Moonshot might be predictable, but that doesn’t stop it from being an extremely entertaining and adorable must see romantic comedic.
Romantic comedies geared towards the younger teen audience are almost always formulaic and predictable. While Moonshot might be a little bit of that, it is also a whole lot of fun. This movie is quite entertaining from beginning to end, and it is almost impossible to not fall in love with the two leads. There are several laugh out loud moments, and some viewers might even be shedding a tear now and then.
In Moonshot the Earth has become less habitable, and many humans are relocating to Mars in search of a better home. Cole Sprouse plays the very average and unexciting barista’s assistant named Walt, who wants more than anything to go to Mars. One night he meets the girl of his dreams, Ginny (Emily Rudd), but as everything goes in his life, she is leaving for Mars the very next morning.
Sophie, who is played by Lana Condor, has a long term boyfriend Calvin, played by Mason Gooding, who has been on Mars for a while now, and just found out he will be staying indefinitely. She decides to push aside her dreams of helping Earth survive, and her fear of flying, in order to go see him after Walt convinces her that some loves are worth traveling across the universe for. Walt selfishly also sees this as his chance to stow away on the latest shuttle, and she is almost forced to help him. The two don’t exactly get along at first, but a month is a long time to form a friendship — and perhaps more.
What follows is pure entertainment, as the two try to pass Walt off as Calvin to the rest of the ship after he was almost immediately discovered. He blackmails her into helping, and this forces the two to spend quite a lot of time together. Along the way they get to learn a lot about each other, and themselves.
This heartwarming and fun romantic comedy is certainly predictable. If you have seen the trailer, you can probably already guess how things are going to play out for the most part, although there are some fun surprises along the way. However, this movie is still more than worth checking out. As I said before, it really is a lot of fun. It is sweet, and both Sprouse and Condor do a fantastic job with their characters. They have great on screen chemistry together — and the comedic timing is good for more than a few laughs.
Zach Braff is also in this movie, as the extremely rich Leon who sent humans to Mars in the first place. He is not in the movie much but when he is, he steals every scene. His character is a lot of fun, and it was enjoyable to see him interacting with Sprouse for some really great moments.
This movie is very much geared towards the younger teen audience. With a rating of PG-13 it does have a few words and situations that can be a bit much for some tweens, however I am going to let my ten year old watch it because I know she will love it. Moonshot is a quick hour and forty minutes long, which is perfect for the pacing. It never drags, as there are more than enough entertaining plot twists and surprises in store to keep it moving along right from the start.
There are some important lessons in here too, about sticking with your hopes and dreams, and not allowing yourself to settle for others. These points are driven home well thanks to the smart writing, and wonderful acting.
Its biggest issue is that it is predictable, but many movies of this genre are and that doesn’t stop them from being worth watching. Moonshot is no different. This movie is a whole lot of fun, and one that I will not mind watching a second time with the family.
Rating: 3 out of 5
NEXT: Better Nate Than Ever Movie Review
About Moonshot
Like many 20-somethings her age, Sophie (Lana Condor) is faced with a world of choices. Sure, there’s the future stuff, the family stuff, the job stuff. But, where she is truly confused is on the big choice, the momentous one, the top-of-list one that stands out—what to do about him!
Her long-term b.f. Calvin (Mason Gooding) has moved with his family and taken a job out of town. As in way out of town. A published scientist, Calvin’s posting was supposed to be temporary and now, that “temporary” is beginning to read more like “permanent.”
Then there’s Walt (Cole Sprouse), who’s also confronted with choices, but mmmmmaybe not so many. He’s pretty content with his going nowhere assistant barista job in a college bookshop and his solitary existence. That is, until he meets Ginny (Emily Rudd), and the closing-time-to-sunrise hours he spends with her convinces him that she’s the one. The time just flies. But sadly, at dawn, so does Ginny, off to where her new life is waiting.
A romantic comedy with a twist, “Moonshot” follows Walt and Sophie as they join forces in order to be reunited with their significant others, embarking upon a lively journey that winds up taking them both wildly and unexpectedly off course.
