by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
A grieving child who is not ready to move on gets the opportunity to help a trapped and lonely goddess in the animated musical adventure tale from Netflix, Over The Moon.
Fei Fei has a special connection to her mother. Her mother taught her how to make the special mooncakes which were the biggest seller of their bakery, especially during the Moon Festival each year. It was Fei Fei’s mother who taught her of the legend of the moon goddess, Chang’e, and the lover, Houyi, she had to leave behind on Earth. When Fei Fe’s mother dies and years later her father decides it may be time to move on, she is emotionally fueled to build a rocket to get to the moon and prove to her father that true love waits forever.
Written by Audrey Wells (The Hate U Give, Under The Tuscan Sun), Jennifer Yee McDevitt, and Alice Wu and directed by Glen Keane and John Kahrs, Over The Moon is a creative and visually stunning animated feature. It stars Glen Keane, John Cho, Cathy Ang, Sandra Oh, Margaret Cho, Phillipa Soo, and Ken Jeong.
From the music to the animation, to the story, this film is wonderfully charming. Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) sings and raps delightfully as the conflicted moon goddess, Chang’e. Ken Jeong is typically hilarious as the silly and simple Gobi the space dog who befriends Fei Fei in her quest to find a gift for the moon goddess. But newcomer Cathy Ang is the star of this movie as the child who believes in true love.
Over The Moon has a very cohesive and well-reasoned script. The story is very smart and cleverly crafted to help children to confront feelings of love and loss, depression, and recovery, but most of all, acceptance of new definitions of family. Every character is meaningful and every word is important. Although the themes of the movie may be a little advanced for younger viewers, the movie presents them in a way that is easily accessible for most children. Of course, it’s ridiculous for a girl to be top in her class and smart enough to build a rocket yet to also believe in a tale of a moon goddess but, through sheer wittiness, the script addresses even that concern reasonably.
While nowhere near the innovative level of Netflix’s last Oscar contender, Klaus, the animation of Over The Moon is colorful and bright and more resembles a Disney/Pixar style. The neon-colored dancing blobs, mooncakes, and chickens are so visually appealing that it will grab the vision of even the youngest of viewers. Glen Keane, who previously worked in the animation department of Disney, is aware of that audience and paces the movie quickly to hold short attention spans but is intense enough to draw the older crowd as well.
The music is hip and inspiring. Phillipa Soo channels her inner Beyonce as she struts through “Ultraluminary” and navigates through a super-cool (and competitive) game of moon ping-pong with “Hey Boy”. Her Hamilton pedigree is on display as she sings, raps, and tells her story. The movie is chocked full of music even allowing Ken Jeong to display his ability in the emotional piece “Wonderful”
Rated PG for thematic elements and mild action, Over The Moon is a visual treat with heart and love. For some it will be empowering, for some, it will be an emotional release but it is great entertainment for all.
Grade: B+