It’s a wonderful night for a Moonshot….rom-coms come in all shapes and sizes, but there’s a very small file of sci-fi space-exploration rom-coms, and that’s somehow what Chris Winterbauer’s film is. Written by Max Taxe, Moonshot debuts on HBOMax in the US, and Sky in the UK with minimal cinematic fanfare, but don’t let the straight-to-streaming tag dissuade you; this is a neat little movie garlanded with some top musical choices and winning performances from a young cast, it’s an unexpected diversion for family audiences.
Riverdale’s Cole Sprouse plays Walter Scott, a humble barista who harbours dreams of going to Mars. This is 2049, and sending college students to the red planet is very much possible; it’s just far too expensive for Scott’s humble budget. Meeting potential romantic partner Ginny (Emily Rudd) provides Scott with the extra motivation he needs, but how to pay for the trip? When well-heeled Sophie Tsukino (Lana Condor) comes into his robot-run coffee-shop, Scott sees an opportunity to stow away on a shuttle with her, although they both hope for their own romantic partners when they arrive on Mars, so the arrangement is determined to be non-romantic. But love has a way of coming when you least expect it, and Scott and Sophie end up bonding in ways that are assuredly not part of the plan…
‘You ARE my adventure’ is the killer line in Moonshot, a fun space-romp that offers plenty of talking points. It’s amusing to name your protagonist Walter Scott; a cat called Ripley offers a different kind of call-back. And Buckminster Fuller would dig the sentiment “You’ve been on a spaceship all your life’ ; this is a story of two young people who discover that all they need is right here on Spaceship Earth. This is a well-written family film, almost like a live-action Pixar movie; and there’s a cluster of funny performances to savour; Zack Braff as an Elon Musk-style entrepreneur, Michelle Buteau as the ship’s savvy captain, and even veteran Peter Woodward as a bossy-ass service robot.
There’s plenty of clever lines; references to ‘complimentary gravity’ or a ‘mild case of space madness’ hit the spot, as does Sophie’s plan to save the Earth by creating ‘plants that eat garbage’. The leads are likable, the production is slick, and there’s lashings of fresh pop music on the soundtrack, from Donna Blue’s soulful Get Away to propulsive pop banger Better Days (by NEIKED, Mae Muller & Polo G), something of a stone-cold belter in an Ava Max vein, supplied below. In short, Moonshot is a blast, a bolt of cheerful, upbeat cinema for teens of all ages. Let’s blast off!
Thanks to Warner Bros for access. Available on Digital Download in the UK from 25th April
Looks a promising little film. Engaging premise which is often a must for a rom-com. hope the soundtrack is more than Bowie.
Might as well be my life’s motto…..
…is the correct answer.
Ok, coming from you that means a lot. It’s on the list
Never pass up a better-than-average rom-com!
Intriguing, and definetly a small sub genre. Last space romance I can think of is that Jennifer Lawrence/Chris Pratt film. The name is escaping me – I quite liked that, though this seems an entirely different film in tone.
Passengers. This is miles better than that, much more wit in the script! Maybe the target audience are kids and family, but decent rom com action is not to be sniffed at! Even in space!
Yes, Passengers! A rom com is a rom com no matter the planet!
Passaengers was OK, but I have to say, this is superior stuff!
I thought Passengers missed the spot by failing to deal with the issue that in selfishly waking Lawrence up Pratt gave her an early death.
True. They did just sort of punt on that point.
….stowing away on a shuttle means that this cute romantic romp ends with our hero and heroine holding hands tenderly as they are shoved out the airlock for consuming needed resources, right?
You’ve seen it! Yes, they get made into Soylent green. A cautionary tale.
The Cold Equations cannot be denied.
Plants that eat garbage. Now what could possible go wrong with that idea? Nothing. Absolutely nothing!
Sounds like a foolproof idea to me! Make it happen!
Captains Log *
stardate 1.23.456.789 *
Today I have decided to invent a trash eating plant that will save the earth. I will leave the details in the hands of my capable Red Shirt….
Tell me why it wouldn’t work! Unless the plant didn’t stop at trash…
Mr Red Shirt, stop shirking your responsibilities! It is YOUR responsibility to get this whole thing taken care of. Star Captains can’t be bothered with fiddly detail bits….
Ok, so climb into this bin and we’ll find out if the plants will eat you or not.
I have two carniverous plants. Just sayin’.
Do they eat rubbish?
Flies mostly. They like warm blooded things.
Is the correct answer.
That kind of work belongs strictly to Red Shirts. Great plan though! I’ll avidly watch the results…..
Great. I’ll just need the three digits in the back of your card and an open screenshot of your passport.
Since when do you need that to toss Alex into a bin of flesh eating plants?
Business is business. Just send me the cash, right?
Is Max Taxe the name you’re writing under now? Is this for tax purposes? You can always be paid in bitcoin.
Trailer looks sweet, but prolly not my thing.
Also: too expensive
Thanks for the fix. I’d be happy to have written this, neat, smart family unit.
Cash for crypto, that’s how I live.