📺 ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
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Zack Snyder is back with a new director’s cut — this time of Rebel Moon Part Two. This new extended version of Zack Snyder’s ambitious vision of a galaxy at war clocks in an additional 120 minutes, introducing even more computer-generated chaos and expanded character backstories. Unfortunately, all the extra content did little to help the film live up to its predecessor.

The Michael Bay treatment. The best moments in the film aren’t those that focus on people, the ones where explosions reign supreme. This is even despite the extended and surprisingly emotional reunion between Kora (Sofia Boutella) and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), which was a rare chance for the characters to breathe and develop instead of just being heavy-handed archetypes of suffering and revenge.

Even though JC-1435 (voiced by Anthony Hopkins) is given more screen time, all it does is prolong a repetitive cycle of violence and betrayal. We witness the same tragic backstories unfold too many times, ultimately making us disengage instead of investing in the story.

This sci-fi fable is reminiscent of both Star Wars and Seven Samurai, set against a visually stunning yet lifeless backdrop of the farm planet Veldt. While the added scenes seem to try to elaborate on each character’s motivations, it often just felt like an additional stretch of an already glacially paced narrative. The scenes are long-winded and almost like a video game cutscene, as put by the critics at Roger Ebert, making us want to mash the X button to skip.

But the stand-out moments kept us glued to our seats. The villagers launching their defense against the Imperium reminded us where Synder gets his reputation. The cinematic mastery displayed throughout the film is why it’s still a must-watch despite its shortcomings.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can watch parts one and two on Netflix, or watch the trailer (runtime:2:42)

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