Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver’

4/19/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Sofia Boutella as Kora in Zack Snyder’s REBEL MOON – PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER. (Photo Courtesy of Netflix.)

There is a grand question being asked in the entertainment industry right now. Specifically, is it possible to add new franchises to an already crowded market where the big ones are already established? Because we live in a world where Star Trek, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe rule the day, and where new chapters to old stories continue to come to life, and that does leave us unsure… if anything new can come to bear in this marketplace. But that isn’t stopping creatives from trying to answer that question in the affirmative. After all, Seth MacFarlane brought to life, The Orville, his own imagining of a universe not that far off from what Star Trek resembles and even writer/director Zack Snyder, a man who is no stranger to big franchises… has made his own push to start something new.

For last year saw the debut of Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire. A grandiose story that took us to a different galaxy, far, far, away. For Mister Snyder was eager to bring a competitor to the Star Wars Universe to Netflix and well, it was met with mixed reviews. Wherein some cited concerns about elements that felt familiar, while others praised its structure and story, all of which… left that grand question mark standing next to that grand question. Because we simply were not sure if this new addition could in fact, bring a new franchise to bear and offer us something grand and sweeping and outright generational. So, to further explore that possibility, it only made sense to bring forth a sequel and flesh out this universe further.

Enter Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver. The first big time sequel in this new franchise and well, when all is said and done, this particular new chapter, which is available to stream on Netflix starting today… does indeed offer up an answer to that question. In that, yes, new, and epic franchises are a real possibility, provided of course they offer something for the audience to latch onto. Which is why this particular film is of note, for it picks up shortly after Part One, wherein Kora and her friends make their way to Veldt after what they believe was a grand victory over evil. Only to learn that the derided Noble survived his battle with Kora and is preparing to make his way to Veldt to enact revenge and well, that twist is where this movie begins to showcase how new franchises can be born in this era.

Because the wait for combat, for another showdown between Kora and her Noble, gives rise to downtime. Downtime that allows for character development and exploration to take place and that… brings about quite the fascinating first half of this film. For that helps to create something that is more than just a ‘knock-off’ or a grand attempt. It builds a real franchise, it offers depth and gravity, and moments that tie us to the characters. Which are huge elements that go into creating something special, something lasting and one does walk away from this sequence with a better understanding of who is part of this fight, and why they are so dedicated to it, and it does leave one rooting for these heroes to accomplish their goal.

However, make no mistake about it, this is still a Zack Snyder film, and Zack remains a master of action and adventure and loves good spectacle moments. Which are also staples of big franchises and those are present here too. Because eventually, we do get the fight we desire, and it is as big and bombastic as one might expect. But also, emotional, and powerful, providing the audience with a payoff and well… all of those elements make for a true sci-fi epic. One that genuinely informs us that there is room for big franchises right now, and that they can tap into elements that make us love it so. Courtesy of that gentler, character driven touch that really does harbor connective tissue with the audience and that really does make this sequel feel different and as though it is building toward something even bigger than what we experience here.

Simply because, now we are getting an idea of what Zack and his team want to accomplish with this, and in many ways… we are seeing the birth of this universe in a manner similar to Star Wars. Because that’s a franchise that found its way through sequels and bold storytelling decisions and we get that here and that does make for an enjoyable ride. One that will wow you with its visuals, move you with its bigger moments and all around just offer a wonderful viewing experience and those are the true elements that go into making a grand franchise for the ages and hopefully Netflix gives Mister Snyder and his team what they need to finish the story. Because if the progress made here continues and Zack can stick the landing… that will give rise to a beloved franchise that creatives and audiences will explore for generations.

Watch ‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver’

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