I will be discussing a few details relating to the climax of the movie
in here. In deference to those who might want to learn what happens
for themselves, I am enclosing

my

traditional

All

Time

Grand

Champion

Hall

Of

Famer

Spoiler

Warning

I'm telling you, caffeine is a miracle drug. Aspirin wouldn't have
done me any good with this movie, but caffeine got me through it.

Fly Me To The Moon (In 3D) was written up in the paper as the most
successful movie released in the US that was made in Belgium. Uh, I
guess congratulations are in order, then. It takes place at the time
of the Apollo moon landing mission. Three young flies, Nat, I.Q., and
Scooter, dream of having a big adventure in space. They are, in fact,
building a rocket just outside Cape Canaveral (unlike the one in
Explorers, this one isn't intended to fly). They decide to really go
for an adventure by stowing away with astronauts on the Apollo moon
landing.

The shortness so far of this review should tip you off to the movie's
biggest problem. Simply put, the movie has no plot. Now, things
without a plot can still work. Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy had
no plot, but when you have the genius of Douglas Adams running things,
you don't need a plot. This film is the three flies along for a
ride. There is a half-hearted attempt to introduce tension with some
Russian flies trying to sabotage the mission, but it's over before you
know it and doesn't amount to anything. Things like reprogramming
landing coordinates, for the lander or the returning capsule.

Those who are environmentally conscious will appreciate that the
film's jokes are all recycled. Early in the film are two flies
discussing the contents of a dungball using a certain four letter word
that was done better in Ice Age 2 (the choice of wording, in fact,
makes me wonder who this movie is aimed at). In fact, by basing it at
the tail end of the 60's, you can trot out gender role jokes that
haven't been used in years with the moms constantly fainting away when
they worry about their kids. I understand the context, but it's still
disappointing to see female characters being defined only as
emotionally fragile little eggs. In fact, during the climax where the
flies battle Russian thug flies, Nat's mom takes along two maggots
(which she is always carrying with her, regardless of how questionable
that might be under some circumstances), which she throws at the bad
guys. These two sprout wings and beat up the bad guys while mom sits
on the sidelines. Scooter is constantly referring to his appetite.
Not one laugh, and you will likely guess some of his lines before he
says them.

Another thing: toward the middle of the movie, when the flies are in
a test tube that shatters in the lander. Yeah, broken glass in a zero
gravity environment where astronauts are going around without
helmets. Great idea.

The technical aspects of the film are questionable. The models look
more like DTV characters than theatrical animation characters. 3D has
always been a gimmick, but there are times when it can be effective.
During "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix", the 3D gave the
Ministry Of Magic scenes a real sense of scope and menace. This whole
movie is in 3D, all the details are designed to make you go wow, such
as ruts in the ground from tire tracks. However, despite that, the
imagery is still kind of flat and uninspired. The biggest thrill of
the movie, the POV shot when man first walks on the moon, has none of
the awe that such a moment requires. While Brad Bird can add cool
value to a simple tracking shot in "The Incredibles", Ben Stassen, the
director here, can't build any momentum. The result is a movie that
feels a LOT longer than its 84 minute running time.

The background music is fine. It's generic, but it fits and is
pleasant to listen to in a "Lifescapes" kind of way. The voice acting
has problems. First, many major rolls are held by a name actor. The
result of this stunt casting, like Kelly Ripa and Christopher Lloyd
and Nicollete Sheridan, is that the voices have no character to them,
you spend more time trying to guess who someone might be rather than
getting involved in the film. Even worse, though, is the rhythm of
the dialog. A character will say their lines, there'll be a beat, and
then the next character starts talking. It sounds unnatural, like the
lines are coming by radio transmission and everyone is making sure
they don't step on each others' broadcasts.

The result is a mediocre film. It was intended to be a showcase for
3D effects, as the very loose framework that constitutes the story
shows. But the 3D effects don't do enough, the characters don't do
enough...everyone did just what they were supposed to, no more, no
less.