Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver – Netflix Review (2/5)

REBEL MOON — PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER on Netflix is the sequel to Part One which came out in December 2023. If you liked that one, you should enjoy this. If not, then you’re out of luck. Read our Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver movie review here!

REBEL MOON — PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER is now on Netflix. As the title indicated, this is the sequel to Part One: A Child of Fire which came out in December 2023. Part Two is a lot more of the same. I was hoping it wouldn’t be, but here we are.

However, this one is quite a bit shorter. Officially, it’s 2 hours and 2 minutes, but the actual runtime is just 1 hour and 52 minutes. That just might be the one good thing I can say about this new Zack Snyder movie. Okay, that’s not true as Bae Doona worked for me, but that really is it!

Continue reading our Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver movie review below. It’s on Netflix from April 19, 2024.

The “epic saga” continues!

Full disclosure: I loathe that I can’t at least enjoy Rebel Moon as it has so many actors that I love. Also, I loved the Zack Snyder movie 300. Actually, I also really enjoyed his 2004 movie Dawn of the Dead and I don’t mind saying that I still hold Man of Steel deep in my little superhero-loving heart.

Okay, having said that, I have to say that I cannot stand Rebel Moon. Actually, that’s wrong because the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. And I am desperately indifferent to just about everything that happens in Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver just like in Part One.

In Part Two, the self-described “epic saga” continues as Kora (Sophia Boutella, who cannot save this mess) and the surviving warriors prepare to do whatever it takes to save the brave farmer people of Veldt.

This is their newfound homeland (very newfound, but one clearly should not dwell on these details) and they will lay down their lives to defend it. Also, to respect those who lost their lives in the fight against the Motherworld. The full force of the Realm is felt and heroes emerge.

I just could not care less.

Well, for 99% of the time anyway. Bae Doona seems to be an exception for me, and her screen time is rather limited as there are many characters, we need to cover. Ed Skrein is still cool as the villain, but aren’t villains always more entertaining?!

Part Two is just more of the same

I was contemplating just saying “Read our review of Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, because all that was said there goes for this one as well”, but that was too easy.

In every way, I can think of, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver is just more of the same. Okay, maybe a few less slow-motion scenes. If you can believe that. However, you will get to see a harvest (for the good part of the first act) which happens in slow-motion on several occasions.

Also, the time of flashbacks is far from over. In a scene leading up to the big final battle, we’re getting a flashback moment from each of the individuals in the Fellowship of the Ring. No, wait, I mean the warriors who are fighting against the Empire. Hold on, that’s wrong too. The Imperium.

Just like with Part One, we’re getting so many rip-off moments from other franchises. Hell, we even get a superhero landing. Though not from a hero, so that was a huge plot twist innovation. Not!

Moments like “You’re our only chance” made me laugh out loud as I could hear the faint echo of the late Carrie Fisher as Leia saying “You’re My Only Hope”. Of course, this was prefaced with “Help Me Obi-Wan Kenobi” as it’s a famous Star Wars quote.

A quote Carrie Fisher iconically paraphrased herself when struggling to figure out how Twitter worked. That tweet is still alive and well on what is now called X, so you can see it here >

Watch Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver on Netflix now!

You can check out our review of Part One regarding the filmmakers as it’s still directed, written, and even filmed by Zack Snyder. If you liked the first movie, then the good news for you is that you should enjoy Part Two as well.

If, like me, you did not like the first movie, then you’re out of luck. This is neither better nor worse, just more of the same. Oh, and also, there’s a song when they’re harvesting which has a reprise. Yeah, harvesting is a big theme in Part Two.

I will say that I loved Bae Doona in Part Two: The Scargiver. Only when she was on the screen did it manage to grab a hold of me. Only her story really managed to touch my cold heart, and so most of the scenes that centered on her were my only moments of surrender as I watched this Netflix movie.

The movie ends on a note that begs for yet another Rebel Moon movie. I can already see the title now: Rebel Moon – Part Three: The Princess. I just really hope it doesn’t happen.

Or rather, I hope that if we’re getting part three, it will deliver what I desperately (even foolishly) hoped part two would.

Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver premieres on Netflix on April 19, 2024.

Details

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Shay Hatten
Cast: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Anthony Hopkins, Staz Nair, Fra Fee, Cleopatra Coleman, Stuart Martin, Ingvar Sigurðsson, Alfonso Herrera, Cary Elwes, Rhian Rees, Elise Duffy, Sky Yang, Charlotte Maggi, Ray Fisher