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There was a fun thread about all the similarities between rebel moon and 40K when the first movie came out so I watched the second one to see if there was anything new like terminators showing up. To be fair the only thing I noticed that was extra was the engine that the lead character puts the bombs on opens it’s eyes and a face appears (but does nothing) and it looks like it might be some sort of ancestor core inspired thing.

Anyone see anything else? To be honest this movie was more like a star wars movie mixed with an advert for bourbon (lots of footage of crop havesting, thrashing and general rural goodness).

Also what’s with all the slow mo. It’s like Snyder was 20 mins short of his 2hr quota for Netflix so he just pushed it out with random slo mo footage.

All in all take the first hour of number 1 and the second hour of number 2 and you might have one decent movie haha

Only thing I spotted, but is in the first part (but clearer in part 2) is that they are clearly using Power weapons.

In particular, Power Swords.

In other words, metal blades with a power source that gives it extra cutting power.

This is distinct from, for example, light sabers or other energy weapons commonly seen in sci fi.

The fighters at the end also looked fairly similar to Voss pattern Lightnings or Avenger Strike Fighters, certainly at the tail end.

I found part 1 to be so poor that I'll just skip wasting my time on part 2.

I'll have to rely upon you lot to spot such things.

ccs wrote:
I found part 1 to be so poor that I'll just skip wasting my time on part 2.

I'll have to rely upon you lot to spot such things.

A wise choice, they are really quite bad films considering the money and names involved. I’m not sure they even enter so bad they are good territory as they just seem to be lazy rather than poorly executed. However I am compelled to watch them all.

I hope it isn't as I know 40k is pulp but it isn't that bad surely?

I don't see much 40K in Rebel Moon. It was actually a Star Wars movie pitch by Snyder that got shot down, so he reskinned it a little to try to make it its own thing. It's pretty easy to peel back that skin and see the SW movie underneath.

And because Snyder is the way he is, some of his choices went in directions that may feel a little 40K. I don't see it really occupying 40K's gothic-dystopian-satirical space though. Rebel Moon is much more in line with Snyder's typical earnest/self-important style IMO.

It's more derivative of the same things 40k is derivative of, only worse.

Zack Snyder is the kind of director where you can go into his movies with really low expectations, and he will disappoint all of them.

His history as a music video director really shows through.

Whilst he can compose a scene, he seems to struggle with long form coherency of story. Which is something I’ve seen in other movies of late.

For instance, whilst I unironically love them, the three Star Wars sequels manifest this problem in a different way, as they feel like a trilogy made from three separate trilogies, which happen to involve the same characters.

The same could be said of Age of Extinction, that Transformers movie. Individually the scenes are pretty cool. They’re just put together all wonky.

Snyder is an extremely talented guy when it comes to visuals. And that isn't something to brush under the rug. There really aren't too many directors with those gifts AND with the ability to manage the complexities of big blockbuster filmmaking.

He obviously has his weaknesses too, and that's why he'd probably be better off working with talented writers with strong voices to save him from his worst impulses (self-indulgence being a really big one). You can see this in Dawn of the Dead (James Gunn wrote it) and Man of Steel (Chris Nolan conceptualized it and was one of the writers), which I think are his two best films. Watch them back-to-back with Army of the Dead and BvS respectively and it's easy to see the differences between Snyder working with a strong storyteller and unfettered Snyder doing his own thing.

Snyder needs a story that is told via visuals, anything with "show, don't tell" works for him but as soon as a script is written the way were everything needs to be explained instead it does not work out

though my favourites from him are still 300, Watchmen and Sucker Punch

And 300 and Sucker Punch are basically extended rock/metal music videos, but it works

 gorgon wrote:
I don't see much 40K in Rebel Moon. It was actually a Star Wars movie pitch by Snyder that got shot down, so he reskinned it a little to try to make it its own thing. It's pretty easy to peel back that skin and see the SW movie underneath.

me neither but the arguments I have seen on reddit for example are mainly based on people not knowing were 40k their inspiration from

like name dropping Belisarius and some people think this must be a 40k rip off while others have the byzantine general in mind (or that the term Imperium is exclusive to 40k)

Dawn of the Dead and 300 are decent movies. The former is of course a remake of a justified classic, and I’m glad he didn’t just remake it. For better or worse he tried something different and for me it mostly works. Still not a fan of Fast Zombies, but here it’s on the right side of acceptable application.

And I’ll admit I always forget he made 300. Between the source materials, his visuals and the cheesy performances, it absolutely works. Whilst, like Spartacus Blood and Sand its historicity is dubious at best? It feels like the sort of thing we might get if the Ancient Greeks committed their sagas and stuff to celluloid. Very self aggrandising, a proper propaganda puff piece to get your warriors hyped up for war.