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Not up for Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver? 5 great related movies to watch instead of Zack Snyder’s most recent effort

  • Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire met with criticism for its derivative execution and general lack of originality – its sequel may meet the same fate
  • If you are looking for something else to watch, try these five films instead – from Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai to George Lucas’ original Star Wars movie

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Sofia Boutella as Kora in a still from Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver. If you are looking for an alternative watch, we have five other films for you instead. Photo: Netflix

Following the rather lukewarm reception to Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire last December, anticipation is muted for the arrival of its sequel, subtitled The Scargiver, which starts streaming on Netflix on April 19.

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Snyder’s science-fiction opus follows a band of rebel soldiers as they attempt to protect a peaceful planet from a violent, militaristic regime, but was met with marked criticism for its derivative execution and general lack of originality.

For audiences who are unwilling to sacrifice any more time on regurgitated genre tropes lacking in depth, character or creative ingenuity, we suggest these five influential offerings instead.

1. Seven Samurai (1954)

Snyder has made no secret of the fact that his rambling interstellar saga was originally conceived as “Seven Samurai in space”, back when he was still a film student in the 1980s.

Indeed, Rebel Moon echoes many of the narrative beats introduced in Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, but falls well short of its predecessor’s genre-defining scope, majesty or pathos.

Seven Samurai (1954) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Still regarded as one of the greatest action movies ever made 70 years after it was released, Kurosawa’s chambara classic follows a village of desperate peasants, who turn to Takashi Shimura’s ageing warrior to protect them and their crops from a gang of marauding bandits.

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