Well, what can I say. Remaking a re-imagining of The Seven Samurai is not a phrase that inspires confidence, but that is what has happened here. Needless to say, such a task would be monumental to pull off for even a competent story-teller. Unfortunately, Zack Snyder is just not that good at writing. Directing, sure. Visuals...good. But writing...not so much.
See, The Seven Samurai is rightly hailed as a classic and those re-imaginings that followed - The Magnificent Seven and Battle Beyond the Stars, didn't try to replicate the original. They picked a different genre and ran with it. Mostly to good effect (though I won't pretend BBtS was a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination) but it was at least fun.
Rebel Moon is not fun. It is the antithesis of fun. Unlike the earlier clones of TSS, it takes itself far, far too seriously. Add in an at times dreadfully bombastic film score and it becomes in parts an exercise in endurance rather than entertainment.
Then, of course, you have the Snyder trademark visuals, including overly liberal use of slow-motion, a half-hearted attempt at world-building and of course, the aforementioned poor story.
I mean, it looks decent. Everyone acts decently and it should be good. But it isn't. It's not awful by any means, but it is just a bit "Meh!"
I don't know what else I can say about this movie. If you gave me the task of ranking all the Seven Samurai clones in order, I'd probably put it below all of them. I mean, it's better than something like The Witcher Blood Sausage, but that isn't exactly a high bar to exceed.
All in all, this is one of those movies that you won't watch again unless you are paid to.
SUMMARY: Poor Battle Beyond the Stars rehash. Looks decent and is acted okay, but it just feels weightless and empty. You'll have that feeling that you've seen it all before, but better, and you'd be right. Not really worth your time.
See, The Seven Samurai is rightly hailed as a classic and those re-imaginings that followed - The Magnificent Seven and Battle Beyond the Stars, didn't try to replicate the original. They picked a different genre and ran with it. Mostly to good effect (though I won't pretend BBtS was a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination) but it was at least fun.
Rebel Moon is not fun. It is the antithesis of fun. Unlike the earlier clones of TSS, it takes itself far, far too seriously. Add in an at times dreadfully bombastic film score and it becomes in parts an exercise in endurance rather than entertainment.
Then, of course, you have the Snyder trademark visuals, including overly liberal use of slow-motion, a half-hearted attempt at world-building and of course, the aforementioned poor story.
I mean, it looks decent. Everyone acts decently and it should be good. But it isn't. It's not awful by any means, but it is just a bit "Meh!"
I don't know what else I can say about this movie. If you gave me the task of ranking all the Seven Samurai clones in order, I'd probably put it below all of them. I mean, it's better than something like The Witcher Blood Sausage, but that isn't exactly a high bar to exceed.
All in all, this is one of those movies that you won't watch again unless you are paid to.
SUMMARY: Poor Battle Beyond the Stars rehash. Looks decent and is acted okay, but it just feels weightless and empty. You'll have that feeling that you've seen it all before, but better, and you'd be right. Not really worth your time.