Moon (2009) Review

MOON (2009)
Director: Duncan Jones

Writers: Duncan Jones and Nathan Parker

Producers: Trevor Beattie, Bil Bungay, Michael Henry, and Bill Zysblat

Editor: Nicholas Gaster

Cinematography: Gary Shaw

Music: Clint Mansell

Starring: Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey

Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes

Rating: R (Language)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama

Release Date: June 12, 2009 (US theater release)

Before Watching the Movie: The less you know going in, the better. This really should be your ground rule for watching sci-fi mind-benders like Moon. These types of movies are always best going in blind.

Intro: I buy a lot of DVDs I never get around to watching. Any time I see a good deal on Amazon or at a store or something on a movie I've heard good things about, I more than often buy it, which leads to an ever-growing stack of movies I own but haven't watched. This is how I picked up a copy of Moon. I remember hearing good things about it when it came out via Rotten Tomatoes, but I didn't know much about it, but this was enough to drop $4 on a copy at a used DVD store in Ohio. Anyway, I had some time yesterday and was looking for a short-ish movie to watch, so I decided to watch Moon and cross one title off my list. It turns out this was a good idea. Moon is a great sci-fi mind-bender with good special effects, a good one-man performance, and a storyline that intrigues and does what every science fiction plot should do--ask questions.

Plot: In the future, scientists have found an eco-friendly solution to the energy problem in mining Helium 3 from the dark side of the moon. The Lunar Corporation has sent Sam Bell to the moon on a 3-year contract to run the mining station, which sends the deposits to earth. Sam is all alone in space except for the station's computer named GERTIE. At the end of his 3-year contract, strange things begin to happen in the station and things soon become not what they seem.

Things people may find “objectionable”: There are some scattered uses of the f-word and a couple gruesome blood shots that are intense. Otherwise, there's no violence or nudity.

Ratings:

     -Directing/Cinematography: 9/10. The directing was very good and the shots and lighting were all very interesting. It is especially good since this was Duncan Jones' directorial debut (his only other movie to date is Source Code). The other thing that impressed me about the directing, as well as the whole production, is how cheaply the movie was made. The budget was a mere $5,000,000 compared to the $220,000,000 The Avengers had, and yet they managed to make the movie much deeper and more psychological than The Avengers.  
     -Acting: 9/10. This is as close to a one-man performance as you're going to find in a movie, and Sam Rockwell does a good job with the role. I.... God, it's really tough to critique a movie while trying not to reveal spoilers. I would elaborate more, but I really can't without revealing spoilers.
     -Writing: 23/30.

          -Story: 10/10. I loved the story, and it's what carries the movie. It's really hard to have a good science fiction film without a good story. I guess my love of science fiction is where I get my appreciation for a good story.

A really cool alternate poster. I almost
like this one better than the one they used.

          -Script: 8/10. Pretty good script that worked pretty well with the movie. While it's not an earth-shatteringly good script (like the one from Social Network for example), it works nicely and had a few good and thought-provoking lines. The line that hit me was one of the last ones that was really thought-provoking, but I'm not going to post it because it'll ruin a plot twist.

          -Characters: 5/10. The movie is more of a thinking movie to me than it is a feeling movie. While you can feel for Sam, the turn of events that takes place puts the emphasis on psychological questions and less on the character of Sam. I do not mind this choice, honestly, but some people might. I've always been more of a story person anyway.

     -Special Effects: 9/10. For an indie film, the special effects are surprisingly good. In reading up on the trivia, this is because there was a lull in moviemaking during the production during the Writer's strike, so Jones was able to get good special effects people who were looking for work.

     -Music/Score: 8/10. Though it wasn't omnipresent, the score helped ratchet up the tension every time it was used. If nothing else, it was used very effectively.

     -Power/Emotion: 7/10. The movie was more powerful in the questions it asks than the characters it develops. While you do care for Sam, the emphasis is on psychology and asking deep, powerful questions.
     -Adrenaline: 6/10. I wouldn't say Moon is a thriller of any kind, but it had enough interesting concepts and plot twists to keep you thoroughly engaged. The relationship between Sam, GERTIE, and Lunar Industries created a lot of tension as well (no spoilers here!).

     -Intelligence: 10/10. I love movies that make me think and I love a good sci-fi mind bender, and this satisfied both my loves. It starts out with an interesting concept and the story gets weirder and more mind-bending the more it unravels. It makes you think and leaves you with a lot of questions, which is exactly what a good science fiction film should do.

     -Humor: 0/10. None, really. This didn't add or take away from the movie, it just wasn't there.   

     -Final Score: Moon is my favorite kind of movie---the kind that makes me think. You've probably never heard of it until reading this review, but if you can get your hands on a copy, I highly recommend it, especially if you love mind-bending sci-fi.

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