“Moon” is a slow-paced disappointment with an especially confusing plot compared with superior action sci-fi films.
The story centers around Sam Bell (played by Sam Rockwell), a lonely man stuck on the moon with a three-year contract with Lunar Industries to collect Helium-3, which would become Earth’s new source of energy. Bell only works with Gerty, an assistant robot voiced by actor Kevin Spacey.
Bell desperately wants to return home to see his wife with his 3-year-old daughter, with whom he could interact only through recorded messages. Although he becomes very sickly during his isolated stay on the moon, he learns to control his temper.
In a strange twist, however, Bell discovers a clone of himself in a lunar lander on the moon. Eventually, the smartest audience member couldn’t even tell who was the original clone. However, the clones frequently fight for identity, power and success so that they could leave the lonely lifeless moon.
Bell eventually discovers that Lunar Industries cloned the original Bell, who had a horrible accident, crashing his rover on the way to the Helium-3 mine. Thus, the original Bell is still the old sickly, angry version of himself.
Although “Moon” is under two hours, the film stretches on forever. The plot, however, keeps the viewer eager to see if Bell reunites with his family at the end. But even if it serves as a major motivation for people to watch the film, it is too slow-paced and spends far too much time trying to answer this titillating question. Director Duncan Jones, who is the son of rock star David Bowie, should have added a little more excitement in his debut film.
It’s a shame that Rockwell, who played a brilliant role in “Frost/Nixon”, stars in such a perplexing film. Even though his fantastic acting literally carries the entire film, the overall presentation is too lackluster to captivate moviegoers. Sci-fi fans would be better off watching the exciting thriller “Star Trek.”
