Zack Snyder has become a brand. Beyond all opinions, whether vitriolic or obsessive, he is a filmmaker who has achieved a level of infamy that few in the industry dream of. Everyone knows the name.

Is that a good thing? Again, it depends who you ask; some people have fallen in love with Snyder’s overzealous expression of a flamboyant style, while others despise his work for exactly the same reason.

“Born in the heart of madness” is a film industry term that has almost as much recognition as the actual man himself, the “Snyder Cut.” More commonly referred to as the “Director’s Cut,” though the former term has become synonymous with it, Snyder ripped the veil between a generally rare concept and a starved mainstream audience frustrated with a studio interfering in their superhero movies. The rest is history, and it can be argued that some of the aftermath is now being felt with the Director’s Cut of Rebel Moon.

The Netflix original duology, touted as Snyder’s Star Wars, was initially released in the form of PG-13 cuts essentially similar to the theatrical versions, which remained untouched for months until Snyder was finally allowed to unleash his full vision in the form of extended R-rated editions.

As for the first half of the duology, things are grim. Snyder is clearly looking to capitalize on the extra R rating here, but his use of over-the-top violence and the chaotic special effects that bring it to life dull most of the impact. A scene might hit here and there, especially some of the more complex action scenes later on, but the film starts with something that’s meant to set the tone, and it’s a major miss. Unreal, watery blood runs through a scene of fake fire, ash, and conflict. Unfortunately, it kind of sums it all up in the end.

If you didn’t know, Rebel Moon In the first chapter, a peaceful little lunar settlement is disrupted by the evil attacks of a brutal tyranny whose power, at least at first glance, seems unmatched. It’s a traditional story of galactic rebellion and heroism, only stretched out to over 200 minutes and covered in a red-gray hue that makes it almost impossible to distinguish the next scene from the last.

It is not a scenario like Snyder’s Justice Leaguewhereas his cut was a completely different and much better film; this director’s cut is simply a longer version of a film that many people didn’t like in the first place. It may be technically better, but if you’re looking for a complete overhaul, you won’t find it here.

It’s hard not to respect Snyder’s scope in this film to some degree, though. Like it or not, he’s taken full advantage of this new world, going out of his way to create a wide range of characters from a hodgepodge of unmentionable planets. The film quickly moves from the aforementioned shocking opening scene to the village where the story really begins, and that’s where another problem arises.

Snyder just can’t seem to keep the pace consistent. That’s difficult given the length of the film, and the long list of characters means the focus is split between them in a whiplash-like fashion. You’ll be moving from village to village, from catfight to conquest, and you’ll feel your popcorn bucket empty before the first act is even over.

Of course, the characters come together after a while, hence the whole rebellion thing. But you’ve seen all this before; the comparisons to Star Wars and other similar things are apt. But Rebel Moon isn’t a cinematic trendsetter like Star Wars was and is. Some will like it for stylistic reasons, others as something to throw on while they stroll around the room doing whatever else they want, but for those looking to immerse themselves in a new story that offers something fresh to bite into, this just isn’t the place.

Rebel Moon – Part 1: Director’s Cut is just a long reminder of why the first part didn’t work. Predictably, it’s an improvement for those who wanted more, but if you’re with the majority, the egregious afternoon length is confirmation that you can leave this part behind in a cloud of computer-generated, implausible, concrete-grey dust.

Rebel Moon: Director’s Cut is now available to stream on Netflix.