Over The Moon premiered on 23rd October 2020 on Netflix. This retelling of the classical Chinese myth is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker and animator Glen Keane and produced by Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou. The voice cast includes Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Robert G. Chiu, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Margaret Cho, Kimiko Glenn, Artt Butler, and Sandra Oh. To its credit, Over The Moon is Netflix’s first in-house animated feature film, that too in the grand Disney style.
The Moon Goddess
Over The Moon revolves around the life of Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) who lives with her mom (Ruthie Ann Miles) and dad (John Cho). During her childhood days, Fei Fei’s mom always told her the fable of the mythical moon goddess Chang’e (Phillipa Soo) who lost his beloved Hou Yi and eternally longs for his presence.
Fascinated by the fable, Fei Fei starts believing in the whole idea of the moon goddess. However, life takes a turn when Fei Fei loses her mom and after 4 years of the heartbreaking incident, she is introduced to Mrs. Zhong (Sandra Oh), her son Chin (Robert G. Chiu), and his pet frog. Mrs. Zhong is his father’s girlfriend and like any other child, Fei Fei finds no peace in this decision.
The story takes a turn from childhood feelings and turmoil to an adventure when Fei Fei is laughed upon for believing in the fable at her age and she decides to travel to the moon and gather evidence. The little kid also aims at getting answers to why his dad should not remarry and how true love is forever and irreplaceable like the one her mom and dad had. With some online purchases, Fei Fei finally gets all the materials, builds a rocket and reaches the moon after a bit of offroading! (12 years old are travelling to the moon, no lies!)
What follows is Fei Fei’s quest to help two long-lost lovers find each other and getting a photograph as proof! With an adorable rabbit, gummy dog, frog, and Lil’ brother Chin, the journey is heart-warming and action-packed.
Over The Moon is an adorable movie overall and will not fail to give you the grand Disney feeling. With a beautiful Goddess costume, small and adorable characters, and grandeur in its veins, the movie is a good watch. The characters are relatable, you understand Fei Fei’s dilemma, you see dad aka Ba Ba’s loneliness and want for companionship, you feel the warmth of a connected family as soon as the movie starts, and the character of Chin (Robert G Chiu), Fie Fie’s soon-to-be brother, is literally like every younger sibling ever!
Though grand and picturesque, the film roots itself in contemporary times and doesn’t drift away from reality completely. Comparing the film to conventional Disney Pixar Animation work, it fairs well and proves to be a movie you might even watch again as a light-hearted flick with a heartwarming story embedded. The film is not perfect and leaves a few loose ends but the overall charms don’t let the viewers succumb to the flaws of the film.
One thought that crossed my mind while watching the movie is what if all this is Fei Fei’s imagination as a grief-stricken child in turmoil? The idea of such a scenario would change the overall theme of the film but it could be something, right? Furthermore, you’ll catch the elements of science, magic, curiosity, adulthood, loss, grief, love and relationships and childhood in the film, making it a coming-of-age drama!
Stream It or Skip It
STREAM IT! Over The Moon is a feel-good movie and to Netflix’s hard work the outcome of their first-attempt is adorable and somewhat engaging too. The film is vibrant, heartwarming, and impressive with musical numbers you would want to remember!
Over The Moon is now streaming on Netflix.
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