Streaming Recommendation: REBEL MOON - PART ONE: A CHILD OF FIRE

Back in 2012, Writer/Director Zach Snyder (300) conceived of a Star Wars film that he pitched to LucasFilm. This idea was rejected, but Snyder never let go of the idea. Finally, he garnered support and backing from Netflix and launched a 2 part major Science Fiction event film for the streaming service.

And, darn it all, if the first part of this Sci-Fi duo REBEL MOON - PART ONE: A CHILD OF FIRE isn’t a fun, escapist romp.

Based on Snyder’s favorite film - Akira Kurosawa’s SEVEN SAMURAI, Rebel Moon is, really, nothing more than THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (also based on Seven Samurai) go to space - but it is in the telling, and the characters, that make this film familiar…and fun.

Rebel Moon stars Sofia Boutella (STAR TREK: BEYOND) as Kora who must find some heroes to help defend her farming community from invading hoards. It is familiar territory for a plot (see Pixar’s A BUG’S LIFE for another comparison), but Boutella and the others she meets along the way (amongst them Djimon Hounsou, Michael Huisman, Bae Doona and Charlie Hunnam) are interesting, quirky characters that bring the right combination of humor, hubris and pathos to the proceedings and really gets the audience to root for them.

This being a Zack Snyder film, there are lavish battles that are competently and professionally staged that is enhanced by Netflix’ more limited budget, thus saving Snyder from the excesses of himself. The battle scenes are bombastic, but not too over-the-top and the quick-cutting, headache-inducing editing style that Snyder’s films are so famous for are kept to a minimum.

This also being a Snyder film, the bad guys (most notably Ed Skrein, who is NOT a favorite) are pretty one-note. You might as well put them in Star Wars Imperial Storm Trooper garb with Skrein’s Atticus Noble character wearing a Sith robe. It’s that obvious that this is what Snyder was going for here and it doesn’t really work.

Nonetheless, the good guys are good..enough and the action scenes are way more enjoyable than one would expect from a Zach Snyder straight-to-streaming project that the inevitable cliff-hanger that REBEL MOON - PART ONE ends on is an enjoyable climax with measured anticipation for PART TWO.

REBEL MOON - PART ONE is streaming now on Netflix and PART TWO is coming out this Friday (April 19).

Do yourself a favor and grab some popcorn and sit back and enjoy the Sci-Fi fantasy.

Letter Grade: B+

7 1/2 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)