The rebels prepare to fight the Motherworld’s brutal armies as unbreakable friendships are formed, heroes emerge, and legends are created.
The good news is that at 2 hours and 3 minutes, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver runs a few minutes shorter than Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire. The bad news is that this sequel is as terrible as Part One, and the story is still not over. I recently saw a meme where this comment was inserted under the post where Zack Snyder said he has the footage to “fix” Sucker Punch, but he might need the support of a fan campaign to get his extended cut off the ground: “Bro just make your movies good the first time omg.” I chuckled and agreed with this comment. The Snyder Cut phenomenon might have been the worst thing to happen in the universe – both cinematic and real. Sure, it allowed a director to present his original vision. On the other hand, however, studios seem to have misinterpreted the whole incident. They are now artificially creating hype around another Snyder Cut.
I am, of course, talking about the Rebel Moon R-rated cuts. They are set to release sometime later this year. If hell is real, a seat should be reserved for that person who came up with this awful release plan. Couldn’t the studios and the filmmakers have given us the R-rated version without all the fuss? The director’s cut is supposed to be better, but the Rebel Moon movies have obliterated our interest in this production through their sheer incompetence. The first Rebel Moon was not memorable. Hell, it was not even mediocre. It introduced us to characters, who all became a blur as soon as the movie ended. Unsurprisingly, you find yourself scratching your head within the first few minutes of the sequel.
Who is that bald guy? What was the name of the Doona Bae character? What is Ray Fisher doing here? Why is Jimmy so silent? Did Anthony Hopkins refuse to come for the second part? Why are those musicians present during an assassination? It seems like the bad guy isn’t just interested in spilling blood. He also wants to create a spectacle. Well, Snyder is not so different from this villain. He, too, isn’t merely content with stabbings, broken limbs, and pew pews. The director converts the action into a spectacle of mythic proportions through chorus and slow motion. It feels as if the angels themselves have come to observe the fight sequences and take away the souls of the fallen.
Snyder, though, applies his style without moderation. You laugh when you see characters harvesting crops in slow motion while the mythical chorus runs in the background. Even an action as simple as the one where someone fills his bottle with water is imbued with a sense of greatness. Since this slow-motion technique and angelic choirs exist in abundance, they become unspectacular. And since Snyder doesn’t develop his characters, they look like toys thrown around by a kid in the body of a grown-up. We never see any meaningful interaction between the characters, so you can’t help but laugh when some of them receive gifts with grand declarations. “I am not the one for confession,” says Titus, and you immediately shout, “Well, don’t start now.”
Unfortunately, your words don’t reach his ears, which is why you sit through one of the most unimaginatively executed expositions as the characters talk about their past. Still, none of the people on the screen come across as flesh and blood individuals. When they talk about dying together in the battle, you whisper, “Who are these people, and why should I care about them?” You know Snyder is desperate to make you emotional because he hits you with cheap, teary sentiments through that scene where the Doona Bae character (seriously, what’s her name?) dies in front of a child. The director fails to generate a response from us because our eyes remain as dry as the chintzy environment. The Rebel Moon movies are so ugly they burn your eyes. What you take away from this sequel is that if things were different, Kora (Sofia Boutella) could have been a kick-ass barber.
Final Score- [3/10]
