Look, I'll get it out of the way: I wasn't a "Rebel Moon" fan. I gave Zack Snyder's movies a chance, I tried to go in with an open mind, but they really did not land for me in any way; I found "A Child of Fire" to be such a chore to get through, and I wasn't much impressed by "The Scargiver" when it dropped in April.
It certainly doesn't look like I'm alone on this hill. A quick glance at the Rotten Tomatoes pages for "A Child of Fire" and "The Scargiver" show that the movies were panned by critics and viewers. "A Child of Fire" has a critic score of 21% and an audience score of 57%, with the sequel pulling in 15% and 48%, respectively. Even if the movie did find its fans, those kinds of numbers don't really scream "must-see movie".
Given the rather polarizing reaction both "Rebel Moon" movies drew, you might be surprised why the movie's getting a second push. As Tudum explains, alternate versions were part of the production process from the off; the crew even shot new scenes intended only for these extended, R-rated cuts. Thanks to a recent announcement, we now know the titles of both new "Rebel Moon" cuts, and we've learned that they'll be streaming exclusively on Netflix starting August 2.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Snyder shared some new images from the movies and revealed the "Rebel Moon" director's cuts will be known as "Chapter One: Chalice of Blood" and "Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness."
REBEL MOON - THE DIRECTOR’S CUTSChapter One: Chalice of BloodChapter Two: Curse of ForgivenessAugust 2, only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/gVsKSGoOJ0June 11, 2024
A Netflix release describes the new "Rebel Moon" cuts as "viciously sexier, bloodier," confirming that they'll offer viewers the chance to dive even deeper into the lore of Snyder's sci-fi universe.
The full synopsis reads: "Delve further into the mythology and madness of Zack Snyder's epic sci-fi saga in the viciously sexier, bloodier world of '‘Rebel Moon — Chapter One: Chalice of Blood’ and ‘Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness".
"In Snyder's director's cut, a peaceful settlement on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, and Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival.
"Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Motherworld, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants, and orphans of war who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a new army of heroes is formed."
With any luck, these new takes will go to some length to address some of the problems that were present in the original, PG-13 "Rebel Moon" cuts. However, I can't shake the feeling that these new chapters might just contain even more mindless slow-mo sequences, without addressing the dull story that lay at its core.
