Divisive New Netflix Movie Debuts at #1

Netflix's newest #1 movie has proved divisive on Rotten Tomatoes. Yes, Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is atop Netflix's rankings according to FlixPatrol's metrics. It's hardly a surprise as the streamer has been marketing the science fiction saga non-stop online. Snyder's work also comes with a built-in fanbase eager to see what their favorite auteur has cooked up this time. Rebel Moon – Part One does not disappoint as the space opera sees the director leaning into all of his mainstays: the slow motion, the beautiful vistas, and the actors that people seem to love a ton.

However, on Rotten Tomatoes, the critics tell a different story. On the review aggregator, the movie sits at a critic's score of 24%. But, on the bright side, the audience score is hanging around a very nice 69%. So, there's clearly some viewers out there enjoying what Snyder is selling. One piece of the Netflix marketing has had people vexed for a couple of weeks now. They're already heralding a Director's Cut of Rebel Moon. Snyder is, of course, no stranger to the concept. Both cast and crew have said that the new cut of the film feels like a richer experience. So, the response to it online will be interesting to see!

What's Coming In Rebel Moon Director's Cut?

After the response to the first cut of Rebel Moon – Part One, fans are already looking forward to whatever surprises the Director's Cut holds. In an Interview with ComicBook.com, Zack Snyder explained some of the changes from the Director's Cut to the theatrical version currently streaming on Netflix. It seems pretty obvious there's a gulf of difference between these two versions.

"I think that the director's cut sort of contains a slightly more sort of sci-fi, deconstructive element," Snyder began. "Because for me, one of the things that I was tackling in, sort of conceptually, when I was thinking about it, was a way to have the irony of something like heavy metal, something super violent, super sexual, super visually gigantic in a movie where it has no business belonging in a movie like this." 

"It cost a ton of money and that is like a real legitimate production value and it's crazy," he would add. "Normally, those two things don't go together too well, because these things have big commercial appeal. So if you make it too niche ... No, but you know what I mean? It allowed me to do both ... so when you see the director's cut, you just see something a lot more weirdly, more personal, and bizarre." 

How Good is Rebel Moon?

With the movie going wide this week, ComicBook.com's Kofi Outlaw reviewed the movie for the site. In his opinion, there's a lot of universal world-building going on. But, the movie could have used some more heart. As it stands, Rebel Moon – Part One is a precursor to the real story being told with this franchise.

"In Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Man of Steel, Justice League) attempts to launch his own Star Wars-style franchise, beginning with two Netflix films and with plans for so much more," the review reads. "With Child of Fire, Snyder demonstrates the vast scope of his imagination, but at the same time, he fails to provide a compelling enough hook to pull viewers into that vast universe of ideas." 

It continues, "What we get instead in Rebel Moon: Part One is a whole lot of "telling" and very little "showing," with a lot of necessary backstory and characterization being delegated to the multitude of spin-off projects that are already in the works – including the "real" version of this very film, which already has an R-rated director's cut on the way." 

Have you seen Rebel Moon yet? Let us know down in the comments!