Rebel Moon Director’s Cut review: Is it better than the earlier version?

Netflix released Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon Director’s Cut on August 2, 2024. This comes a few months after the release of the theatrical version of both the Rebel Moon films. The first film, Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, was released on December 15, 2023, while the second one, Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver, came out on April 12, 2024.

Both films released on Netflix one week after their theatrical run. The reception of both was lukewarm. Sci-fi and space adventure fans praised the ambition and scale of the franchise, but critics panned it for its predictable plot and familiar tropes.

Rebel Moon Director’s Cut adds an extra hour to expand the scope of its lore and explore each aspect of Veldt in graphic detail. The new version of the films is certainly an improvement from the earlier versions, but it's not able to elevate itself from being more than a decent space opera.

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Rebel Moon Director’s Cut is an improvement

Director Zack Snyder has a complicated history with big studios and has been struggling to get his actual vision on screen. As happened in the case of Justice League, the Director's Cut of Rebel Moon is also slightly better than the previously released versions.

Snyder's epic was criticized for being shallow and uninspired. This is ironic because the film is overtly inspired by some of the most popular films in the history of cinema, namely Star Wars films and Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

The nazi style tyrannical army, Star Wars-style adventure and Seven Samurai-inspired group of peculiar heroes are all oversaturated tropes of storytelling, and Snyder failed to deliver anything of substance other than the stylistic CGI-generated visuals.

Most of it is still true for Rebel Moon Director's Cut. But this version does a much better job in terms of world-building and making the viewers connect with the characters. This version provides a much-needed heart to the story and allows the narrative to flow.

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Rebel Moon Director’s Cut is longer and bloodier

The combined length of Rebel Moon Director’s Cut is over six hours long. The film utilizes the extra time to showcase the conflict in a more raw and visceral form through explicit violence and gore.

While the previous version of the film had s*x, nudity and violence as well, this version amplifies it to a greater level. Blood comes pumping out of the bodies during action scenes, which viewers would be able to feel on their screens.

For those who couldn't bear the overuse of slow-mo scenes, Rebel Moon Director’s Cut has reduced them significantly, which works in the film's favor.

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Is there any change of story in Rebel Moon Director’s Cut

There isn't any significant change in the story of Kora and her band of rebels in Snyder's Director's Cut. The film uses its extra run-time to expand on the existing scenes and explore the dynamics between the characters in a more refined manner.

The world-building in this version is also expansive and nuanced, and characters get more screen time to make an impact so that the audiences will feel for them. The longer scenes and extra worldbuilding especially pay off in the final battle. Where the climactic battle in the first film felt rushed, in this version, the coming together of the rebels feels more natural.

Rebel Moon Director’s Cut is worth a watch for fans of the space adventure and action genre. As it has been announced that Netflix will produce six of these films, it's better to watch Snyder's actual vision at motion.

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The Director's cut of Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver is available on Netflix for streaming.