Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the Rebel Moon series.

The Big Picture

The
Rebel Moon
Director’s Cuts showcase R-rated versions with more footage and violence.

Chalice of Blood
and
Curse of Forgiveness
provide alternate openings with expanded backstories.
Jimmy and Kora get additional scenes, characters receive more development, and the Imperium’s priests have strange traditions.

Netflix released the director’s cuts of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon on Friday, and in true “Snyder Cut” fashion, they boast a lengthier runtime and bloodier fight scenes. But there’s a difference between Rebel Moon’s director cuts and Snyder’s previous efforts. First, both films boast different titles: Rebel Moon – Chapter One: Child of Fire is now Rebel Moon – Chapter One: Chalice of Blood, while Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: The Scargiver is Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness. Secondly, while Snyder’s other films received director’s cuts due to studio requests that he trim the final product down for theatrical release, Rebel Moon came pre-packaged with its director’s cuts (though this was probably Netflix trying to capitalize on the fervor surrounding the director’s cut of Justice League.)

So what exactly is the difference between the director’s cuts and the PG-13 versions of Rebel Moon, besides blood and sex? Some characters do receive more screen time and slightly more fleshed-out backstories, while Snyder also attempts to expand on the history of his new universe. The reception to the director’s cuts might vary, since Snyder’s hardcore fans will undoubtedly give it a watch, while viewers who weren’t exactly fans of the PG-13 versions may not tune in. Overall, Chalice of Blood and Curse of Forgiveness show the promise of Snyder’s “true vision” – but also show how he’s let creative freedom go to his head.

‘Chalice of Blood’ and ‘Curse of Forgiveness’ Have Alternate Openings

Chalice of Blood and Curse of Forgiveness throw the metaphorical gauntlet down with their opening sequences, which are wildly different from the PG-13 versions. Chalice of Blood opens with Admiral Noble (Ed Skrien) traveling to a mysterious planet, where he apprehends a royal family that sheltered Darian Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher) and his sister Devra (Cleopatra Coleman); the duo have been carrying out a rebellion against the Imperium. Noble forces the young prince Aris (Sky Yang) to kill his father, promising that he’ll spare his family. Once Aris is taken away, Noble ends up murdering his family anyways. This, combined with the Imperium’s soldiers gunning down everyone who stands in their path and their priests branding innocent people, cements Noble’s cruelty – and by extension, the Imperium’s.

Related ‘Rebel Moon’ Director’s Cut Review: Somehow, Zack Snyder’s Netflix Movies Got Worse I got a bad feeling about this.

Curse of Forgiveness offers an answer to something puzzling in The Scargiver: why does a ship that’s capable of interstellar travel have coal-burning furnaces? It turns out that the entire ship is powered by a massive robotic being known as a “Kali,” whose energies allow the Imperium’s dreadnoughts to travel through time and space. The Imperium’s technicians also use the Kali’s energies to revive Noble at the end of Chalice of Blood. It’s also revealed that the coal the Imperium’s shoveling into the furnaces isn’t coal, but rather the bones of its victims – the process causes the Kali great pain. When Kora (Sofia Boutella) sneaks about Noble’s dreadnought, she winds up encountering the Kali and having a vision of it telling her that one day she will free its sisters. Fans of Snyder’s work will also recognize the Kali as being voiced by Ayelet Zurer, who previously appeared in Man of Steel.

Jimmy Gets More Screentime in the ‘Rebel Moon’ Director’s Cuts
Image via Netflix

Chalice of Blood spends most of its runtime with JC-1435 (Dustin Ceithamer/Anthony Hopkins), or “Jimmy,” a mechanical knight built to serve the Imperium. Jimmy claims to have lost his purpose after Princess Issa (Stella Grace Fitzgerald) was killed in a coup; though he winds up helping Kora kill Imperium soldiers who are trying to assault one of Veldt’s villagers. In the PG-13 versions, Jimmy disappears until the end sequence. Chalice of Blood takes a different approach by showing him exploring Veldt while waxing poetic about Issa’s mythical powers. He even helps the Veldt community dig up Kora’s old spaceship and kills a group of Hawkshaws – alien bounty hunters who had been reporting to Noble about Veldt & Kora’s plans to gather fighters who could protect its people.

Kora’s Backstory Is Expanded Upon in the ‘Rebel Moon’ Director’s Cuts
Image via Netflix

Both parts of Rebel Moon touch upon Kora’s life before she came to Veldt. Her world was invaded by the Imperium, and she was adopted by a high-ranking commander, Balisarius (Fra Free) before helping him kill the Imperium’s king (Cary Elwes) and Issa. Chalice of Blood and Curse of Forgiveness expands upon this, showcasing what life was like for Kora in the Imperium. As a child, she witnesses her world being razed; when she joins the Imperium’s army she accompanies Balisarius on missions and witnesses him coldly slaughter other planets’ populations. She also reveals the origin of the Kali, saying that she felt pity for it – which gives her “vision” in Curse of Forgiveness new meaning. Curse of Forgiveness also showcases Balisarius’ rise to power. The King stripped him of his military power and made him a senator, but he was able to use that to gain support for his coup – especially when Issa meant to dismantle the Imperium’s military as part of her rule.

Various Characters Get More Scenes in ‘Chalice of Blood’ & ‘Curse of Forgiveness’

The major plot of Chalice of Blood and Curse of Forgiveness remains the same: Kora gathers warriors from various planets to help her defend Veldt, resulting in an all-out war against Noble’s forces. Her ‘rebel alliance’ includes former Imperium general Titus (Djimon Hounsou), prince-turned-blacksmith Tarak (Staz Nair), cyborg swordswoman Nemesis (Doona Bae), and rebel fighter Milius (E. Duffy), who joins following Darian Bloodaxe’s death. Most of them get an extra scene or two showcasing their lives before the Imperium came to their planets; Titus is shown killing Imperium soldiers, Nemesis has a necklace that belonged to her slain children (and is actually shown cutting off her arms to power her molten-hot blades), Milius came from a similar world to Veldt & was sold into slavery.

The character who gets the most development is Aris. Following his indoctrination into the Imperium, he turns on his fellow soldiers after they try to sexually assault Sam (Charlotte Maggi), one of Kora’s friends. Chalice of Fire also showcases Aris working with Veldt’s villagers to prepare a defense, including digging up Kora’s old ship. He also grows closer to Sam in the process, which culminates in a kiss in the middle of Curse of Forgiveness.

The Imperium’s Priests Have a Strange Tradition Involving Teeth
Image via Netflix

The most disturbing characters within the Imperium are the “Scribes”, red-robed priests that accompany Noble on his missions of conquest. Chalice of Blood actually shows one of their twisted rituals; after Noble kills a planet’s leader, the Scribes start chanting while one of them rips out the dead leader’s tooth and adds it to a collage surrounding a picture of Princess Issa. This happens twice: in the opening when Noble forces Aris to kill his father and when Noble kills Veldt’s leader Sindri (Corey Stoll). The priests are vaporized in an explosion during Curse of Forgiveness’s major battle scene, with Snyder letting the camera linger on their burning collage.

‘Curse of Forgiveness’ Has an Alternate Ending
Image via Netflix

Curse of Forgiveness, much like The Scargiver, ends with the revelation that Princess Issa is alive – and Kora gathers her warriors together to fight her. But it also features a different ending: on the Imperium’s Motherworld, Balisarius receives word that Noble has died, and then strolls outside to the fully assembled army of the Imperium. This all but hinted that Snyder wanted a third movie to be about the search for Issa, but it remains to be seen if that third movie will happen. Even though the director’s cuts of Rebel Moon have received a slightly more favorable critical reception, they haven’t cracked Netflix’s Top 10 list – meaning that Snyder will need an Issa-sized miracle if he’s going to get a third Rebel Moon off the ground.

Rebel Moon – Chapter One: Chalice of Blood and Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness are both available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

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