Seen on: August 17, 2008

The players: Director: Ben Stassen, Writer: Domonic Paris, Cast (Voices): Christopher Lloyd, Robert Patrick, Nicollette Sheridan, Tim Curry

Facts of interest: First ever animated movie created exclusively for 3-D.

The plot: Three flies sneak onto Apollo 11 to accompany the astronauts to the moon.

Our quick thoughts: When you promote a film as the first ever animated movie created for 3-D, you should at least assume people will go to the theater with high expectations. Well, if you’re still planning to see Ben Stassen’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” don’t get too excited quite yet.

Sure, the 3-D animation in the movie is gorgeous beyond doubt, but that’s about it already. The greatest thing “Moon” suffers from is its incredibly slow plot, which drags on for 84 minutes and consistently fails to lift off.  

There’s absolutely no energy to be found in Domonic Paris’s script, which tells the tale of three courageous flies who sneak on board the Apollo 11 flight to the moon. The idea itself has potential, but Paris’ lackluster writing consistently fails to produce anything remotely interesting.

For instance, instead of embarking on a vibrant adventure where they encounter perilous obstacles, the only “tricky” problem our three little protagonists encounter is a short circuit inside the cockpit of the space shuttle. And where’s the suspense in that?

Additionally, there’s also a jealous Russian fly who despises Americans and tries everything in his power to sabotage the astronauts’ return to Earth. Silly subplots like this one are neither spectacular nor necessary. In fact, they only make matters worse.

Fortunately, the quality of the animation was awesome enough to prevent me from falling asleep after the first 10 minutes. Also, despite the uncomfortable glasses, I have to admit I left the theater without a headache, which is always a good sign. Too bad it was the only one. 

Freaky quote: “I'm on the moon!" – Trevor Gagnon

The final word: Boring characters, boring dialogue and an overall boring main story line make this trip to the moon a forgettable one. Fantastic visuals are indeed crucial in a 3-D animated movie like this one, but they clearly can’t make up for an empty plot that’s as bland as a piece of toast.         

Article by Franck Tabouring