Interesting premise, fantastic performance, strong build-up.... all brought down by a very poor, straightforward third act. The film presents itself as so much more clever than it really is. You think you're gonna get mindfucked, and then you realize that Duncan Jones failed to come up with an interesting place to take it, and what happens at the end is exactly what you could have predicted halfway through the movie (and if you see it, you'll understand why I was hoping for a more shocking finale). So disappointing, because with a satisfying third act, this would have been fantastic. Rockwell really is a terrific actor, though.

B-

Space Oddity Jr. chimes in with the winning bell!

Moon is a clarion call back to the old school heart of hard sci-fi - - I mean hard. Unlike, say that flaccid remake of Solaris or that original but misguided The Fountain - - this is a movie unafraid of humor as a leavening yeast to start the percolating wild fermentation of tragedy and adventure.

Sam Rockwell is clearly the man!

Moon is a brilliant story idea that blooms into a magnificent movie under the skilful hand of writer/director Duncan Jones. This is a surprisingly well told extraterrestrial tale with a modest budget - - quite the feat, quite the accomplishment - - it's a great film.

If you've got the brains to let your emotions carry you through your Moon experience, you'll be certain to enjoy being shot out of the rail gun as much as the next guy!


out of





{I am so lucky! That's two great movies in a row!!! First the extraordinary Whatever Works and now Moon - - I loved them both! Am I a grateful filmgoer? Yes.}

Seeing this soon!!!

Great and honestly pretty haunting. It's a chilling tale of isolationism that really takes some unexpected twists and turns, and ends up being quite entertaining in the process. Director Duncan Jones really makes the most of his small budget and the film is well-structured, visually refined and has a clear message. Sam Rockwell delivers a tour-de-force performance and really allows the audience to sympathize with his character, while Kevin Spacey does excellent vocal work as the robotic companion Gerty. The musical score by Clint Mansell adds to the tension - it's really phenomenal and allows the film to leave an even greater impression. Definitely one of the best of the year so far. A-

This was thrilling.

Built up perfect suspense, terrific acting, unexpected storyline.

It is really a magnificent film. May be the best film of the year.

This is getting fantastic reviews in the UK.

Total Film gave it 5/5 and said there was an underground scene i think, that will blow your mind.

I look forward to seeing it.

Seeing this tomorrow. Cool.

Eh, it was good, but I guess the biggest problem is what billybobwashere said: it builds up to nothing. It's cool that it didn't follow what one would expect in a typical sci-fi film, like one of the clones being bad, or maybe even Gerty being bad.

But nothing. It starts out kinda creepy (the score helped throughout, of course), built up to the revelation of the clones angle, continued to the completely obvious stuff about Eve already being grown-up and reunited with her father, and ended rather simply, with Sam getting away. It's like nothing went "wrong." No tension whatsoever.

It really did seem like the director had a great idea and just couldn't figure out an ending, so he made it as standard as possible.

Sam Rockwell ftw, though. He's awesome in it.

I understand what you're saying as your POV - - but in my own experience of the film, that was the one ending I never expected!

Indeed. How often does a movie throw in a huge twist ending? EVERY time.

I was easily expecting Gerty to be somewhat evil.

Wasn't sure about the beginning and I thought the ending was a bit weak.

But man, that middle section, well done Duncan Jones.

This really is a marvelous film, from top to bottom.

First of all hats must be taken off to Sam Rockwell. His portrayal is dead on and he does something rather remarkable in modern cinema: he provides an excellent emotional range without even slightly compromising his character. Honestly, Rockwell gives without a doubt the best performance of an actor(ress) I have seen this year. He truly deserves an oscar nod for his superb performance.

After that we must also notice Duncan Jones who provides a shockingly brilliant stage for Rockwell. Everything from the cinematography to the editing to the score is excellent in this film, and Jones ties it all together like a pro. I'm shocked that he's only ever done 1 picture before this, because it certainly didn't appear like the work of an ameture. Jones also does a remarkable job of making this film shockingly realistic and visually striking while maintaining an exclusively "indie" feel. It's brilliant.

The screenplay is also very sound. I really enjoy the ending and the fact that everything pans out the way you thought it would, I agree with Munk's comment that twists are way to prominent in modern film. The dialogue was just as it needed to be all throughout: entirely human, which worked as a marvelous contrast the alienated feel of the film.

The first film of 09 to really excite me well beyond expectations, and maybe the best one I've seen as well (definitely the best domestic release, can't decide if 12 is better.)

I hope Mike Myers isn't too angry. He's been trying to get his own Keith Moon bio-pic off the ground for years.

Sam Rockwell gives one of the best performances of the year so far in the betrayal of Sam Bell. The film is a wonderful turn for the sci-fi genre and doesn't rely on huge explosions or a disaster story to keep it going. It is just a strong and original idea brought wonderfully to life. Director Duncan Jones has shown that he can take a strong script and make it wonderful and hopefully we see more of him in the future. A true pleasure. B+

8/10 -> B

Well crafted movie. It's stunning visually. But the story falls apart at the end kinda. Not that it's bad, it just doesn't offer anything new. I was expecting some kind of a good reason why you can guess it all halfway through. But alas, no such luck. Still it's well done all around.

B+



I think the biggest problem I personally had with Moon was the fact that the big twist has been spoiled to me beforehand taking away the impact it probably would have had otherwise. Still, the film is an intriguing and smart sci-fi of the sort that we don't see often nowadays anymore. However, all story aspects aside, the movie stands and falls with its leading actor. Considering it's pretty much one person the entire film, we always knew that the film would depend on him first and foremost. I was glad to find out that Sam Rockwell has pulled it off superbly. It's actually a shame that his terrific turn was not considered during the awards season. He manages to play himself twice in this film, but both Sam's are somewhat different in character and attitude and Rockwell seems to be jumping from one to the other with ease. It is the performance of a lifetime for Rockwell.

Moon's plot isn't terribly unique, but I liked the way it unfolded. If you look at it with some distance - there isn't actually much happening during the whole running time of the film. Yet, Duncan Jones and Sam Rockwell managed to keep me interested and invested in the story al the way through. Some things I found to be slightly illogical and unrealistic (like the second Sam's fast acceptance of the fact that he's a clone), but those aren't big complaints anyway. I did like the minimalistic, yet effective visual style. The moon landscape scenes were very impressively done, especially if you consider the likely small budget. All in all it's an interesting and smart flick, but nothing that I'd probably consider a classic in a few years to come. I know there's little to be pointed out as a flaw here (not much of a surprise considering how low-key and small-scale this is), but unlike most people at my screening I simply didn't find it that captivating. It is technically very well-made, though.

The only thing worse than one Sam Rockwell is two Sam Rockwells.

How about three Sam Rockwells?

I'll raise you three Sam Rockwells and a pair of Zooey Deschanels.

FUCK YOU THREE!