I wonder what could a movie titled Moonfall be about? Could it possibly be about Moon falling down to Earth? Moreover, is such a thing possible? Well, everything is possible if you have good connections and lots of money. We all know Roland Emmerich as the guy behind some of the best nineties action science fiction movies. Stargate, Independence Day, and Godzilla were all written by him. However, not just him as Dean Devlin was also there to make sense of his ideas. You should know that he was not involved in this production.
Moonfall is a blend of all those movies plus some additional ones like Moon 44 and 2012. It’s a complete and utter mess with unintentionally hilarious dialogue and an incredibly predictable story. The characters are, of course, cardboard cutouts and the whole movie feels like a parody. How else can you explain some of the scenes and “plot twists” we’re about to witness? Actually, you can play a fun game while watching this movie. Just try to guess as many other movies it rips off.
We open with a classic Gravity intro and then settle into the nice little Armageddon that soon turns into Day After Tomorrow. The whole movie is similar to a string of recent Chinese science fiction like The Wandering Earth and Shanghai Fortress. Sure, the special effects are excellent and it’s always fun to watch the destruction of the Earth at this scale but after a while, it feels like you’re watching a loose collection of CGI scenes.
After a strange incident that occurred some ten years ago, astronaut Brian Harper has had it bad. He now spends most of his time in a garage working on a car that won’t start. At the same time, KC Houseman, a megastructuralist is also having a bad time. Working two jobs, he’s struggling to warn people about megastructures. However, their lives and lives of everyone on planet Earth are about to change.
Yes, Moonfall is one long episode of Ancient Aliens with superb production values. The special effects here are truly something else and they look excellent. They are one of the few redeeming values this movie has to offer. Along with some space escapism that’s always fun.
Some of the scenes are really cringy and so predictable that you will have no other option than to roll your eyes in disgust and disbelief. What’s with all the Musk worship? Each scene is full of puzzling details you simply cannot miss. Why would anyone be using CRT monitors in 2021? This will keep you entertained until the next dazzling CGI madness. And when I say madness, I really do mean that. However, all of this makes Moonfall an excellent movie so bad that it’s good.
And if you thought that this is going to be making more sense as time goes on, you’re mistaken. We get progressively more crazy and unbelievable plot twists. So, you want to tell me that they just took a vandalized space shuttle, fixed it in a couple of days, and then launched it into space? Launched it successfully? Yes sir I do. Can’t wait for the Pitch Meeting for this one.
Our unfortunate cast did surprisingly well considering the script they were given. Berry, Wilson, and John Bradley also known as Samwell Tarly from Game of Thrones brought at least some authenticity and style to their stereotypical characters. Finally, I just want to add that the budget for this movie was $140 million. Now, for that money, you could make 35 Prospect‘s or thousands of The Final Land‘s. I know this is not how things work but I just had to say this.
Director: Roland Emmerich
Writers: Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser, Spenser Cohen
Cast: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Charlie Plummer, Wenwen Yu, Michael Peña
Fun Facts: One of the most expensive independent films ever produced.
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5834426/
