JASON EVANS' 100-WORD REVIEWS: Moonfall

  Expensive effects, but a worthless script

Film Critic Jason Evans is on a mission to tell you everything you need to know about movies in less time than it takes to spot the moon in the night sky. His reviews are exactly 100 words (not 99, not 101). This is his 100 word review of Moonfall.



The Premise – The master of disaster, Roland Emmerich -- the writer/director behind Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, Godzilla (1998), and many other films where the world is in peril – raised $140 million from independent investors to make this film. The story centers around astronaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson from Watchmen and the Conjuring films), who resigned from NASA in disgrace because he claimed aliens had sabotaged his space shuttle mission. Even his partner on the mission, Jo Fowler (Halle Berry) doesn’t believe his story. Many years later, Harper runs into conspiracy theorist KC Houseman (John Bradley from Game of Thrones) who thinks the moon is actually a giant alien space station. When the moon moves out of orbit and gets on a collision course with Earth, Harper, Houseman, and Fowler have to blast off in a last ditch effort to save the planet. Meanwhile, their families must to find a way to survive as the Earth begins to be ripped apart by the huge gravitational pull of the rapidly approaching moon.

The 100 Words – There is so much going on here, Emmerich probably needed another hour or two for it to make sense. We race from one disaster to the next without any time to care about the characters or process what’s happening. It looks impressive, especially the space action, but we never develop an emotional connection to any of the characters. I think the actors knew they were making a film where the effects are all that matters. Emmerich always tries to top what he did in previous films. I’d rather he destroyed a little less and build a more cohesive story instead.    

Reach out to Jason Evans on Twitter @JasonDukeEvans

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