Over the Moon

"Magnetic levitation is the coolest!"

Fei Fei (Ang) loves when her Ma Ma (Miles) tells the story of the Moon Goddess, Chang'e (Soo).  According to legend, Chang'e took an immortality potion and ascended to the moon as a goddess, leaving her true love, Houyi, behind.  The Moon Festival is Ma Ma's favorite time of the year, when their family gathers to make moon cakes for the village.

Fei Fei is devastated when her mother gets sick and died.  Four years later, Fei Fei still misses her mother and continues to hold on to the traditions and stories of her mother.  Her father, Ba Ba (Cho), introduces Mrs. Zhong (Oh) and her energetic son Chin (Chiu) into their lives, bringing unwelcome changes into Fei Fei's life.

Fei Fei believes if she can prove that Chang'e is real, life would go back to normal.  She builds a rocket to the moon, taking her rabbit Bungee on the trip.  Chin and his pet frog stowaway on the trip, which frustrates Fei Fei's plans.  Can Fei Fei find Chang'e, get her proof, and make it home again?

The film is based on the the Chinese legend of Chang'e the Moon Goddess, while also telling a very personal story about dealing with grief.

The Good:

The animation is beautiful.  Everything is bright and vibrant and feels like a Disney movie, while still  having it's own unique identity.  The scenes on the moon have an inner-lumination, and feel like a dream.

The story, written by the late Audrey Wells (the film is dedicated to Wells), is interesting and melds the Chinese myth of Chang'e and the Festival of Festival, with the story of a young girl dealing with the loss of her mother.

Chang'e's costumes were designed by haute couture designer Guo Pei.  Her costumes are beautiful and memorable.

The Bad:

The characters of Chin and Gobi are obnoxious... they eventually grow on you, but both characters teeter on the edge of annoying.

Other Comments:

-Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2021

-This marks Glen Keane's directorial debut.  Keane is a well-known animator who worked for Disney for 30+ years.  He also won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 2018 for Dear Basketball.

-The film is an emotional journey, while still adding humor and new songs.

-The songs were written by Christopher Curtis, Marjorie Duffield, and Helen Park.  And the score is by Steven Price.  They are good, but don't stick with you like other animated musicals.  The stand-out is "Rocket to the Moon", performed by Cathy Ang.  I also enjoyed all of Phillipa Soo's performances (she has a beautiful voice), especially "Ultraluminary" which is an excellent introduction to the character.

-Final verdict: it is a well-made and enjoyable film, but it's not my favorite.

Over the Moon (2020) 100 minutes

Director: Glen Keane

Starring: Cathy Ang as Fei Fei

Phillipa Soo as Chang'e

Robert G. Chiu as Chin

Ken Jeong as Gobi

John Cho as Ba Ba

Ruthie Ann Miles as Ma Ma

Sandra Oh as Mrs. Zhong