It is time for a new epic science fiction franchise. We’ve had years upon years of Stars Trek and Wars; we have been to space with Marvel; Alien is coming back, eventually. But it would be grand to get something new, wouldn’t it? That seems to be what Zack Snyder is shooting for with his two-part Rebel Moon, the first film of which debuts on Netflix in December. It’s a big rebellion on a grand scale, and it looks … very familiar.
But those aren’t lightsabers; they’re swords made of molten metal. (I have questions.) This is not fugitive and incredible badass River Tam surprising everyone with her skills; this is fugitive and soldier Kora (Sofia Boutella), who has been living as a farmer on a world literally called Veldt before evil soldiers arrive and she has to reveal her murderous capabilities. This is not a certain scoundrel who wants to be paid to get our heroes out of a jam; this is space hustler Kai (Charlie Hunnam), who just happens to also be an excellent pilot. This is not the fascist Empire but the fascist Motherworld. These are not gladiators; they are ex-soldiers now fighting for money.
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Exordia
To be fair, I can’t think of another science fiction epic that features a character whose creator is certain he does not own a shirt.
Here is Rebel Moon’s synopsis:
After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher) — leaders of a fierce group of insurgents hunted by the Motherworld.
Tasked with finding fighters who would risk their lives to defend the people of Veldt, Kora and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a tenderhearted farmer naive in the realities of war, journey to different worlds in search of the Bloodaxes, and assemble a small band of warriors who share a common need for redemption along the way: Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a pilot and gun for hire; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a legendary commander; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a master swordswoman; Tarak (Staz Nair), a captive with a regal past; and Milius (E. Duffy), a resistance fighter. Back on Veldt, Jimmy (voiced by Anthony Hopkins), an ancient mechanized protector hiding in the wings, awakens with a new purpose. But the newly formed revolutionaries must learn to trust each other and fight as one before the armies of the Motherworld come to destroy them all.
That is, yes, a T. Rex song you hear being … I don’t even know what’s happening to it, except that every time I hear “YEAH!” from the soundtrack, I flinch. (A Jane’s Addiction song got a similar treatment in the last trailer.)
Rebel Moon—of which the first part is subtitled A Child of Fire—also stars Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones), Ed Skrein (Deadpool), Djimon Hounsou (Constantine), Staz Nair (Krypton), Doona Bae (Jupiter Ascending), Ray Fisher (Justice League), Jena Malone (Catching Fire), and the voice of Anthony Hopkins.
Brace yourself for the film’s arrival on Netflix on December 22nd.
