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movie review - Over the Moon

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

This is a kids' movie from a Chinese studio that features an ancient tale from that same country of a goddess who winds up stranded on the moon / living in association with the moon. The main character is an inventor kid who designs a rocket ship to find the Goddess. There are a surprising number of tropes in this one ranging from "dead mother" to "little boisterous boy cousin" (sub-type two: Chinese round-faced over-eater (as opposed to sub-type one: red-headed trouble-maker possibly with a broken or missing tooth)) and "small child is technical genius". Half-way to the moon, they run into mythical creatures that I think are meant to be Asian dog-demons. And from there they meat the Goddess herself and that's where things get tricky.

Because this is a god of the old school; scheming, self-interested, and carrying a rather massive chip on her shoulder.

This thing has its own fluid drawing style that steers well clear of uncanny valley awkwardness and I think suits the story well. It is, however, a musical and liberally so.

Recommended. For "movie night" with the kids.