The Moon (2023 | Korea | 129 minutes | Yong-hwa Kim)
In the near future, the space race has ramped up once again with the next country to plant their flag on the moon’s dusty face gaining rights to the resources that hide below. Korea had sent a small craft with a trio of astronauts with devastating consequences as the lunar lander explodes as it decouples from the rocket. Jump forward five years and Korea’s space program is under pressure to succeed, and soon, as the International Space program has dropped them from their ranks. Another threesome of specialists are on their way to the lunar surface when a solar flare knocks out communications. As the two seasoned space men are out fixing the damage, a catastrophic explosion sends one out into oblivion and punctures the others’ suit leaving the rookie Hwang Seon-woo (Kyung-soo Do) to fend for himself in an increasingly dangerous mission. Despite protests from literally everyone back home, the newly dubbed space pilot decides to complete his goal and bring back a piece of the moon and national pride.
The disgraced director of the previous lunar mission, Kim Jae-guk (Sol Kyung-gu), has been called in as backup now that things are literally flying out of control. While there are quick glimpses of success they are immediately eclipsed by intensified danger. Tensions are high with political pressures, a haunted past coming into sharp focus and increasingly magnified calamities befalling the young man; will they really be able to bring him home or will the Korean space program finally come to a bitter and heartbreaking end?
This film is start-studded starting with K-pop star Kyung-soo Do (or D.O.) of Exo fame in the hot seat as the rookie astronaut. But don’t let the musical star-power fool you, he was a bright light in this hectic and dark film. He had a charisma he couldn’t hide, even as a brooding and scared young buck on his first mission. Co-star Sol Kyung-gu, playing the shamed administrator looking for redemption, has a long history of cinema under his belt and it shows. With a part that could have been jokingly ridiculous with pensive looks and frustrated desperation, Kyung-gu brought a cool calm to the otherwise insane story that kept hitting us with disaster after disaster. Some other familiar faces gracing the screen included the mostly infuriated but sometimes ridiculous Minister of Science played by Jo Han-chul (Hometown Cha Cha Cha and Healer) as well as the adorable and oft-portrayed goofball Yi-Kyeong Lee with a woefully brief screen time playing Cho Yoon-jong, one of the ill-fated astronauts with an expectant wife back on Earth.
While I admit there was one moment that I laughed out loud at how utterly ridiculous the scenarios had become over the two hour rollercoaster ride. Even for a heart-racing sci-fi thriller packed with good acting, it could do with a bit of editing to keep viewers locked in. Then again, there are more than a few completely incomprehensible space films out there that became wildly popular, so if Armageddon can be a smash hit, then most certainly The Moon deserves at least as much.
The Moon is currently in limited release this week at AMC Alderwood Mall and Cinemark Century Federal Way.
This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. More information about the strikes can be found on the SAG-AFTRA Strike hubs. Donations to support striking workers can be made at the Entertainment Community Fund.