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| ▲ A scene from the space survival film "The Moon" is seen in this photo provided by its distributor, CJ ENM. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ A promotional poster for the sci-fi film "The Moon" is seen in this photo provided by its distributor, CJ ENM. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(Movie Review) The Moon
(Movie Review) 'The Moon': a visual feast with a lackluster story
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- "The Moon" is a visually stunning space survival movie, but its story is highly predictable and often overly dramatic, giving the feeling of an old movie despite its impressive visual effects.
Director Kim Yong-hwa's latest sci-fi film takes viewers to the vast universe through an astronaut's struggle to survive and return home after being left in space during an ill-fated lunar exploration mission.
Given the success of Hollywood blockbusters like "Gravity" (2013) and "The Martian" (2015), which have explored the space survival theme with compelling stories, what really matters is not whether the isolated astronaut returns home but how.
Kim, behind the hit fantasy sci-fi film series "Along with the Gods" (2017-2018), adds personal narratives of main characters to tell a heartwarming human story surrounding the space exploration.
However, too many cliches and repeated dramatic moments fail to hit the right balance between its amazing visual effects (VFX) and corny storytelling.
Set in 2029, the story follows South Korea's second manned lunar exploration mission after a failed one five years earlier, which once again faces disaster as strong solar wind causes a spaceflight to malfunction and take the lives of two crewmembers.
Now, Hwang Seon-woo (Do Kyung-soo), a former UDT (underwater demolition team) member, faces a dire situation in space where his oxygen could run out or he could freeze to death. To be saved by another spacecraft, he has to arrive on the other side of the moon at the right angle with limited resources.
Behind the rescue effort is Kim Jae-kook (Seol Kyung-gu), who left South Korea's Naro Space Center after the failed first lunar project.
Kim tries to save him out of a sense of guilt and obligation and seeks help from Han Mun-young (Kim Hee-ae), the director general of a NASA space station and his former wife.
Hwang, who volunteered for the project to fulfill his father's failed mission, discovers that Kim is his father's former colleague and expresses hostility toward him at first, but he follows Kim's order.
The astronaut overcomes several obstacles to set foot on the moon, but once again, he faces danger and needs help from NASA to return home.
Lead actor Do, mostly performing alone in a heavy spacesuit, wholeheartedly commits to every line and moment, portraying complicated emotions, including fear, despair, anger and loneliness.
Veteran actors Seol and Kim flawlessly portray desperate moments, but their lines packed with science terms are often hard to catch without subtitles due to radio signals and surrounding sounds.
Despite the tidy plot, the movie realistically portrays what it would be like to be on the moon and accurately depicts scientific aspects, as verified by experts from the Korea Space Aerospace Science, which successfully launched the homegrown space rocket Nuri and put satellites into orbit in May, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.
A real-life-looking space ship and space suits, modeled after NASA's human spaceflight program, as well as layered lighting provide viewers an immersive cinematic experience when seen on the big screen.
The film may not be groundbreaking in terms of its visuals and story, but the space flick, with an estimated budget of 28 billion won (US$21.8 million), far below its Hollywood counterparts, showcases the latest VFX technology of the Korean film industry and its efficiency in the genre.
"The Moon" will hit local theaters next Wednesday.
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