WE LANDED ON THE MOON!

For anyone wondering that is a ‘Dumb & Dumber’ quote.  Sheesh!

I was finally able to watch ‘Moon‘, staring Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey (as a robot).  Between those two and a literal handful of other actors, the cast was tiny, much like Pandorum.  That seems to be the thing in good sci-fi these days.  And holy cow was this good sci-fi.  I’ve lauded many other genre sharing movies in the past, Children of Men, Eden Log, District 9, Sunshine and the previously mentioned Pandorum, but this was great.  This acting, the directing, the camera work, the special effects, the story, O.M.G. the story!  Yet of course, this was a small independent movie, just as are ALL the good sci-fi movies I talk about.  Yes, District 9 WAS small, just had amazing marketing.

Back to Moon.  I categorize this under realistic-future type science fiction.  Seperate from alien, far-out, or other sub-genres.  Thus it now stands on a pedestal next to my favorites, yes, I have several #1 sci-fi movies of all time.  This movie is about a guy working out his three year contract on the sole mining operation on the moon that now provides some 70% of the worlds energy via Hydrogen 3.  He has two weeks left before he returns to his wife and daughter when he begins feeling the effects of the very long and lonely three years.

In this 97 minute film, I was gripped by the cold clutches of suspense and thrill.  Yet it has none of your typical suspenseful and thrilling elements.  When you have only one human character to care for in a film, which was quite easy for me since I’m a husband with a wife and daughter, you tend to care for that character quite deeply.  So as Sam progresses in his journey, you go with him.  I’m not going to say much about this movie, other than this is how movies should be made.

You need to see this movie.

/switch gears

If you’re bothered by the ‘R’ rating, then please try to avoid living outside of Utah, cause you’ll summarily be exposed to worse language than was in this movie, which gave it it’s ‘R’ rating.  And face it, the only reason you avoid ‘R’ rated movies is because you can choose not to subject yourself to such things right?  Well, you can choose to not be subjected to real live people who have ‘R’ rated language and lifestyles by surrounding yourself by non-‘R’ rated people for your entire life, right?

Don’t get me wrong, I understand not wanting to see ‘R’ rated movies.  But a blindness and otherwise “evil” disposition to anything carrying that rating will keep you from seeing some of the most amazing expressions of humanity through film.  I can think of movies such as The Fall, Slumdog Millionaire, Braveheart or Gladiator right off the bat.  All movies that are more pieces of art than entertainment.  Whatever your personal choice might be, if you can’t conceive a such rated film has merit, than you might as well call Michelangelo’s David or Bottecilli’s Birth of Venus pornography (or countless other works of art).

/done