Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire official trailer reaction
The official trailer for Zack Snyder’s upcoming ‘Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire’ has been released by Netflix, teasing much more about the driving force behind the film’s central narrative.
The trailer focuses a majority of its length on introducing audiences to Kora (Sofia Boutella) and setting up her mysterious past and troubled present. Her carer explains that he thought that she could bring trouble to the village, a bad omen of sorts. Of course, trouble does follow Kora to her new home. One day, the Imperium arrives, their ships a blight in the sky, and begins to strike fear into the hearts and minds of the village.
Their ships take on a more rounded and curved look, as opposed to the angular ships of the Empire in ‘Star Wars’. It helps set the pair apart immediately, an important differentiation especially as both parts of ‘Rebel Moon’ pull heavily from ‘Star Wars’. One of the villagers asks what the Imperium wants, and Kora replies everything, a disturbing warning to the colonialist nature of the Imperium. They want to control the galaxy. But it’s also partly a lie, as later in the trailer hints that Kora is more important than she’s letting on.
When the Imperium lands, the trailer gives audiences a look at Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) and what looks like standard Imperium troops. It’s unclear though, especially as their red garm with a ceremonial mask would be unfit for prolonged combat. Perhaps the Imperium have come to celebrate the village “joining” the Imperium. Kora seems to have hidden, hinting that her mysterious past has something to do with coming into conflict with the space Nazis at some point.
One of the villagers attempts to say he’s just a farmer but to no avail. Skrein demonstrates his character’s brutal control by wordlessly murdering one of the farmers. And he does it himself too, ruling through personal fear instead of fear of the Imperium delegating kill to his lackeys. He seems to lead his men by example, taking a more hands-on approach, instead of barking orders from the back.
In a slick action sequence, Kora demonstrates she isn’t to be messed with, again hinting at a mysterious past. She’s not simply just a farmer with those skills. Kora urges the farmers to fight, and it seems like the majority of the film will be her gathering her band of rebels to protect the people.
In a flashback, it’s revealed that Kora was a product of war, likely against the Imperium but it’s not explained. It seems like it, as she’s a wanted woman. In the present, she leaves to gain her band of warriors with an alien take of a horse. The rest of the trailer goes about introducing the rest of the crew Kora will find, with Kai (Charlie Hunnam), the handsome mercenary pilot, General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), who’s done being a hero and wants only to rebel and have revenge on the Imperium, and Nemesis (Doona Bae), who wields suspiciously familiar weapons and who fights a spider woman.
One of the shots teases what is likely to be Imperium’s massive orbital capabilities, with a ship firing its main battery at something. But what sells its power is not the size of the gun, but the amount of visual recoil. The target is unclear, but whatever it is, it won’t be there for much longer.
This ship and its visual communication of power is something the film will likely excel at, as Snyder always imbues his projects with cinematic flair, even if ‘A Child of Fire’ is coming out on a TV screen. The film looks packed to the brim with stunning action set pieces, and amazing shots as well. Audiences will find out if the narrative holds to this standard when the film arrives on Netflix on December 22, 2023.
