Over the Moon
Rating – 3/4
*SPOILERS*
During my endless search to watch movies, I usually stumble upon ones I had never even heard about, usually from internet surfing. And from there, I came across the subject of this review, Over the Moon. It’s animated, a musical, and tells the story of a young girl who dreams of traveling to the moon (I mean, that’s the title right?). Nothing new, a few clichés, and a pretty simple story. But you know what? I was pleasantly surprised.
Over the Moon follows Fei Fei (Cathy Ang), a young girl in China who’s told the legend of Chang’e, an ancient goddess who became immortal and ascended to the moon, leaving her lover, Houyi, behind, and where she waits for him to join her. But it’s just a legend, right?
Still dealing with her mother’s death and not ready to accept the fact that her father is moving on with another woman, Fei Fei decides to build a rocket that will take her to the moon and prove that Chang’e is real and show that true love lasts forever. Joining Fei Fei is her future stepbrother, Chin, and her pet rabbit, Bungee. And so, we have liftoff!
But Houston, we have a problem! In the land of Lunaria, Fei Fei meets Chang’e (Phillipa Soo), who demands she be brought a gift to bring Houyi back. And now, it’s a race to find that gift before anyone else. Along the way, Fei Fei is joined by Gobi (Ken Jeong), an anteater who was banished from Lunaria. It’s a story full of fantasy and fun as they explore the moon.
But besides the bright colors and fantasy, it’s also a story of grief and family. Fei Fei misses her mother and cannot accept her new family, literally using the moon as her escape. Chang’e misses her lover and waits for him to return, even after years and years have gone by, to the point of obsession. But the two later realize that they need to move on. There’s a funny, albeit cheesy, song number called “Wonderful” sung by Gobi, about how there’s always a chance to make something new, even if the pain hurts.
And that’s the message right there. It’s okay to hurt, but it’s okay to move on as well and there’s a new world out there ready to be explored.
Watching the movie, nothing stood out to me as new or original, but the presentation makes it work. Through brilliant colors and well-written songs, as well as sympathetic protagonists, the world comes to life, as well as the themes. I found myself being able to look past the clichés and just enjoy the story for what it was. It’s not new, but completely relatable to someone who has experienced loss and heartache.
Spoiler alert: all of us have and will.
Over the Moon is one of those movies that has unfortunately flown under the radar, despite the acclaim. It also didn’t help that it came out in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, making it obviously not the top priority at the time. But if you want a story that’s full of bright colors, catchy songs, mature themes, and not by Disney, I think you’ll have a good time. It may not be original or groundbreaking, but it’s still entertaining and pleasantly heartwarming.
