by Alice Micheli
The wonder and animation of Disney with the soul of a stage musical, Over the Moon is a film about family, grief, and understanding wrapped up in an eclectic, vibrant, magical space journey bow.
The first full-feature animation direction credit for animation legend Glen Keane (Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, Tangled among others…), this Netflix Original Movie is one for the ages. Now going in, I didn’t expect very much. I had heard from some friends that it was good and that it was likely to make you cry. I also had seen some rumblings across the internet that it had great representation and really explored Chinese culture in an honest way. So, my interest, naturally, was peaked.
What I didn’t expect was to be so thoroughly distraught by the end of my viewing. I don’t remember the last time I sobbed in a film. Teared up sure, even cried a little – of course! – but just full on bawl my eyes out to the point that I had to pause the film so I could keep paying attention? yeah, it’s been a while.
This film finds your heart’s emotional core and wraps itself around it, refusing to let go for its 95 minute runtime.
It follows our hero, Fei Fei and her pet rabbit Bungee as they build a rocket ship into space in order to reach and finally meet a mythical goddess from Chinese legend. While this is happening, she is also dealing with immense loss and an emphatic desire to not have things change, leading to an exploration into the discovery of self and the extent to which someone can feel without breaking.
All this is wrapped up in a beautiful, and vivid, musical that boasts an all-star cast, including the voices of Hamilton star Phillipa Soo, John Cho, Sandra Oh and Ken Jeong.
I would be remiss to not talk further about how effortlessly the music fits into this film. In fact, I can honestly say that this is one of the few films I’ve seen that actually feels like a real live stage musical. The way the characters are animated, the way the melodies play out during different beats of the story, as well as the way in which the song’s themselves are sung, all harken back to a way that, until now, had been exclusive to the theatre experience.
The story, the animation and the score all work together to bring you into the world of these characters, and let you inhabit their frame of mind while still connecting to their culture. Even when we do enter the wacky moon section of our adventure, it all seems within the realm of possibility, even when presented with motorbike riding space chickens – no I’m not kidding.
For all its beauty, however, this movie does have its faults. While the story is beautiful and the themes are well explored, it does at times suffer from something I often happens when catering to a younger audience. That is, it tends to cut corners when it comes to moving from story beat to story beat.
In an effort to move through the whole plot in under 95 minutes, there are times when the pacing felt scattered, which affected the way in which this movie affected the viewer. Sometimes, you barely have time to really get a handle on what’s happening and where you’re meant to be emotionally before you’ve moved on to the next thing.
In addition to that, and related, the story does at times seem over simplified and immature. However, the way in which this is played lets this particular element slide, as it certainly grows in depth and in story as you and the protagonist dive deeper into what this movie is actually looking to explore.
Finally, if there’s one performance which demands the spotlight, it is that of Soo. Taking her talents from the Broadway stage to voice-over, she effortlessly glides through the many hoops her character is asked to jump through, all with a stellar voice. To say I got goosebumps on more than one occasion would be an understatement. In fact, her performance is worth the price of the Netflix subscription alone.
Over the Moon truly takes you, as advertised, to another planet. A movie with a strong emotional core and a fantastic cultural story, it’s an instant classic for any fan of Disney – even though it’s not. With stunning visuals, ear-worm inducing music and emotional beats that will truly rip your heart out, it’s one to certainly watch, love, and sob over as a family.
Grade: B