Hwang Sun-woo (Doh Kyung-soo), an astronaut, remains the sole survivor aboard a spaceship that malfunctioned, stranding him in the middle of outer space. To bring him back safely, the space center enlists the help of former space center director Kim Jae-guk (Sol Kyung-gu), whose last mission failed.
Writer-director Kim Yong-hwa's screenplay wastes time with boring subplots that slow the narrative momentum. There's already enough conflict surrounding Sun-woo's fight to survive in outer space and bring the spaceship back safely that everything else seems like unnecessary filler. Does the movie really need a thin subplot about Kim Jae-guk and his ex-wife Moon (Kim Yong-hwa), who just happens to work at NASA? Kim Yong-hwa also does a mediocre job when it comes to exposition during the first act, providing the backstory on the first failed mission and introducing the characters.
Director: Yong-hwa Kim
Writer: Yong-hwa Kim
Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Kyung-soo Do, Kim Hee-ae
However, the systemic flaw is that the narrative switches perspectives between Hwang Sun-woo and the space center too often. If she stuck to Hwang's perspective, she would have been more intense, focused, lean, and suspenseful. That being said, the scenes inside the spaceship are among the most exciting, but there aren't enough thrills. Plus, the third act feels mawkish and heavy-handed without deserving of its elevation. It's hard to believe that after the ordeal Hwang went through, he behaves like he wasn't affected by it at all, which is unrealistic and dehumanizing.
The performances are decent at best, but the script doesn't provide enough of a window into the heart, mind, and soul of the characters that would have given the actors more material. However, the visual effects are the highlights of the film, with some exciting scenes in outer space providing some spectacle. The runtime of 2 hours and 9 minutes feels too long by at least 30 minutes. If you imagine Gravity as an unfocused, tonally irregular, cheesy, and overloaded sci-fi thriller, you'll get an idea of what it's like to watch The Moon.
Watch The Moon 2023 Movie Trailer
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