In the absence of dramatic development, we're left with the tics of the director, who slows down the plot until it no longer makes narrative sense, until the bombastic ending in a film that exists solely to look cool in its own trailer.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, countless directors have looked to Star Wars for inspiration for their own creativity. It doesn't always work. “The Dark Abyss,” “The Last Starfighter,” and “Masters of the Universe” used the same template to no avail.
Even the Wachowski sisters, back in the offseason of “The Matrix,” mixed space princesses, galactic tyrants and mutant mercenaries in the misguided “Jupiter Ascending.” They are all much better films than “Rebel Moon”.
Nevertheless, Zack Snyder believes in the strength of his work as pop cinema and as a product. For this to change, however, he had to have made a real film and not a mistaken ego trip, a Frankenstein of unmasked parts.
“Rebel Moon” took aim at “Star Wars” and at best hit something Albert Pyun would shoot with no budget and a lot of charm for Cannon.
Zack Snyder has gems of exaggeration on his resume like “Sucker Punch,” “Batman vs. Superman,” and “Army of the Dead.” He achieved great success with his remake of “Madrugada dos Mortos” and has since proven to be an average director.