Moonshot: Film Review
I really like Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse so I was obviously drawn to the sci-fi romantic comedy Moonshot, and while they’re ace, the movie itself is pretty average.
The year is 2049 and travel to Mars is very much a thing. You can pay for a ticket if you’re super-rich or you can apply for the Kovi Industries’ student programme, which sends smart college students to the Red Planet. Walt (Sprouse) has always dreamed of going to Mars but his application has been rejected more than 30 times. He befriends Sophie (Condor), who is in a long-distance relationship with her Mars-based boyfriend Calvin (Mason Gooding). When Sophie takes a trip to Mars, Walt illegally stows away inside one of the ship’s escape pods and she helps him get away with it by pretending he’s Calvin for the duration of the journey.
First things first, I have no idea why this film is called Moonshot because it has literally nothing to do with the moon. I guess “Mars shot” didn’t work so well. I’m all for a sci-fi twist on the classic romcom – but the sci-fi aspect has to be done properly and that isn’t the case here. The film clearly didn’t have the budget to do space well and this is obvious in moments based outside the ship. It felt weird to hear about Mars so much and then not really see it when they get there as pretty much all of the Mars-based action takes place inside. Moonshot didn’t feel like it was in space or have the imagination or epic feeling you might expect from a sci-fi film.
While Moonshot fails on the sci-fi front, the romantic comedy side is more of a success. The plot is predictable and hits all the usual beats and the script isn’t the strongest. However, it’s lovely to watch Walt and Sophie go from mismatched acquaintances – he’s the dumb barista and she’s the super-smart space nerd – to perhaps something more. The main message to take away from Moonshot was “live your life, not somebody else’s” and I connected with that a lot. Sophie must learn what she wants to do with her life instead of simply going along with what has already been mapped out for her.
Sprouse and Condor are cute, charming leads who give sincere performances. They make the film more fun and watchable than it should be and their comic timing helps sell the jokes (even though there aren’t many). They have great chemistry and you root for them to be together (a must for any romcom). Zach Braff also pops up as Leon Kovi, a billionaire entrepreneur who presents Walt with an interesting proposition.
The setting makes the story feel fresh and a bit more interesting but at the end of the day, Moonshot is still your average romantic comedy and quite a forgettable one at that.
Available for digital download from Monday 25th April