'Moonfall' Is Ridiculous But Fun | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Featured

'Moonfall' Is Ridiculous But Fun

Here's the latest disaster movie from director and writer Roland Emmerich

1546
​Left to right: John Bradley (as KC Houseman), Patrick Wilson (as Brian Harper) and Halle Berry (as Jocinda Fowler) sit in a cockpit during a scene from sci-fi epic "Moonfall."
Photo credit: Reiner Bajo, Lionsgate

"Moonfall" is the latest disaster movie from writer and director Roland Emmerich, whose most popular movies include "Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow" and "2012."

That should tell the public all it needs to know. If viewers go into this movie expecting a trash disaster film, they'll be entertained by a sci-fi movie that's confident in what it's doing while meeting those expectations --- and a surprise twist.

Moonfall (2022 Movie) Official Trailer – Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradleywww.youtube.com

A mysterious mechanical force pushes the moon out of orbit and knocks the celestial object closer toward Earth. With about three weeks until extinction, a NASA executive named Jo Fowler (Halle Berry), a disgraced astronaut named Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) and a conspiracy theorist named K.C. Houseman (John Bradley) try to accomplish the impossible and save the planet. Charlie Plummer, Kelly Reilly, Michael Peña, Eme Ikwuakor and Donald Sutherland also star in this film.

At one point in "Moonfall," K.C. chastises a couple of aerospace engineers who calculated the moon's mass incorrectly. He even says "all your rules don't apply anymore." And that accurately sums up the entire adventure.

Gravitational laws, cheesy dialogue deliveries and dumb character choices are questionable, making this yet another silly and over-the-top disaster movie. If movie-goers can survive a sleeper first half, the second half rewards them with more action-packed scenes. However, time would be better spent if the focus shifted on the main trio instead of their families on the ground. Hey, the disaster scenes have to come from somewhere, right? But for this plot, it didn't feel necessary.

It would be interesting to see someone take this movie's concept and present it as a cerebral sci-fi thriller like "Arrival."

Flaws aside, there are some hidden gems in the chaos that make this one of Emmerich's best films in the last 10 years. He explores an intriguing theory about the moon and takes it to a whole other level when a plot twist happens. And the visual effects are awe-inspiring as viewers learn more about the moon's secrets.

On one final note, this movie gives Bradley a chance to shine. The actor, mostly known for playing Samwell Tarly in "Game of Thrones," shows a wide range in talent as a loveable space nerd. Viewers can't help but feel as excited as he is to be on this journey.

For those who love Emmerich's early 2000's movies, "Moonfall" satisfies that craving for a bygone generation of fun calamity blockbusters.

Score: 7/10

See "Moonfall" in theaters starting Friday, February 5, 2022. Follow the reporter Samantha Incorvaia at @s_incorvaia.

Report this Content
girl with santa hat
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

'Tis the season to be jolly folks, and if you're anything like me, then at the stroke of midnight on Halloween your home went from wicked to winter

Keep Reading...Show less
mistake
Project Eve

Mistakes are something we all make, no matter how old we get. Most of the time, the mistakes we made are little and sometimes due to something out of our control. Yet, there are mistakes that are bigger than others. Personally, I have mistakes that I wish I could go back and undo. Here they are:

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

11753
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why Sisters Are The Best

Who could be a better friend than your own sister?

7116
sisters
Taylor Hooper

I can barely remember back when I was the only child. Most would say it’s because it is extremely difficult to remember things as a toddler but I would say it's because I was bored until my sister came along. My mother always says how important the "sister bond" is and with every year that passes I realize how right she is. Instead of writing a novel about all of the wonderful things there are about having a sister I decided to list a few of them instead.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Adult

You're gonna make it after all.

7097
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments