach Snyder is a mixed bag. He sometimes has great movies. Other times he misses the mark. This time around with “Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire” he knocks one out of the park. It’s that good.
I think what he’s trying to do is create his own mini-“Star Wars” universe with the characters in the “Rebel Moon” action-adventure, which is now streaming on Netflix. Sofia Boutella, usually the villain in movies like “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and “The Mummy” as Ahmanet opposite Tom Cruise, does a complete 180-degree turn and plays Kora, the heroine, in this one. We really root for her.
I was totally immersed in the action going on in this tale. I was intrigued and on the edge of my seat for the two hour-plus running time. I got into it that much. It’s not your typical sci-fi entry. It has a pretzel-twisting plotline like “The Usual Suspects” or “Se7en.” You never know what’s going to happen next. The action takes place on a distant moon not in our solar system.
A lot of stuff happens in the process. Friends turn into double-crossing foes. Although Boutella is out front, the ensemble piece benefits from performances by Djimon Hounsou as Titus and narration by veteran actor Anthony Hopkins.
You’re likely to actually care about these people and their predicaments. In some movies we see these days, you could care less about what happens to the characters. Director and co-writer Snyder has a great kinetic energy and style to keep the audience involved. He also showed that with “Watchmen” (2009), which had great characters, as did “300” in 2006.
Note to viewers: “Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire” is a cliffhanger for the follow-up, “Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver,” which is scheduled for Netflix release on April 19.
Grade: A
