3-D has yet to shake its cheese factor, though, to the credit of director Ben Stassen, an Imax movie pioneer, the new digital process often works with popcorn-dropping effect.
Fly Me To The Moon (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:76
Fresh:13
Rotten:63
Average Rating:3.9/10
Consensus: Flatly animated and indifferently scripted, Fly Me To the Moon offers little for audiences not comprised of very young children.
Australian Rating: G
Genre: Childrens
Australian Theatrical Release:
Sep 25, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $13,592,311
Synopsis:
In this groundbreaking 3-D animated adventure, three young flies set off on a courageous mission to become the first insects on the moon by hitching a ride on the historic Apollo 11 space flight. ...
In this groundbreaking 3-D animated adventure, three young flies set off on a courageous mission to become the first insects on the moon by hitching a ride on the historic Apollo 11 space flight. Based on the actual transcripts and the original blueprints from NASA, the film’s stunning visuals and meticulous attention to detail introduce a whole new generation to the awe-inspiring achievements of the space program’s most momentous mission.
The year is 1969 and like everyone else in the world, Nat (Trevor Gagnon) and his pals IQ (Philip Daniel Bolden) and Scooter (David Gore) are abuzz over the upcoming launch of the first manned mission to the moon. Inspired by his Grandpa’s (Christopher Lloyd) oft-told tale of hiding aboard Amelia Earhart’s plane during her famed solo cross-Atlantic flight, Nat hatches a secret plan for the three young flies to stow away on the Apollo 11 rocket.
Thinking the trip will be over in a matter of minutes, the fly boys—and their earthbound families—are shocked to learn they will be in space for closer to a week. When a N.A.S.A. Ground Control official catches sight of the three winged stowaways, he instructs the astronauts to store them in a test tube for later study. But after an electrical short causes the ship’s engine to malfunction, the three intrepid insects manage to escape from their glass mini-brig just in time to discover the wiring problem and fix it.
After a difficult lunar landing, Nat tags along with Neil Armstrong on his legendary moon walk. Although the flies face a few more close calls, the mission appears to be a success. At least until Grandpa’s old flame Nadia (Nicolette Sheridan) arrives from Russia to warn him that her government, angry over losing the space race, has dispatched fly-spy Yegor (Tim Curry) to Cape Canaveral to sabotage the computer flight plans. With the Apollo hurtling toward Earth, it falls to Nat’s family to save the mission—and the trio of brave flies—from disaster.
--© Summit Entertainment
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Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry, Nicollette Sheridan, Robert Patrick Benedict
Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry, Nicollette Sheridan, Robert Patrick Benedict, Robert Patrick, Kelly Ripa, Adrienne Barbeau, Ed Begley
Director: Ben Stassen
Director: Ben Stassen
Screenwriter: Domonic Paris
Producer: Charlotte Clay Huggins, Caroline Van Iseghem, Gina Gallo, Mimi Maynard
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Reviews for Fly Me To The Moon
And while it may not teach sprogs anything about insects – these ones have human eyes and four limbs – director Ben Stassen has made a fair fist of portraying the Apollo mission with some accuracy.
It's clear that animators can now achieve levels of visual depth that were previously impossible.
These flies drift lethargically from place to place, and the movie bogs down in their lackadaisical pace.
It's a wingless exercise, despite a rather heartening attitude toward space travel that will introduce young auds to the glory that was NASA in the '60s.
Adults used to animation that runs on two tracks -- the upfront stuff for the tykes and a witty subtext to entertain big people -- may grow bored with the kid-leaning sensibility of Fly Me to the Moon.
Few would claim there are no flies on this one, but at least the outstanding 3D effects are some compensation for the dumbed-down inanity of everything else.
No amount of fiddling with funny glasses in the theatre will keep you from noticing a weak storyline.
For the first time in my experience, a 3-D movie felt bigger than my ability to take it all in.
Only the 3D process helps to dispel the impression that what you're seeing lacks wit and is completely generic in terms of characters and 'humor.'
If Fly Me to the Moon were not in 3D, it'd hardly be worth the effort.
This witless 3D animated feature tries its best but never achieves lift-off.
Sure, it's kiddie film, but internal consistency would have been a nice touch
The superior effects in Fly Me to the Moon reflect the talents of its creator, director Ben Stassen, who has been doing 3D for 14 years, mostly for science centers and museums.
Fly Me to the Moon's idea of high hilarity is to have Nat's mom fret 'Oh my lord of the flies,' then feel the need to repeat the 'joke.'
Despite some astonishing visual sequences, a flimsy script and frankly awful character design ground this film before it can blast off.
Viewers who are old enough to eat without a bib are unlikely to find much of interest in the procession of puns and generic zero-gravity gags that fill out the film's running time.
Latest News for Fly Me To The Moon
October 26, 2008:
LIWoman: Exclusive With Adrienne Barbeau ![]()
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August 05, 2008:
The official trailer, which isn't at all promising. ![]()
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July 20, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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