‘Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire’ Review – Zack Snyder’s ‘Star Wars’ Knockoff Struggles to Find Own Identity

When George Lucas tried to get the rights to “Flash Gordon” in the early 1970s, and failed, he decided to make his own film in the style of “Flash Gordon.” The result was a movie called “Star Wars,” which has — in the nearly 50 years since its creation — spawned a lot of knockoffs of its own.

The latest, Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire,” came about in a similar way. Snyder famously pitched an idea for a “Star Wars” spin-off inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai.” When that project didn’t come together. he transformed his old pitch into a new film.