Film Review: Moon

Just before summer began I posted a movie preview and noted that Moon was my most anticipated release of the summer. Its limited release did hit a theater in Pittsburgh, so I had the opportunity to see if it would deliver to my expectations.

Moon is a difficult movie to explain without giving everything away, so my thoughts might seem more generic than usual in the interest of keeping things spoiler-free. Based on that comment, it is easy to infer that the trailer only gives a small hint at the true plot and developments within the film.

There is always a danger with hyping movies within one’s own mind. After seeing Moon’s fantastic trailer and viewing the amazing promotional material, I was extremely excited to see it. In that regard I suppose the advertising agency did its job very well, but the movie itself left me wanting a little more.

Perhaps it was the ideas of what I thought the movie was going to be. I had an idea of the plot weeks before I even stepped foot into the theater. A man is in space with three weeks left until he gets to fly back to Earth. Commence suspenseful deconstruction of the human psyche.

For the first 30 minutes it looked like everything was going according to plan. I was on the edge of my seat, and with each passing minute the level of intensity was rising. Then, with a sudden change of pace, that was snatched away. All the questions, all the suspense, all the intrique–gone. My disappointment could be simply the result of my own desires, or it could be because Moon was lacking; I will never know. There within lies the problem of letting your mind run with anticipation.

I was left with a stellar first act, followed by an average middle and end. Even in my disappointment, I was stunned by the performance of Sam Rockwell. The script required him to single-handedly carry the entire film, and he responded by giving an inspiring display of emotion. The acting was fantastic, and it certainly had to be to make Moon work.

Moon is a solid science fiction movie, and one that I might enjoy more a few years away from thoughts of what it should be. As it stands today, I see some spectacular acting and set design, but moreso a huge pile of lost potential. I wanted Moon to join Sunshine as a psychological thriller (along with one of my favorite movies), but it just did not happen. Watch it without creating your own story first, and it will deliver.

7.5/10