The genesis of Zack Snyder’s epic space opera “Rebel Moon” dates all the way back to 1997. In the years that followed, Snyder would pitch his idea to LucasFilm as a new Star Wars installment. Later he attempted to turn it into a video game. And even later, he considered developing it as a television series. He would eventually make a deal with Netflix, but it came with an agreement that (so far) has led to some pretty mixed returns. That agreement was that Snyder would be given the creative freedom to fully realize his vision for “Rebel Moon”. It would come in the form of director’s cuts that would offer longer and R-rated dives into his world and its rich mythology. But in order to get the green light, Snyder had to agree to also make a neutered PG-13 version in hopes of it having a broader blockbuster appeal. The two-part PG-13 cut earned big viewership numbers for Netflix but mostly bad reviews from critics. To be honest, reading reactions to Zack Snyder movies can be a challenge. Viewers are often broken into two groups – the Snyder loyalists who adore anything he does regardless of its quality and the poorly veiled haters who bristle at the mere mention of his name and are as feral in their disdain for his movies as any doting Snyder fanboy. After weeding out all of the noise, the PG-13 product turned out to be entertaining. But it was clearly just a slice of something bigger and potentially better. Image Courtesy of Netflix Part One of Snyder’s director’s cut adds 70 minutes and gets a new title. “Chalice of Blood” essentially covers the same ground as its significantly shorter PG-13 version, but adds new layers to the overarching story, recontextualizes several character arcs, and gives the film a darker edge through its deeper world-building and amped-up brutality. Also, Snyder’s influences are clearer and better utilized. He’s made it known that “Star Wars”, “Seven Samurai”, and “Heavy Metal” magazine were among his many inspirations. Here they’re more obvious yet better realized.