A STEM Hero in a Neon World
If you've ever felt like your kid needs more examples of 'doing the work' rather than just waiting for a magical intervention, Over the Moon delivers. Fei Fei isn't just a dreamer; she’s a maker. Watching her iterate on rocket designs and study orbital mechanics is a refreshing change of pace for the genre.
Directed by Glen Keane—the man who animated Ariel and Beast—the movie has a pedigree that shows in the character expressions and fluid movement. The first act is a love letter to Chinese culture, specifically the water town of Wuzhen. It’s grounded, warm, and deeply traditional. Then, the movie takes a hard left turn into Lunaria, which looks like a K-pop music video exploded in space.
Navigating the 'Grief' Movie
We see a lot of 'dead mom' tropes in animation, but this movie actually sits with the aftermath. It explores how a child deals with a parent moving on and the fear that loving someone new means forgetting someone old. It’s a great companion piece to movies like Coco or Inside Out.
One thing to note: the audience score is lower than the critic score for a reason. The second half is significantly more frantic than the first, and the shift from a quiet family drama to a neon space-musical can be jarring. However, the ending brings it all back home with a message about acceptance that hits hard for both parents and kids.
