It's hard to get excited about the movie "Above and Beyond the Moon" which is not really exciting, but what saves it from failure is its big heart and small moments
It's hard to make complaints but also hard to get excited.
"Above and Beyond the Moon"
Photography:
Netflix
The animated film "Above and Beyond the Moon" is Netflix's attempt to beat Disney in its game.
While the result is kind and full of good intentions, Disney can be calm in the meantime.
In this sector, they still lead by a huge margin over the competition.
"Above and Beyond the Moon" was directed by veteran and esteemed animator Glenn Keane, who worked on classic Disney films such as "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast" (which won an Oscar for "Dear Basketball", the beautiful short film he made with the late basketball star Kobe Bryant ).
Alongside him can also be found John Kars, who has been employed by Disney and Pixar for many years (and who has contributed his talent to films such as "Breaking the Ice", "Rattoy", "Ralph the Horse" and more).
However, despite the promising crew, "Above and Beyond the Moon" does not rise to extraordinary heights.
He is not sweeping, his unbelievable songs do not get stuck in his head, and in general, although it is difficult to come to him with complaints, it is also quite difficult to get excited about him.
At the center of the plot, based on an ancient Chinese legend, stands a young and orphaned girl from a mother named Pei Pei, who is upset that her beloved father is planning to remarry.
To prevent this from happening, Pei Fei decides to build a spaceship, fly to the moon and find Chang-ah - the heartbroken moon goddess her late mother told her about.
Things definitely get more interesting as soon as Faye reaches the moon.
Chang-ae turns out to be a life-great dance-pop diva, and do-it-yourselfers include lions with wings (who seem to have escaped Emmy Rubinger's number) and roosters on motorcycles.
The animation also escalates and becomes a happy mix of styles and colors.
But at the same time, the story gets stuck in neutral, and everything starts to look like an excuse to break into the song.
What ultimately saves "Above and Beyond the Moon" from failure and justifies watching it is his big heart.
The film was written by screenwriter Audrey Wells, shortly before she died of cancer, and is actually intended for her youngest daughter.
Therefore, while not all the "big moments" and the hustle and bustle in the film work as they are supposed to work, it is precisely the smaller and quieter moments that manage to strike a chord with the heart.
Young children (and their parents) may well be excited.
"Above and Beyond the Moon", USA / China 2020, Netflix
Score: 6
