Space saga
Sequel film ‘Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver’ premieres
Avillage of farmers sparked an interplanetary revolution that cannot be stopped in 2023’s Netflix space drama, “Rebel Moon.” The war against the Motherworld rages on in “Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver” when it premieres Friday, April 19, on the streamer. Sofia Boutella (“Prisoners of the Ghostland,” 2021) returns as the rebel warrior known as Kora to some and Arthelais to others.
In the first film, Kora’s simple life as a farmer on the planet Veldt is upended when her community welcomes Imperium Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein, “All the Light We Cannot See”) and a group of soldiers following their harvest celebrations. Relatively naive to the cruelty of the Motherworld, the kindness and honesty of the residents of Veldt are used against them. Noble violently takes control of the community, killing its members indiscriminately and leaving the farmers no other option but to band together and fight.
In the four years that Kora had spent there since she crashlanded on Veldt, she had been keeping her past to herself. Orphaned by the Imperium and raised to defend it before fleeing after a hostile takeover, Kora used her past life as a skilled fighter to rebel against the militarized powers that took her from her family. After she reluctantly takes on the role of the leader of the rebellion, Kora and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman, “Echo 3”) travel the galaxy, finding others who notoriously oppose the Motherworld.
Reprising their roles in the sequel are Djimon Hounsou (“Gran Turismo,” 2023) as Titus; Doona Bae (“Kingdom”) as Nemesis; Ray Fisher (“Women of the Movement”) as Darrian Bloodaxe; Staz Nair (“Supergirl”) as Tarak; Fra Free (“Hawkeye”) as Regent Balisarius; E. Duffy (“Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire,” 2023) as Millius; Stuart Martin (“Miss Scarlet & the Duke”) as Den; Cary Elwes (“Blackberry,” 2023) as the King; Rhian Rees (“For All Mankind”) as the Queen; Charlotte Maggi (“Summer Love”) as Sam; and Anthony Hopkins (“The Son,” 2022) as the voice of Jimmy, a robot worker for the Imperium who gains consciousness and turns against them for their cruelty.
This time, Kora and the rest of the rebels must fight to keep the peace they just recently forged on Veldt when an unexpected villain returns. In the first “Rebel Moon” movie, Admiral Noble was defeated — or so they all thought. In an explosive final battle, Noble seemed to have perished. However, his body was found by Motherworld loyalists and he was brought back to life. Noble awoke with a need for revenge, demanding to have Kora brought to him so he can kill her and the spirit of rebellion she sparked. It is only a matter of time before Noble’s henchmen reach Kora, meaning it is up to her and the rest of the rebels to put up a fight.
All the while, Kora continues to relive a version of her past that now places her on the other side, fighting against the Motherworld. When she was taken from her home planet by Balisarius, he raised her as his daughter and named her Arthelais. Under his influence, she became a prodigal warrior and was responsible for the protection of the princess of the Imperium. The royal family that ruled the Motherland was assassinated and Balisarius named himself Regent, the first leader of the Imperium not from the royal line. Ruthless and mysterious, Balisarius has much more to reveal in this sequel.
But, Kora is not the only former Imperium fighter among the rebels. Choosing exile over being forced to do Balisarius’ violent bidding, Titus became a gladiator on Veldt, where Kora and Gunnar find him before recruiting Tarak. A beast tamer being held for crimes against the Motherworld, Tarak joins the rebels after winning his freedom in a bet. Nemesis, meanwhile, a cybernetic swordswoman, wields incredible, searing neon swords like lethal extensions of her body.