Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver’
The second chapter ofZack Snyder’s space opera epic has finally hit Netflix, withRebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiverdominating streaming chartsdespite taking a beating by critics. The epic finale of the duology (which Snyder plans to make several sequels of) sees Kora the Scargiver (Sofia Boutella) and her band of misfit warriors take on the Imperium. Most of the two-hour film is just one big battle sequence, yet it seems to have some striking and unexpected similarities to one particular Pixar classic.
It’s no secret that Zack Snyder’sRebel Moonsaga was directly inspired by theStar Warsfranchise. Snyder even pitchedRebel Moonas a genuine entry to theStar Warsuniverseto Lucasfilm, but when they passed on the concept, Snyder went to Netflix and retooled the story to become its own thing. The original intent to makeRebel MoonaStar Warsstory is probably what has led many to callRebel MoonaStar Warsrip-off. Still, it’s strange to think thatRebel Moonappears to have less in common withStar Warsand more in common withA Bug’s Life.
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. On the eve of their battle the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made.
What is ‘Rebel Moon’ About?
Before getting into the rather strange similarities betweenRebel MoonandA Bug’s Life, let’s briefly go over the general plots of each film.Rebel Moonprimarily centers around a woman named Kora - a former soldier of the nefarious Imperium who has since fled to the peaceful farming planet of Veldt.Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Firebegins withVeldt being visited by a massive Imperium forceled by the cruel Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein). Noble murders the village’s leader, Sindri (Corey Stoll), and demands the village give him and his soldiers a large supply of food for their travels. Not ready to let her new home get engulfed by the Imperium, Kora and her companion Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) briefly leave the planet to find warriors to help defend against Noble’s forces.
InRebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver, Kora and Gunnar return to Veldt with a slew of other companions, including Titus (Djimon Hounsou), Nemesis (Bae Doona), Tarak (Staz Nair), and Milius (Elise Duffy). The team of rebels quickly form a bond with the village of Veldt’s residents and work tirelessly to prepare for Noble’s inevitable return, including hiding an Imperium starship to sneak onto their frigate. The ridiculously, ludicrously, absurdly long final battlesees some perish, like Gunnar and Nemesis, but the rebels of Veldt do ultimately reign victorious over Noble and the Imperium…for now.
This ‘Rebel Moon’ Scene Feels Like It Belongs in a Different Movie
And it’s the best scene, too.
The Numerous Similarities Between ‘Rebel Moon’ and ‘A Bug’s Life’
To summarize,one movie features a young outcast as they leave their home to assemble a group of heroes to defend said home from a tyrannical dictator and his band of loyal minions. The other is a movie that features a young outcast as they leave their home to assemble a group of heroes to defend said home froma tyrannical grasshopperand his band of loyal minions. Seriously, the similarities here are about as abundant as the grain in that twenty minute harvesting montage inThe Scargiver.
BothRebel MoonandA Bug’s Lifestar a main protagonistwho is very much an outcast in their societyand who is responsible for the film’s main conflict, with the only main difference being Kora is actively accepted by her new neighbors, while Flick is routinely made fun of. The antagonists of Noble and Hopper are also motivated less by the practicality of just ignoring the hero’s home and more by a desire to inflict pain and suffering upon those they deem weaker than them. Noble and Hopper also have no qualms about murdering their own soldiers when they question their judgment.
Both heroes ofRebel MoonandA Bug’s Lifeembark on a quest to find warriors to protect their home, each of them having their own distinct personalities. The warriors that the hero recruits also have some character similarities. For example, Nemesis fromRebel Moonand Francis fromA Bug’s Lifeare bothclassic tough and emotionally ambivalent figuresthat have a hard time connecting with others, yet they become a source of admiration for the children of the communities they’re protecting. Finally, both movies feature the heroes hiding a secret flying weapon that ultimately turns the tide of battle. ForRebel Moon, it’s the hijacked Imperium ship that Kora uses to sneak aboard the capital ship, and forA Bug’s Life, it’s the makeshift flying bird that the bugs use to scare Hopper.
‘Rebel Moon’ Also Has Parallels to ‘Seven Samurai’
The similarities betweenRebel MoonandA Bug’s Lifeare certainly fun to consider, but both of them were very obviously influenced by movies likeSeven Samurai.Akira Kurosawa’sSeven Samuraiis widely considered to be one of the most influential films ever made, and a poster child for the “hero’s journey” style of storytelling. It’s another film that follows an outcast hero as they assemble a group of defenders, all of whom look evil in the eye and tell them enough is enough. The list of movies that directly took key plot points fromSeven Samuraiis practically endless, including classics likeThe Magnificent Seven, theMad Maxfilms, and even theStar Warsfranchise. As we can see from bothRebel Moonmovies andA Bug’s Life, it’s had a pretty large impact on modern-day storytelling, for better or worse.
Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiveris currently streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
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