Moonfall (2022) | Film Review

Back in the 90s and early 00s, Roland Emmerich was a name that defined disaster movies. The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, and Independence Day were staples of his that redefined the entire genre. In typical Emmerich fashion, Moonfall aims to recapture that glory by once again presenting a small band of people who are the only ones capable of saving the world from imminent destruction, as our own moon bounces off of its trajectory and onto a collision course with Earth. It sounds bonkers, sure, but so have the plots of virtually every Emmerich film over the years.

Along for this mission is disgraced astronaut, Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson), who first suspected the moon was up to something a decade ago; newly appointed Director of NASA and Brian’s former shuttle-mate, Jocinda Fowl (Halle Berry); conspiracy theorist who is ultimately proven right at every turn, KC Houseman (John Bradley); and keeping our eyes also on the ground as the mission is under way is Brian’s rebellious son who happens to be appropriately named Sonny Harper (Charlie Plummer). Many more recognizable actors pop up along the way, but these are the key players.

Moonfall pulls in all of the disaster scenario clichés you can fathom when our moon decides to play wrecking ball with both close proximity and gravitational pull. Moon shards rocketing towards Earth, mountains exploding (yes, exploding), cities flooded, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria! These sections are as impactful as ever, because watching the Earth become decimated has always been an enjoyable cinematic pastime. Maybe that’s why we as a society do so little to clean it up?

Not only do those sections work, but every single one of the leads does everything they can to yank this script out of the abyss and back into Independence Day-levels of fist-pumping excitement. Patrick Wilson is one of those actors who is always fun to watch, and though Brian Harper’s disgraceful fall from a decade ago makes absolutely no sense, Wilson buys into it and completely sells us on Brian’s redemption story. Halle Berry once again proves she has the Oscar-winning chops if anyone would just give her a damn project worthy of her skills besides herself (seriously, check out Bruised). And John Bradley nicely fills the shoes of a Jeff Goldblum-type, filling the gloom and void with an off-kilter humor and relatable heart.

So with eye-popping special effects and a cast that won’t quit, why does Moonfall feel lost in its own orbit?

The screenplay is an absolute mess for starters, despite the leads doing all they can to rescue it. Jocinda finds herself promoted by her superior throwing his own badge at her and saying his job is hers, and then of course rattles off that the most impactful secret of the plot is in the records area so go grab it quick (shhhhhh), as if that’s how security clearance has ever worked. Despite landing a space shuttle without power and saving Jocinda’s life, Brian is somehow disgraced in an obscene coverup. Say what? KC needs NASA to pay attention to his ideas and immediately finds a way to trend them worldwide, as if THAT ever happens without including twerking TikTok’ers or political bitchery. Do we not even try to make an iota of sense in Hollywood scripts anymore?

Instead of keeping the plot as streamlined as possible, Moonfall also overstuffs every single aspect of the moon’s desire to hunt us all down and kill us in our sleep. Disaster movies do not need to be Shakespearean riffs on societal norms, but they do need to be entertaining or at the very least engaging, possibly even “fun”. Instead, the entire script builds to a third act where the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach kicks in with a 10-minute walk down exposition alley for an explanation that might cause you to actually throw your popcorn bucket at the screen over its absurdity. Twice.

Not only is the screenplay a disaster of its own, the direction is clumsily handled. Editing is done so no scene ever feels complete, instead each beat that chances a real impact or connection between the characters and the audience is stripped down to the bare bones before cutting abruptly to the next hastily chopped section. There is no ebb and flow to this narrative, no rhythm to the story. There are moments – and far too many of them – where the film feels like a blockbuster version of an Asylum DVD rip-off.

The dialogue is clunky, the sequence of events is ridiculous even for a movie like this, and the finale is head-banging-against-a-desk insane. Moonfall is what happens if you forgo checking your brain at the door, and instead roll it bowling ball style down the street. A disaster movie partially written and fully directed seemingly by a paste-chugging kindergartner. In short, it’s a disaster.

Moonfall releases worldwide February 4, 2022
Starring Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry, John Bradley, Charlie Plummer
Screenplay by Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser, and Spenser Cohen
Directed by Roland Emmerich