It’s no secret that Zack Snyder’s filmography is filled with a number of notable titles that have been heavily debated over the years. From Watchmen and Man of Steel to Sucker Punch and Army of the Dead, his movies have both their defenders and detractors. Ultimately though, the vast majority of them have received mixed to negative reviews. The same was true of his latest feature, Rebel Moon, which critics were not kind to. Now, a few months after its release, Snyder is sharing his reaction to the science fiction film’s poor reception.
Rebel Moon, which is available to Netflix subscribers, was released to a solid amount of fanfare back in November 2023. While much of the Snyder faithful seemed to enjoy the film, others did not. Considering the less-than-stellar reactions to the film, Empire Magazine (via Screen Rant) asked for Zack’s reaction while catching up with him. All in all, it would seem that the 300 helmer doesn’t hold any ill will towards anyone who didn’t care for the film:
I don't really have a rebuttal to the reviews. For whatever reason, the reaction to my movies is very polarising, and it always has been. The movie, it doesn't seem like there's that much in it that would warrant such visceral responses. It will be interesting to see what the [critics] say about the director's cuts.
At this point, I suppose he is used to audiences being divided when it comes to his movies. As history has shown, very few of his films have received mostly positive reviews like Dawn of the Dead and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Most are indeed polarizing, such as the superhero flicks I mentioned earlier. As of this writing, Rebel Moon (subtitled Part One: A Child of Fire) has a 21% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has a 58% audience rating. When talking with Empire about the reviews, Snyder also mentioned an “interesting” point:
It will be interesting to see what the [critics] say about the director's cuts.
The first film centers around a young former soldier (Sofia Boutella), who seeks to rectify her past by recruiting a team of warriors to take down the tyrannical regime that rules the galaxy. Rebel Moon’s cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Djimon Hounsou, Ray Fisher and Anthony Hopkins. A number of the stars will be returning for the sequel, Part Two: The Scargiver, which has a trailer and is set to release this spring. Zack Snyder is also working on an R-rated director’s cut, which will also drop this year. Snyder has referred to it as “a different movie” compared to what viewers have already watched on the streaming service.
Based on how the first movie in the burgeoning franchise was received, it will definitely be fascinating to see whether the new installment manages to garner positive reactions. There may be a chance that it can turn things around, right? Well, even if that doesn’t happen, the director behind the series seems to expect his movies to divide audiences.
Rebel Moon is currently available to stream on Netflix, and you can expect Part Two: The Scargiver to drop on April 19 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.
