MOVIE REVIEW: The Moon (2023)
August 11, 2023
The South Korea film industry definitely went on another level with the movie "The Moon"
Last August 10, I was given the chance to watch this amazing movie in the big screen. As a fan of anything space-related and Korean entertainment as a whole, I was really looking forward in watching this movie.
The Moon is a film about an astronaut, Hwang Sun-woo (played by EXO's D.O), who was left in space after experiencing malfunctions on their spacecraft. Dr. Kim (played by Sol Kyung Gu), the former managing director of the Naro Space Center, tries to save him and bring him back to earth safely.
From powerhouse casts to amazing CGIs, The Moon is said to be one of the most anticipated films this 2023.
Things I like about The Moon
Amazing acting from the casts
One of the things that I look for when it comes to acting is if they can bring emotions with just the way their eyes move. The casts of The Moon really impressed me with their acting. I was really so immersed with their acting to the point that I felt I was a part of the film.
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| Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures |
I am familiar with Sol Kyung Gu as he was the lead in another Korean film, Haeundae (another film that I enjoyed watching). And truly, he did not disappoint in this film. His character here has a lot of secrets and regrets. And while it was slowly being revealed, I just can't stop myself from appreciating his acting even more.
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| Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures |
One of the reasons why I got to know about this film is because of EXO D.O. Ever since before, I consider him as the best Idol-Actor in the Korean entertainment. And yes, I can say, he is a great choice to be one of the leads for this film. His eyes were so expressive and he was able to show the joy, sadness, frustrations, all the emotions that the character was feeling.
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| Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures |
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| Photo from HanCinema |
I actually have a love-hate relationship with the minister (played by Jo Han Chul). He is the classmate mong pabibo pero walang ambag (your noisy and active classmate yet has no contribution). Maru, the drone, even had more contribution than him.
I love him for making me laugh most of the time but hates him because I don't know exactly what his role in the story is. But still, he nailed it. He was able to make the scenes lighter with the way he panics.
Next level visual effects and CGIs
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| Photo from HanCinema |
Like what I have mentioned earlier, I am a fan of any space-related thing. So, I have watched a lot of films regarding space. For The Moon, I have to give a lot of praise to the editing team for taking the next level in terms of the visual effects and CGIs.
As someone who took Multimedia Arts in College, I know how hard it is to create these assets, animate it and even make it realistic. I also know how large the files are for this kind of effects. That's why I was really amazed.
There were some Korean movies and dramas that I have watched wherein I felt a little bit disappointed with the CGIs but for this movie, I know South Korea is leveling up their game.
A lot of breathtaking moments
If you have seen me during the showing, you'll definitely laugh at me as I was really so focused on what I was watching to the point that I even forgot to breathe for a few seconds. Probably, if I was watching this alone, I would have been kicking while shouting Dali! (Faster!). The intensity of the scenes were high to the point that if I blink I might have lost something important.
It's been a long time since I felt excited while watching a movie. The sound effects during these scenes made it even more extreme.
Final Thoughts on The Moon
Visually, I really liked The Moon a lot. It showed how South Korea is improving and improving in terms of quality. The color grading, camera shots, lighting, the whole cinematography was really beautiful. All the casts in this film portrayed their role very well may it be a simple role to a very hard one.
In terms of the story, it was just a simple story of saving a stranded astronaut. There were also twists in the story but I felt like some twists weren't executed that well. To be honest, I was expecting for more in the story. I hope that they added more heart-wrenching lines or scenes to make the movie even more memorable.
Nonetheless, it is a movie worth watching and re-watching. If given the time, I would like to watch it again on the big screen with my whole family.
The Moon showing this August 16 on Philippine cinemas
The Moon will officially be out in Philippine cinemas this August 16! So make sure to visit the nearest cinema in your place.
Thank you Columbia Pictures Philippines for inviting me at the Gala Premiere of The Moon.
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