Duncan Jones' MOON

Review by Dennis D. McDonald

I like movies that start out with a fake documentary describing the imaginary culture underlying the film — two good examples are Monsters Inc. and Starship Troopers.

Add Moon to the list. Early on we’re introduced quite economically to how the earth’s economy has been transformed by cheap energy. The only catch: the raw materials have to be mined on the far side of the Moon then fired back to earth in small canisters.

That’s where Our Hero comes in. He’s nearing the end of a three year stint managing the robotic energy harvesting equipment and is eager to get back home. One day he’s in an accident, wakes up in the robot-managed infirmary, then he’s joined by another worker who looks exactly like him but without the physical damage.

What happens then is intriguing and engrossing. I highly recommend this film as appealing to a wide audience that enjoys drama and character more that explosions and gunfire. The quality of acting, sets, special effects, and pacing is excellent. My only quibble: a major plot point hinges on a certain two way radio conversation between the Moon and Earth and, darn it, there’s no delay between the outgoing and incoming parts of the conversation. Given the effort put into making the film as a realistic as possible on a meager budget, that comes as a surprise. But I’m happy to overlook it; this one’s a keeper.

Review copyright (c) 2010 by Dennis D. McDonald