I went in with mixed expectations with Rebel Moon-Part one: A Child of Fire. The movie’s director, Zack Snyder, is known for visual captivations and a lot of invigorating action. He always finds the right components to bring those elements to his films. A great example would be his 2007 blockbuster 300. A film where the action uses a lot of slow-motion and sounds that the audience can feel as they watch the movie. There are a few of those components in Rebel Moon-Part One, though sadly it is one of the biggest mediocre experiences of 2023. Set against a sci-fi horizon dealing with perilous forces, it looks attention-grabbing perceptibly, however its writing is scanty.

The film takes place on a distant moon where its normally peaceful existence is in danger from authorities of a nemesis force. One woman, Kora (played by Sofia Boutella) fights for survival. She is one of the strangers that knows the routes to fighting for the existence of her home and the villagers around her. She begins to assemble a team for a war. The enemy is Admiral Atticus Noble (played by Ed Skrein). The army thatassists her is made up of Kai (played by Charlie Hunnam), Gunnar (played by Michiel Huisman), Tarak (played by Staz Nair), and General Titus (played by Djimon Hounsou). Much of Kora’s team are people from different lands, outcomes, environments, and lifestyles. Each person on Kora’s team has a backstory which adds to the futuristic component of the film. Their mission is to battle with Mother World. It is a setting where galaxies have boundaries along with politics. The premise is clever, but the film is dry.

Even though this is just the first part, I will give credit in respect to its establishing the characters and their settings. It seems mostly to lay the ground for what is to come in the second film.I still lack faith going forward though. There is not much to say that is positive about Rebel Moon-Part One: A Child of Fire. It is a blur of a fictionalized storyline which could have been much more creative in its telling.

The sci-fi element keeps afloat in being superb in its technological factors. The storyline though, remains unclear and with a weak script. It felt rushed and forgettable. I was not impressed by its lack of effort to put its pieces together. I will say the one piece where I felt served a purpose was a ship hovering over a galaxy. That is a piece to the puzzle that has a form of meaning. That would be because it reminded me of District 9 (2009). This film has that apartheid vibe but tries to make itself go into the realm of a comic book type experience, but it never makes it. There is nothing special or comically intriguing about the film. The experience leads to a boredom where factors just keep falling into place without explanation. The film attempts to make up for its poor storyline with action and suspense, but it is hard to enjoy when there is no foundation established. This makes viewers wonder which piece of the puzzle they missed. Many questions are left unanswered and lead to pure confusion and frustration.

Seeing this film was a treacherous experience of exasperation. A sci-fi adventure with no surprises is no fun. It had great action and suspense with CGI galore…but no meaning to any of it. I feel that the direction of this was not looked over well enough in the process. It was as if the writing was being done as the film was being made. One out of four stars for Rebel Moon-Part One: A Child of Fire.