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This movie had a lot going for it, great special effects, good acting (with exception for the leading man unfortunately, sorry), great concept, *some* wonderful dialogue... it was so close to being great but it fell short in several unnecessary ways. For how stunning (most of) the special effects were the set design fell flat on multiple occasions. It was odd, some set pieces were wonderful, the book store and apartments clearly were made with care, but other sets were barren, nothing but some basic chairs and tables and plastic plants, or an out of place dumpster in a too-clean alley. If they had just spent some extra time making the whole movie feel as alive as the apartments and the book store it would have made a huge impact.

But I suppose "should have spent more time" is a theme for my criticisms here, the movie was only 90 minutes even though it could have easily been two hours without seeming bloated. An extra couple of minutes here and there for character development would have gone a long way, the movie as it is felt a little like the cliff notes of someone's emotional journey.

Overall it felt like it was missing a dimension of something, some spark of life or emotion that was present at times but not consistently enough to hold together. It felt rushed, which is a shame because if they spent more time on set design, character development, and casting a leading man, then this could really have been a movie worth recommending. As it stands it was enjoyable, I don't regret watching it and I don't expect to watch it again.

And don't get me started on the misleading poster, I watched this movie because I love Cara Gee in The Expanse, but that image in no way reflects the movie is saw. Don't get me wrong, she did a great job and I enjoyed her character but they must have changed the movie drastically at some point or they just willingly mislead their audience.

This movie is beautiful, from the cgi to the set design everything is great to look at. Intriguing worldbuilding helped keep my attention, it would have been nice to see more of the universe that serves as this movie's backdrop. It also has a great cast that did their best with what they were given. And there ends the positive things I have to say about Rebel Moon.

The dialogue was predictable, shallow, and just oh so weak. Speeches meant to be inspiring left me feeling slightly embarrassed, it really is as if they were written by a teenager, and not one of the talented ones. The plot was flimsy at best, the motivations of most characters took an extreme suspension of disbelief.

And the terribly unimaginative clichés! The Korean sword master from a fishing village? How could they proudly display such little creativity?

Overall, I'm glad I watched this movie but I would never recommend it. It's good to watch on a lazy day, the action and visuals are pleasing, but please don't watch this movie expecting to feel something deeper than entertainment.