Over the Moon (2020) Movie Review
Over the Moon is the latest animated movie from Netflix. Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) is a young girl who loses her mother. Four years pass, and her father is ready to move on and marry another woman. Fei Fei is still grieving over her loss and can’t fathom how her father could possibly have forgotten her mother so quickly. As a way to defy her father’s wishes, she begins to explore a tale her mother often relayed about a moon goddess who was stuck on the moon waiting to be reunited with her lover. She builds a rocket ship and sets off for the moon to confront the moon goddess and prove to her father that the story is real.
When she arrives on the moon she’s met by the moon goddess Chang’e (Phillipa Soo) who is not entirely welcoming. Chang’e tells Fei Fei she must bring her a gift in exchange for a photo that will prove that the moon goddess is real. This sets Fei Fei on a quest to find this gift and return it in time. We get a few fun characters like Chin (Robert G. Chiu), a young boy who is the potential step brother of Fei Fei. He tags along on the trip and has a penchant for trying to run through walls while screaming, “NO BARRIERS!” We also get some annoying characters like Gobi (Ken Jeong), some sort of glowing creature who talks nonstop and doesn’t make much sense. There are also a smattering of songs throughout the movie that are not all that memorable.
What is memorable about Over the Moon are the visuals. When Fei Fei arrives on the moon, it is not the dull gray landscape that we might picture. This moon is exploding with color and little creatures wandering around. At one point Fei Fei rides on a motorcycle with chickens. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s a world that doesn’t really make sense but it is colorful and flashy and keeps you guessing as to what’s really going on. It didn’t feel like a cohesive world, more like a patchwork of things that didn’t really go together. Only towards the end, do we get to see a real and honest portrayal of grief and sadness. Chang’e and Fei Fei bond over this and their pain is explored in a way that is touching and revelatory.
This was not my favorite animated movie from Netflix. It was just okay, with average songs, a world that didn’t feel cohesive, and a style that tried too hard to mimic the success of their competitors. Despite its flaws, Over the Moon was still an enjoyable watch and I’m sure kids will enjoy the bright colors and nonstop action. Fei Fei’s experience losing a parent will be relatable to many and being able to embrace life’s pain is an important lesson for kids (and adults) to explore. I just wish the whole movie would have been as thoughtful as some of the last few scenes were.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like animated movies
2. You lost a parent at a young age
3. You like wild adventure stories