Early Reviews Praise ‘Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver’ as a Superior Movie to Part 1

Over the past few days, Netflix has been screening the second Rebel Moon movie; overnight, the first reactions from critics and superfans have flooded in. Let’s look at the consensus so far, which seems to be that the second movie is a step-up from the first. 

As a quick reminder, “Rebel Moon Part 1” was released in December 2023, spawning a new fantasy sci-fi universe from Zack Snyder. It was shot back-to-back with its sequel, which is set to appear on screens globally on Netflix in April, just months after the first release.

With screenings and screeners sent out to the press and superfans, early social reactions have been allowed to be released over the past few hours, so what are they saying?

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The Positive Early Reactions for Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver

Let’s begin with the more positive ones and work from there!

Setting the tone and a sentiment that will be echoed among others, Brian Davids, who writes for The Hollywood Reporter, said:

“‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver’ is a major step-up from ‘Part One.’

The first hour lays the groundwork for the coming battle, but then the last hour is nothing short of spectacular.

Sofia Boutella and Zack Snyder work well together, and I hope ‘Part Three’ comes to pass.”

Britany Murphy for Muses of Media, posted on X:

“I really enjoyed Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver.’ Of course, it had thrilling action, but perhaps the best part was the great character work throughout.

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Sofia Boutella and Ed Skrein are fantastic, while Bae Doona and Djimon Hounsou are scene-stealers!”

Superfans of the Snyder and Rebel Moon were even more glowing than the critics (perhaps unsurprisingly!) – we’ve embedded a few of their reactions below:

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The Mixed Reviews for Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver

Rama’s Screens was ultimately mixed on the film, stating that the second part ultimately felt shorter, with his complete reaction being:

“REBEL MOON PART 2 was more action-packed than part 1. But the dialogues left much to be desired & the backstories were too melancholic. That said, a firepowered battle was what I came for & a firepowered battle was what I got. It did its job.”

Rama, who attended the fan screening that occurred in Los Angeles, also managed to tape the 50-minute Q&A with Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder, which is embedded below:

Germain Lussier, who reports for Gizmodo and io9, had a mixed experience, saying:

“Thankfully, #RebelMoon – Part 2: The Scargiver is better than Part 1. Here, Snyder is more concerned about character than world-building and keeps everything contained & focused.

And yet, it still drags, gets repetitive & never connects emotionally. The third act rules though.”

Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geekly is the first of the more negative reviews stating that the sequel doesn’t do enough to drive the story forward, saying:

“At the end of Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver it feels as if this story has not advanced much. It’s as if we’re in the same place we were after Part 1 except the body count is a bit higher. I do love me a Zack Snyder slowmotion scene though & there are plenty! #RebelMoonPart2”

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Our own Andrew Morgan will be reviewing the sequel for us next week. As a quick reminder, here’s how Morgan summarized the first movie in his 2 out of 5-star review:

“Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire feels redundant & unnecessary for a sci-fi epic with a sequel coming mere months away. Aping Star Wars but lacking in the charm, fun, & memorable world-building of that universe, Snyder seems to have missed what made his influences so indelible. Largely quality casting can’t overcome the sheer lack of time or depth for its characters. Hard to see a real enthusiasm to see how this story ends this Spring.”

Beyond that, of course, we’ll be covering the second movie’s stats in detail following its release, as they’ll no doubt play a big part in Netflix’s decision on whether to continue the Rebel Moon universe in the future. Given the new changes at the top of Netflix’s film division and the performance of the first movie, we think it’s got a tall mountain to climb.

Are you looking forward to part 2 of Rebel Moon hitting Netflix on April 19th? Let us know in the comments.