Over the Moon (2020)
If you’ve been craving the kind of Golden-age era Disney animated musical films the studio has largely abandoned in favor of live-action/“live-action” regurgitations, take a look at Over the Moon. With gorgeous visuals that bring Chinese myth to life, catchy musical numbers, and a story that weaves its theme of loss and moving on well, there’s a lot to like.
Legends say the moon goddess Chang’e was an ordinary woman who lost her true love when she gained immortality and ascended to the moon without him. The story of everlasting love means a lot to Fei Fei (Cathy Ang), whose mother would regale her with stories of myth and fantasy until she passed away 4 years ago. As her father (voiced by John Cho) prepares to remarry, Fei Fei becomes obsessed with the moon. She’s convinced if she can land on its surface and prove to her father that Chang’e (voiced by Phillipa Soo) is real, he’ll respect his late wife by continuing to grieve. The trip to space is derailed when Fei Fei’s stepbrother, Chin (Robert G Chiu) tags along.
This is a gorgeous movie. Scenes on Earth are rich with detail and lively. The moon’s surface is filled with bright colours and strange-looking characters that pop because of their simple designs. Chang’e goes through multiple outfits and each is as luscious as anything you’d see in an epic period piece. The character designs are distinct and wonderfully expressive. Mixed in are gorgeous sequences of traditional hand-drawn animation.
Though the legend of Chang’e might be confusing initially - partially because the story is interpreted and retold differently throughout - it’s made digestible to non-Chinese audiences by its thematic ties to Fei Fei’s story. The young girl wants to prevent her father from moving on from the love of his life. The tragedy of Chang’e is she still mourns Houyi thousands of years later. While the mother's death makes it seems as though Over the Moon is again relying on an old trope, it’s not quite the case. Grief means something different here than it does in The Good Dinosaur or Finding Nemo.
The catchy soundtrack and visual splendor are top-notch. Certain story elements could've used a bit more polishing. Fei Fei arrives on the moon with Chin and her pet bunny Bungee then are immediately separated. Considering this story is about Fei Fei accepting her step-brother as family, it’s counter-intuitive for them to spend so much time apart. This also means we are introduced to animal sidekicks (like Ken Jeong as a green pangolin) who serve little purpose. Then there’s this subplot about Bungee and Chang’e’s pet, a Jade rabbit. While it reinforces one of the key themes, the time would’ve been better used exploring Chang’e instead. She maintains the traditional look Fei Fei expects but also… moonlights as a pop star singer? Show us a bit more and you can say something about the “truth” vs. the “reality” of this deity with very human feelings. As is, you sense this subversion was just a way to insert more songs in the film.
While certain aspects of the plot and the number of characters could’ve been tightened up, these aren’t big flaws. From a technical, musical, visual, and emotional viewpoint, Over the Moon is an impressive directorial debut for Glen Keane. (November 5, 2020)
