Only Netflix can offer Zack Snyder the space to develop a sci-fi feature film, the first part of which is now available, and stars Sofia Boutella, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Michiel Huisman and Charlie Hunnam. Replica.
With the Snyderverse erased from DC/Warner studios, the filmmaker is now embarking on a sci-fi epic, Rebel Moon, whose inspirations are diverse.
To put it simply: Kora (Sofia Boutella), a former soldier of the Empire, joins the Resistance to defend her planet with the help of her friend Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), former general Titus (Djimon Hounsou). , the mercenary Kai (Charlie Hunnam) and the robot Jimmy, whose voice is provided by none other than Anthony Hopkins.
MEGA/IF
Director Zack Snyder at the film's premiere on December 13 in Los Angeles.
Zack Snyder leaves no one indifferent. We like his style or not, we like his characters with their often hollow dialogues, we like or not his incredible mix of references to popular culture. And Rebel Moon is in line with his previous films, including his director's cut of Justice League.
Obviously, the settings of Rebel Moon immediately resemble the very first Star Wars from 1977, but one has to dig deeper to appreciate all the visual richness of the created universe, in which we find sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle references to Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Dune, The Matrix, Firefly, The Tales of Grimm… Zack Snyder also doesn't shy away from referencing himself, using elements he's already explored in his previous features, such as: B. Nazi uniforms with a steampunk twist or the fights that mix martial arts and video game iconography of Sucker Punch and even the colorization of 300 in several flashbacks.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NETFLIX
Sofia Boutella as Kora and Djimon Hounsou as Titus in “Rebel Moon, Part 1: Child of Fire.”
In Zack Snyder's work, image and sound are merely pretexts to force the viewer to make connections from their collective memory. Gladiators, a blacksmith, the training of a wild animal, freed slaves or even an attempted rape are just the excuse to deal once again with his favorite themes, which are the search for freedom, doom, the hopeless struggle to overcome or even forced violence are women.
We can complain about the poor quality of the dialogues, which really only serve to explain or emphasize what the pictures cannot show. But “Rebel Moon” doesn’t claim to be a philosophical film like “Dune,” Zack Snyder knows its strengths… and its weaknesses all too well.
This successful “Rebel Moon” therefore does not stand out in any way from the filmmaker's filmography and, like all his previous works, must be enjoyed on a screen of a pleasant size, with a sound loud enough to immerse and immerse yourself in this new universe which we just have to wait for the rest.
Rebel Moon – Part 1: Child of Fire is available on Netflix from December 22nd.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5