When it comes to science-fiction disaster, Roland Emmerich definitely comes to mind. I don’t mean his movies are always total disasters, because some of them have been actually entertaining, but the filmmaker is best known for sci-fi movies that involve global disasters that either involve space aliens or natural phenomena threatening our beloved planet. With Moonfall, Emmerich and his writers attempt to conceive a global disaster that involves the moon and its relationship with the Earth. And while the movie comes across as a massive cinematic spectacle, the stupidity behind the film’s concept totally derails what could’ve been a fun rollercoaster of a ride.
This failure of a story begins in the past when a NASA spaceshuttle mission to repair a satellite goes horrifically wrong. Astornaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) and Jo Fowler (Halle Berry) survive the mission; however, Harper has witnessed that their mission was upended by an unusual foreign force. With no actual proof to the cause of the disaster, NASA can only blame human error on the part of the crew. This conclusion pretty much ends the career of Harper, while Fowler remains as a consultant to NASA for future missions.
Several years later, the orbit of the Moon begins changing its orbit and threatens to collide with the Earth. A mission to investigate the abnormality goes horribly wrong, while Earth’s doom becomes inevitable. After speaking with with conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman (John Bradley), Brian Harper soon realizes that there might actually be some truth to his theories. Harper contacts his former colleague Fowler and the three launch a rogue mission to the moon to prevent the destruction of the planet.
Written and directed by Emmerich, who co-wrote the script with Harald Kloser and Spenser Cohen, Moonfall is a big and bombastic exercise in ridiculousness and stupidity. The fact that this movie entertains the conspiracy theories that the Moon is not what its seems is an absolutely ludicrous place from which to start. The movie has all of the usual action beats one would expect from a Roland Emmerich movie, but by now, these moments have become rather tiresome and rote.
I am not sure why these mostly talented cast members have signed up for this film, but I will say that they do their absolute best, considering how horribly conceived this movie is. The real standout is John Bradley, who actually compells and entertains as Moon conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman. It seems that he has understood the assignment, regardless of how insanely ridiculous the assignment is.
While some of Emmerich’s previous entries demand to be enjoyed on the big screen, Moonfall’s flaws and presentation do not demand even the most basic attention given to it via television. This movie is simply not worth anyone’s time, money, or recognition.