REVIEW: Moonfall is a Spiraling Mess with No Trajectory

There are not many things we as humans worry about when it comes to space. Especially not things like the moon falling out of its orbit and possibly destroying Earth. However, Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall brings to life this very idea, and not in the best way. Moonfall opens in 2011, with a simple NASA mission repair being conducted by astronauts, Jocinda Fowl (Halle Berry) and Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson). What should have been a routine trip becomes anything but when the team faces something they have never seen before, an unknown being attacking their ship and turning their mission into a disaster. Harper’s claims of being attacked by an unknown being are met with distrust from NASA and he is fired. Blast forward ten years and we find Fowl as the Assistant Director to NASA and Harper giving speeches to children’s groups at the Griffith Observatory. When megastructuralist, KC Houseman (John Bradley) discovers the moon has left its orbit and it headed towards earth, Fowl and Harper’s worlds are rocked. Now the duo must put their differences aside to not only protect their families, but to protect Earth as well.

It is safe to say that Emmerich was heavily influenced by his previous works, such as Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, when creating Moonfall. However, that’s where the appeal ends. The story is a spiraling mess with no trajectory in sight. Emmerich piles so many science fiction elements and tropes into this two-hour film that by the end of it, Moonfall can no longer distinguish between what is up and what is down.

The writing for these characters isn’t exactly spectacular either. There are many moments throughout the film where the characters go from having a conversation about the world ending to being mad at one another then immediately back to the matter at hand. The constant back and forth is enough to give anyone whiplash and does a major disservice to the actors. Not a single character is fleshed out and the relationships the audience are supposed to feel something for are severely underdeveloped. So much so that when something emotional occurs, you just shrug your shoulder’s and say “Oh well”. There were also a number of characters, and scenes, that could of been left out and not have affected the story at all.

Berry, Wilson, and Bradley are the three leads of the film and all do what they can with the material given. Bradley really leans into the conspiracy theorist with something to prove while Wilson and Berry may not have the chemistry needed to truly believe their characters work partnership, but its enough to power through this movie.

Moonfall asks the question of what would happen if the Moon was more than it seemed? The issue though is that audiences will spend more timing pondering what in the world they are watching then even be able to consider the possibility that the Moon is even more dangerous than it looks.

Grade: C