Co-directors Glen Keane (famed artist notable for his stellar work in the Disney animation renaissance of the late 1980s and early 1990s) and John Kahrs bring us Over the Moon, a new animated film loosely based on a classic Chinese myth. Rather than solely focus on sight gags and one liners, Over the Moon gives us a rich understanding of several aspects of Chinese culture and explores the more universal theme of loss and grief. It’s the closest that distributor Netflix has come to approaching the Disney/Pixar territory of lofty, deeply emotional content. For that and for celebrating Chinese culture in such a deeply inclusive way, Over the Moon should be embraced and appreciated as a milestone in Netflix’s animation base.
The film centers on Fei Fei (voiced by Cathy Ang) who experiences a tragic loss as a young girl and focuses her emotional energy on exploring the myth of Chang’e, a moon goddess waiting for the return of her long-dead lover. Fei Fei eventually builds a rocket – please suspend disbelief – that takes her to the moon for a lunar adventure.
The first 30 minutes are its absolute best, hands-down. The script by the late Audrey Wells expertly introduces several intimate aspects of Chinese culture to the audience without feeling like a didactic lesson. It also sensitively approaches the emotional minefield of loss in a way palatable for both children and adults. The back half of the film gives us a visually stunning and imaginative lunar environment even if the story feels too familiar, slightly gimmicky, and much less worthy of its great setup.
In fact, Over the Moon is a film that often feels at war with itself. It introduces us to the Chinese culture in new, inclusive ways – a giant thematic leap forward in animation that will be soon echoed by Disney/Pixar’s upcoming Soul. It explores the depths of loss and grief in interesting and emotional ways. It’s an advancement in the Netflix animation canon for sure, but, at the same time, it feels so desperate to recreate/cling to that Disney animation renaissance era. I think a lot of that comes from the wall-to-wall songs that, to me, suffocate the narrative. The main song, “Rocket to the Moon,” is a strong song, but it feels deeply rooted in the “Part of Your World” or “Let It Go” canon of Disney princess songs. To me, the film is strong enough visually and thematically to have cut several of the musical numbers and let it breathe on its own. It didn’t need them.
But overall, Over the Moon is a good film that will expose children to a depth of Chinese culture. And that is a great thing all on its own.
Over the Moon is now available to stream on Netflix.