Rebel Moon - Part II: The Scargiver
review by Bobby Blakey
I am a big Zac Snyder fan with films like Dawn of the Dead, Watchman, 300, the underrated Sucker Punch and even his DC films. I know there were issues, but I am an unashamed fan of his work. I was excited hearing he had pitched his own take for a Star Wars film, but sadly it never happened and instead had been retooled into his own franchise. The first of the films Rebel Moon – Part I: A Child of Fire debuted on Netflix in 2023 which was a great success and now the next chapter Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver is finally here. Could this next chapter garner the same success, or will it fail to finish the war?
Rebel Moon – Part II: The Scargiver follows Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. On the eve of their battle the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made.
I know there was some backlash from the first film, but I really dug it. Upon revisiting it I still thoroughly enjoyed it and was looking forward to the next chapter. Diving into it I was fully invested in this world and while I still enjoyed this next entry it does have its issues. The story is a direct continuation of the aftermath of the previous film that slows the pace down as it prepares for war.
This is where the film struggles as it spends a long time with training and generic life stuff like farming and working in the village. I get the point of it as they are also preparing to fight, but it could have been trimmed up for a brisker pace. There are times where it drags enough that it might bore some during the first hour, but at
the same time they were trying to get into some more depth with them all. There is a dinner round table moment where we get the back story to all the characters involved, which would have been way better as the point of the film itself instead.
Thankfully once it finally gets past the extended farming and world building it kicks things into high gear to get the battle started. The final act of the film is an action-packed fun watch even if it’s all things we have seen before. The familiar nature of the first film was helped by the visuals and creative directions. This time around it offers up a great long battle sequence, but never really pushes the boundaries to something new and different. One of its biggest missed opportunities was the limited screen time for Jimmy the robot. He was built up in the previous film and all of his scenes are great this time around, just few and far between.
This film wraps up the initial conflict, but still works more as a filler film to what’s to come. The problem is that if it doesn’t end up delivering the promised next few films then it will leave it further hanging. I was hoping it would have a conclusion of sorts, but it is what it is at this point. I have no doubt this one will be met with more mixed results, but I enjoyed it and still hope we not only get more chapters, but some of the spin-offs potentially discussed.
Decide for yourself and check out Rebel Moon – Part II: The Scargiver streaming now on Netflix.