The real trick to successfully achieving escape velocity – that being the speed necessary to break the bonds of gravity holding one to the Earth’s surface – is the technically precise task of weight management.
To put it simply, once your rocket engines ignite you need to be assured that you’ve loaded aboard only that which you need to both make the journey as well as the return voyage. There can be nothing extra. There should be no excess baggage. To risk taking something extra along – something just go for the ride – will practically guarantee failure for the thrust to achieve the maximum velocity necessary to propel you into orbit and beyond.
Now … the same could be said for hit movie scripts.
The screenwriter only wants to pack the adventure with exactly what it needs. There should be no room for extra characters who don’t fully serve the narrative. Scenes or footage gratuitous to this particular story are found extraneous, and they should be excised to give only the core requisites the best chance of survival against the elements. Space within this unique capsule is at a minimum, so anything that could siphon off the energy required to reach forward momentum must be sacrificed. The goal here is to soar, not to come crashing back to Earth in a fiery husk.
This lack of delicate balance is what mostly keeps The Moon (2023) from going boldly where some have gone before but make no mistake: writer/director Yong-hwa Kim tried very, very, very hard to keep the film reaching for stakes higher and higher when – in reality – it could’ve easily trimmed a bit of surplus and landed in theaters to wider acclaim. As it is, it’s a capable diversion, but it’s also one that can’t escape its own weaknesses long enough to accomplish more than a single orbit.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A man is left in space due to an unfortunate accident while another man on Earth struggles to bring him back safely.”
In all seriousness, whoever crafted that synopsis for IMDB.com should probably be jettisoned as garbage as it doesn’t even get close to conveying the depth (and bloat) of story within Yong-hwa Kim’s serviceable space thriller. But having watching the film, I can also accept that trimming down the narrative from its fat might have seemed as daunting a challenge as putting a man on the moon … so there.
The Moon’s chief problem – despite having one of the blandest titles ever – is the fact that it’s presented heavily as a docudrama – similar to Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 (1995) – despite the fact that none of it has ever happened. Set in the near future, The Moon recounts the near-tragedy (that also never happened … yet) when astronaut Sergeant Hwang Seon-woo (played by K-pop sensation Do Kyung-soo) finds himself stranded in space after his teammates are killed in an accident whilst attempting to repair their fragile capsule. In a gesture of national pride since this is Korea’s first solo attempt to reach the moon (also something that never happened … yet), Hwang decides to complete the mission solo, defying the wishes of the Korean space agency.
To put it simply, once your rocket engines ignite you need to be assured that you’ve loaded aboard only that which you need to both make the journey as well as the return voyage. There can be nothing extra. There should be no excess baggage. To risk taking something extra along – something just go for the ride – will practically guarantee failure for the thrust to achieve the maximum velocity necessary to propel you into orbit and beyond.
Now … the same could be said for hit movie scripts.
The screenwriter only wants to pack the adventure with exactly what it needs. There should be no room for extra characters who don’t fully serve the narrative. Scenes or footage gratuitous to this particular story are found extraneous, and they should be excised to give only the core requisites the best chance of survival against the elements. Space within this unique capsule is at a minimum, so anything that could siphon off the energy required to reach forward momentum must be sacrificed. The goal here is to soar, not to come crashing back to Earth in a fiery husk.
This lack of delicate balance is what mostly keeps The Moon (2023) from going boldly where some have gone before but make no mistake: writer/director Yong-hwa Kim tried very, very, very hard to keep the film reaching for stakes higher and higher when – in reality – it could’ve easily trimmed a bit of surplus and landed in theaters to wider acclaim. As it is, it’s a capable diversion, but it’s also one that can’t escape its own weaknesses long enough to accomplish more than a single orbit.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A man is left in space due to an unfortunate accident while another man on Earth struggles to bring him back safely.”
In all seriousness, whoever crafted that synopsis for IMDB.com should probably be jettisoned as garbage as it doesn’t even get close to conveying the depth (and bloat) of story within Yong-hwa Kim’s serviceable space thriller. But having watching the film, I can also accept that trimming down the narrative from its fat might have seemed as daunting a challenge as putting a man on the moon … so there.
The Moon’s chief problem – despite having one of the blandest titles ever – is the fact that it’s presented heavily as a docudrama – similar to Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 (1995) – despite the fact that none of it has ever happened. Set in the near future, The Moon recounts the near-tragedy (that also never happened … yet) when astronaut Sergeant Hwang Seon-woo (played by K-pop sensation Do Kyung-soo) finds himself stranded in space after his teammates are killed in an accident whilst attempting to repair their fragile capsule. In a gesture of national pride since this is Korea’s first solo attempt to reach the moon (also something that never happened … yet), Hwang decides to complete the mission solo, defying the wishes of the Korean space agency.
But for reasons that I’ll not pretend to understand, storyteller Kim chooses to set-up all of these particulars in documentary-style approach, a tactic that implies that the film is entirely factual (which it isn’t). I’ve seen this done elsewhere (National Geographic participated in a fictional Mars adventure that lasted two seasons, I believe), and – quite frankly – I hated it there as well because the imagined events were predicated largely on expert opinions and didn’t always feel authentic to the lives these characters led or what they experienced in an obviously made-up story. Remember: biographies aren’t always interesting because they tend to get lost in psychological minutiae attempting to explain a person’s motivations. Giving The Moon such ‘expert set-up’ by fictitious characters is, tonally, just plain weird, so much so that I feel the flick would have a vastly better cut removing that baggage from the entire flight.
Further complicating matters is the fact that The Moon’s script incorporates a heavy amount of personal melodrama with its many overlapping relationships – a disgraced former mission commander, his ex-wife who just happens to be the head of NASA only a few years later, a young female sidekick who serves no narrative purpose other than to be a young female sidekick, a team of American NASA administrators who look and act more like heavies from any Korean crime thriller, etc. There’s so much that gets introduced into the main plotline that there’s very little room left over for any authentic subplots to find their own legroom in this delicate capsule, and the preponderance of useless or unnecessary distraction kills the picture’s forward progress at every opportunity. I don’t doubt that Kim felt these tributaries were helpful; and I wish someone in the editing booth would’ve assured him otherwise.
In ways, it’s almost like Korean cinema felt it had to produce something on par with 2015’s The Martian or 2019’s Ad Astra, both respectable human dramas set against the backdrop of space exploration. To a degree, Kim’s The Moon stands toe-to-toe with them – at least, so far as I’m concerned – because it incorporates the same disadvantages – a wealth of bloat all held together by good performances, movie science, and some truly awe-inspiring special effects – so I guess I can say, “Well done.” Going beyond has never looked better, but stories like this shouldn’t feel so ephemeral and vacuous, either. It diminishes real achievements for the sake of bolstering faux space heroes into the lexicon, and – dare I say? – some of us still find that a bit cheap.
The Moon (2023) was produced by CJ ENM Co., CJ Entertainment, and Vlad Studio. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to this big screen extravaganza looked pretty damn spiffy all along the way. Mind you, there are some special effects sequences that look just a bit better than what you get in most big budget game franchises these days, but I suppose that’s to be expected. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There’s a brief behind-the-scenes bit along with the theatrical trailer to keep you happy.
Recommended.
Because I have an obvious affection for All Things Science Fiction, I’m perfectly comfortable with saying that, sure, The Moon (2023) is worth a view … but honestly? That’s about it. Sadly, it has no rewatchability as its story is tonally kinda/sorta all over the place, and it falls rather quickly into the same-old-same-old sink-then-swim formula whenever a new obstacle presents itself. If it hadn’t descended into predictability so lazily, then it might be the kind of picture worth experiencing again and again – the benchmark to the best SciFi has to offer. As is? Well, it’s just too long with far too much contrivance to make this ‘star trek’ one for the cinema ages.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Moon (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Further complicating matters is the fact that The Moon’s script incorporates a heavy amount of personal melodrama with its many overlapping relationships – a disgraced former mission commander, his ex-wife who just happens to be the head of NASA only a few years later, a young female sidekick who serves no narrative purpose other than to be a young female sidekick, a team of American NASA administrators who look and act more like heavies from any Korean crime thriller, etc. There’s so much that gets introduced into the main plotline that there’s very little room left over for any authentic subplots to find their own legroom in this delicate capsule, and the preponderance of useless or unnecessary distraction kills the picture’s forward progress at every opportunity. I don’t doubt that Kim felt these tributaries were helpful; and I wish someone in the editing booth would’ve assured him otherwise.
In ways, it’s almost like Korean cinema felt it had to produce something on par with 2015’s The Martian or 2019’s Ad Astra, both respectable human dramas set against the backdrop of space exploration. To a degree, Kim’s The Moon stands toe-to-toe with them – at least, so far as I’m concerned – because it incorporates the same disadvantages – a wealth of bloat all held together by good performances, movie science, and some truly awe-inspiring special effects – so I guess I can say, “Well done.” Going beyond has never looked better, but stories like this shouldn’t feel so ephemeral and vacuous, either. It diminishes real achievements for the sake of bolstering faux space heroes into the lexicon, and – dare I say? – some of us still find that a bit cheap.
The Moon (2023) was produced by CJ ENM Co., CJ Entertainment, and Vlad Studio. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to this big screen extravaganza looked pretty damn spiffy all along the way. Mind you, there are some special effects sequences that look just a bit better than what you get in most big budget game franchises these days, but I suppose that’s to be expected. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There’s a brief behind-the-scenes bit along with the theatrical trailer to keep you happy.
Recommended.
Because I have an obvious affection for All Things Science Fiction, I’m perfectly comfortable with saying that, sure, The Moon (2023) is worth a view … but honestly? That’s about it. Sadly, it has no rewatchability as its story is tonally kinda/sorta all over the place, and it falls rather quickly into the same-old-same-old sink-then-swim formula whenever a new obstacle presents itself. If it hadn’t descended into predictability so lazily, then it might be the kind of picture worth experiencing again and again – the benchmark to the best SciFi has to offer. As is? Well, it’s just too long with far too much contrivance to make this ‘star trek’ one for the cinema ages.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Moon (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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