Rebel Moon - Netflix - Zack Snyder

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121502297#Comment_121502297

He just really needs to stop trying to do these auteur projects, cause he's really bad at it. Plenty of directors only work on projects that someone else has developed and written. Scripts are important and should ideally be left to people who can write them.

The White Wolf

To be fair to Snyder this seems to be a labour of love for him, so why would he hand over the writing to someone else? He's dying on the sword he believes in which is fair enough to me.

I'd say after these Rebel Moon films he's just going to step away from directing and be full on producing with his wife.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121503467#Comment_121503467

i mean, anyone can do whatever they want, but if you want a project to be good, then ideally you get the best people suited to work on each part of it. That's sorta the point of filmmaking. Sometimes to make the idea you love be the best version of itself, you have to be open to delegating on areas you're weak in - which is pretty undeniably the case with Snyder and screenwriting.

And it's just a bit of a shame for this much effort from so many people (actors, costumers, H&MU, cinematography, VFX staff, production designers etc etc) to go into something that ends up bad because of a reason like that. Everyone still gets their paycheck, but it's always so much more rewarding to be a part of something good.

I'm just a bit disappointed to hear how much of a slog this seems to be, as it's exactly the sort of thing I want to see made, and every bad end product makes life harder for the next persons pitch.

TheIrishGrover

Most of the reviews seem to say exactly what most here have been saying: Style over substance and totally derivative. I mean, we all gave examples purely from the trailer and the couple of clips I've seen are just as shallow: The rich-looking merc/gent who is secretly dead inside (queue going out in a blaze of glory saving some kids or numble maiden who rook a shine to him) to the mystical Not-native-American taming a flying beast. No doubt later referred to as a mythical "Sky-Rider".

I don't have a problem with material referencing itself. For God's sake, how many other riffs on Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven/... Battle Beyond The Stars are there. The problem I have is with his, aptly-described-above, strangely obsessive and cine-illiterate fan base. They seem to think that he invented every trope that he trots out and that he is bringing something radically new and game-changing to cinema.

It's a bit sad really

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500547#Comment_121500547

That "It's the cinematic equivalent of an NFT" is a savage burn. Jesus. Remember those tens of thousands of jpgs that were supposedly worth tens of thousands EACH? Rings a bell, right? But that's it.

Ouch

pixelburp

Well, Part 1 is out today for those curious to see how Syndery it all is.

mewso

It's meh. Derivative McDerivative. It was suitable hangover material for me today. If you can forgive the total lack of any originality then you may be mildly entertained. For me another to add to Netflix's panteon of bang average films and yes it is about as Snyder as things can get.

The White Wolf

I've watched an hour so far and will probably finish it tonight....it's actually decent from what I've seen, and one of Snyder's more subdued films (I know how mental that sounds).

If being derivative is its worst crime, I could point to a certain other studio that could be accused of that for the last decade plus yet get a far easier ride from critics.

gmisk

Well this was poor....very poor. I think even the Snyder fanboys will struggle to hype it up. Worst of all it is boring. Stupid slow mo scenes, clunkily directed, badly acted and with trite lumpen dialogue. Another netflix dud to add to the growing pile.

I think I read it was failed Star wars universe film pitch it feels like it.

A special shout out to Charlie Hunnam and his northern Ireland accent at least I think that's what he was going for....brutal.

nachouser

It's about 9/10 Snyders on the Snyder-scale. I'm deducting 1 Snyder for using Hopkins as purely a voice-actor. Cos that is a great call.

_CreeD_

A solid 'meh' . I didn't expect much from the story but he's usually at least a master of fast action and spectacle and I could settle for a silly Friday night popcorn muncher but it fell really short there too imho. Too many slowdowns, events that should be happening in parallel instead being serial and making no sense outside of an Anime that the world would just effectively freeze while each character was having their zoom in moment and enemies in the background would do nothing. Too many pauses and ridiculous telegraphing took every bit of energy out of what could have been decent action scenes.

I did like the nod to Battle Beyond the Stars 'Nell' with the Blood axe flagship though (I'd literally just talked to my wife about the other 7-samurai derivatives and it being a corny but fun scifi version when they flew in).

ondafly

Was this filmed with a fisheye lense or something the edges of the screen are blurred far to often. It's akin to looking through an oculus quest with the sweet spot in the middle but the edges lacking detail.

_CreeD_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121528089#Comment_121528089

There were definitely some post-process aspect-ratio changes, very noticable at the start with some of the character close ups.

There's also plain old chromatic abberation, either natural or again induced in post-process (since for some reason even game developers think it's a good idea to add in...).

expectationlost

is yerman at the end in heavy makeup to make him look older?

celtic_oz

just watched it, it's everything thats wrong with modern movies

style over substance

at the end I didnt care if they ALL died

I actually enjoyed it. Wouldn't know a Snyder from a picasso so it didn't bother me.

A decent story line. Disappointed that pt2 is 4 months away

Debating if I'd let my kids watch it. The attempted rape scene didn't leave much to the imagination of what would happen. Not something I want my kids to watch.

fritzelly

Decent enough film, nothing special and don't care about any of the characters, thought some of the CGI very ropey - hard to miss all the similarities from other sci-fi films, I mean it's really just a remake of Battle Beyond the Stars but I think that film had more heart

jj880

I thought the Dolby Vision / Atmos worked very well on this. Thats where the positives end though. Shambles on the story / character front. When I see a movie like this I always think back to this gem from Uwe Boll and wonder at what point do the cast know its a turkey.

https://youtu.be/A7Um98FZei8

Btw I recommend watching In The Name Of The King. Unintentional comedy gold.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121531661#Comment_121531661

Yep (Fra Fee), the aging up is not well done...plus the main character hasn't aged a day.

Mark Kermode wasn't quite as scathing as I thought he might have been but he did mention the awful Charlie Hunnam/humdrums accent.

https://youtu.be/FePGjFi9mdo?si=yS0z3AQ-9s2HziJP

kerplun k

It’s grand. Perfectly watchable, unfortunately it doesn’t amount to much more than that. Story is paper thin. It’s a predictably boring tale at how the main character gets the band together, which seems to come together conveniently easy.

it looks great, but the setting is so singular, you could hardly call it a space opera. At times It almost feels like a pilot of a new TV show.

First 30mins was a slog. Also thought it looked like a cheap TV set for most scenes.. will dip back in over multiple views to finish.

Jump_In_Jack

Thought it started getting a bit better towards the end, so talks of a trilogy are encouraging. It was slow in places but overall a decent watch. Would definitely watch the second part when it comes out.

Agent Coulson

So to me it pretty much felt like a remake/take off of Battle Beyond the Stars which was a remake of The Magnificent Seven which itself was a remake of Seven Samurai.

Collect a band of heroes to save the day.

Trailer for part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf16jEmvJUY

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121532584#Comment_121532584

They know it's a turkey from the start. Basically uwe boll checked to see which big actors were on a break between movies and approached them with a project to do between movies. They'd usually agree to just to keep themselves busy and earn some money between projects. It's why he managed to get relatively big stars on board.

tom1ie

The guys that turn up on the spaceship remind me of the Necromongers from chronicles of riddick.

Is this supposed to be linked to that story?

TheValeyard

Was alright. But definitely not as good as I'd hoped it could be.

tom1ie

The spider thing looks like the Borg queen and the alien that was watching the Northern Ireland lads ship take off looked like the alien James Kirk kicks in the knees that turns out to be the aliens nuts in start trek VI.

This is a mix of a lot of things imo!

This is actually an insult to cinema. The worst thing I've ever seen. What's with all the pointless slow motion stuff

GreeBo

The most interesting character for me was the robot.

jj880

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaqQ2ZpmUMU

The Magnificent Rebel Moon Seven.

pixelburp

Only caught the first hour but ye gods this truly is as derivative as anything I've ever seen. Shameless to the point of brazen: the Star Wars links are there, but as is the Seven Samurai - and more than a little Warhammer 40k with the evil empire being all ornate and imperial.

And as to the look of the thing, yuck. The sickly desaturated appearance is off putting in the extreme: the slow motion is Synder's calling card and I can take it in small doses, but this horrid, muted is horrendous to watch. Warhammer 40k, as filmed like a music video.

Agent Coulson

Christopher Nolan is a fan of Snyder by the sounds of it.

“There’s no superhero science-fiction film coming out these days where I don’t see some influence of Zack,” Nolan said. “When you watch a Zack Snyder film, you see and feel his love for the potential of cinema. The potential of it to be fantastical, to be heightened in its reality, but to move you and to excite you.”

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/christopher-nolan-zack-snyder-influence-superhero-movies-1235850715/

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121541341#Comment_121541341

Not entirely surprising as IIRC, Nolan got Synder the Man of Steel gig, and was a producer on it too.

Besides, bad form to shít on fellow professionals still active in the field. But in terms of what he did say, Nolan's right - Synder is a talented visual director, it's just he needs a good writer and producer to reign in the bullshít. Cos unfettered the guy's work becomes almost unwatchable. But he's now too famous, too experienced to likely take a firm hand helping him craft something better.

ShaneODub

Thought it was a bit strange when I was watching it that the bog showdown didn't happen back on the home planet. Then I realised that the big showdown will happen on the home planet, and the big showdown we witnessed was just an unnecessary intermediate showdown so that they can get a sequel out of it.

kerplun k

thats one thing you can say about ZS. He brings a unique, visual and personal style to his films.

if he learns any lessons from AotD and Rebel Moon, it’s he should never write, direct and produce his films.

His best works IMO are Dawn of the Dead, a very solid, entertaining zombie flick, followed by Man of Steel, arguably the best of the DCEU. With both of these he just directed.

If he wants to get back to his best, maybe he should consider sharing the responsibility, with people he trusts.

Ive always found him to be a funny character, he genuinely comes across as a happy go lucky, positive, nice guy, yet his films are full of dark, nihilistic themes.

rowantree18

I'm a sucker for anything vaguely in this genre - Dune (read the book as a child, waited years for the film) LOTRs, even Conan......but had never heard of the comic stuff Rebel Moon is based on. Started watching and I like it.

GreeBo

^ Spoiler much?

pixelburp

Finished this up and suffice to say I shan't be watching Part 2; not least because as cliffhangers go it was the most badly structured, poorly teased ending I've seen in a while. More like the end of a pilot episode than some dramatic cinematic needle drop like your Empire Strikes Back and whatnot.

Back in the day, trash like this has a certain brio and sense of fun or self awareness; it would have been a Cannon film, starred some jobbing actors looking for an easy paycheque and had fúck all budget but a tonne of spunk. Instead, reheated and derivative pop culture gets a giant Netflix paycheque, and unfettered control given to a director who needs constraint cos he sure doesn't understand tone.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121535899#Comment_121535899

Exactly this. So unoriginal. So many scenes just straight clones of other movies. The script and dialogue was just hard work . And that Irish accent, just so bad and then it's mumbled I need subtitles to check what he said. All just feels generic.

Personally I can't warm to Ed Skein.

Visually it's impressive. Perhaps the 2nd part will be better.

Brief_Lives

Terrible movie.

Cool to see the 2 Daarios from Game of Thrones in it.

Full_Circle_81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121555108#Comment_121555108

I was thinking the exact same thing 😅

And I thought Ed looked quite unwell and gaunt in it, but maybe that was on purpose because of the sucky alien?

AMKC

Just finished watching this. I must say I enjoyed it. I felt like it was a mix of Star Wars, Firefly and Starship Troopers.

Anyway a pity it was not actually released in Cinemas as I would have went to see it there.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121531859#Comment_121531859

"A decent story line. Disappointed that pt2 is 4 months away"

Not that long really

Sure the 4 months will fly by.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121537067#Comment_121537067

Hardly as it was not even released in the Cinemas.

Still I would have paid €6 to happily see it in the Cinema.

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563951#Comment_121563951

"Cinema" != ("The Cinema" OR "A Cinema")

Cinema: the production of films as an art or industry.

TheIrishGrover

I'm about 2/3 through.

It's... It's not good. It it exactly what you'd expect from Snyder: Limited colour pallet, slow motion, People just standing still and doing exposition dumps like some Bethesda game.

There is zero new in it. That's what just makes me smile. Snyder et all all going "Well, this was originally pitched as a Star Wars movie but it was too crazy. Too out there". So far I have not seen one single interesting new angle. Nothing at all "out there". The characters are one-dimensional: The baddie. The noble hero. The lovable rogue, the mystical savage, the assassin, the disgraced general. I have yet to meet the Robert Vaughn yet... I mean the slick gunslinger who is not as slick as he seems to be but will redeem himself. The dialogue is cliché to say the least.

I mean, again, I have no problem with remakes etc but don't try to fob this off as anything more than a Seven Samurai remake. What's wrong with that? Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven are icons for a reason (And yes, I know it was remade as Battle Beyond The Stars with John-Boy and Hannibal and Robert Vaughn again). But just compare the info dumps of this ("In the two years I've been here it's felt peace but I'm a child of war. Blah blah blah" about 5 mins in) with.

https://youtu.be/nyMtN_aHC_8?si=5mFIvt_xF7hknMB6&t=48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7CwSpMtFw

And just LOOK how insanely cool this looks. Made SEVENTY YEARS AGO!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dZioLIejeo

As a matter of fact I would LOVE to see a Seven Samurai Star Wars movie. Not a single mention of anything related to the other movies. No Jedi or Sith. If the magnificent Andor can have a whole show with only the barest mention of existing lore (And his character IS integral to the movies) then give us a standalone rain/mud drenched Magnificent Seven Star Wars movie.

johnny_ultimate

Zack Snyder, despite being unquestionably one of the most distinctive visual filmmakers in contemporary mainstream cinema (for better and IMO mostly for worse), will never make anything that looks a fraction as good as the jaw-dropping rain/mud-soaked finale of Seven Samurai. Because in trying to make everything seem momentous and awe-inspiring, his visual style actually has the opposite effect - when everything is drenched in visual excess, the momentous becomes routine and dulling. He also just doesn't understand the impact of pure, raw physical action - when you drench it in artifical slo-mo, dramatic pauses for hero posing, and CG / post-effects, you're also just undermining the power of a good action scene.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121564911#Comment_121564911

Between this and Army of the Dead, I'm not even sure Synder can claim to have an alluring visual identity anymore 'cos his style has really gone to shít of late. All that shallow focus, and the look of Rebel Moon was something akin to "glaucoma vision" at times and not the music video coolness of yore. Yeah the slow-motion got really tedious after a while, sometimes even used at moments that didn't even justify it as a moment of "action", but his films have become really ugly the last couple of films.

I wasn't initially sure why and then remembered: he's now his own cinematographer starting with Army of the Dead - and that's proving to be a killer for his aesthetic. Cos what I said before holds true, and in many respects is being proven by suddenly becoming Hollywood's Garth MArenghi: he needs collaborators to work around his style, and when he becomes the combined director-writer-cinematographer, here's the end result. Total garbage as a result.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121564886#Comment_121564886

"Seven Samurai but X" is such a boilerplate concept it is kinda insane that Star Wars of all things - a series that started as a very loose Kurosawa love-in - hasn't yet used that concept. The Mandalorian has kinda dipped its toes into the idea for those series finales when Mando collects his prior friends for a last big batttle - but let's discount that 'cos by and large the end-results have been a bit shít.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121565308#Comment_121565308

TBH I haven't been a fan of Snyder's visual style since 300 / Watchmen, and it's only gotten worse as he's doubled down on it all. But it's undoubtedly 'distinctive' - a word which of course doesn't encompass quality of the identity 😅

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121536141#Comment_121536141

No. Just yet another thing Snyder took inspiration from (To put it politely)

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121565357#Comment_121565357

Fair enough but if you haven't seen this latest, or Army of the Dead, it'll make those prior films look positively lush. His attempts at being his own cinematographer have had a really negative effect on that "distinctive" style such that the movies are now openly hideous.

This has spoilers for Army of the Dead for those who might care, but this clip here is ... omg, so goddamn ugly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXLblilCoK4