((I tried to avoid it at first, then gave up, so: This review is fraught with SPOLIERS))

Many reasons exist to see Moon, but from the many you have to check it out for the production value and vision alone. Science fiction fans should see it and will likely inevitably do so, but this is a great film for so many other reasons too. Duncan Jones, whose only film credits come from a short UK film, does a fantastic job creating a believable futuristic atmosphere. More impressive is the fact that this was done with a scant $5 million dollar budget; that’s HALF of what was spent on the legendary 2001. While digging through the credits I noticed Trudie Styler as a producer, also known for her part in the production of another low-budget gem: Snatch. The most interesting part of all this: Jones’ dad is none other than David Bowie, while Styler happens to be married to Sting. By association, rock-n-roll has its hands deep into this one.

I made the 2001 reference above for a reason. GERTY, voiced by Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, The Usual Suspects), almost immediately brings to mind HAL 9000: there’s just something menacing about a robot that has a classic yellow emoticon “face.” But the comparison is in vain. GERTY is a unique, symbolic character, and the only similarity with HAL 9000 is Spacey’s voiceover is just as convincing as Douglas Rain in 2001. GERTY’s robotic presence assists lunar miner Sam Bell, played by Sam Rockwell (Choke, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). Spacey and Rockwell were very well cast for their roles, and I cannot think of many other movies where that is more evident. Spacey’s deadpan robotic voice has just a hint of deeper feeling that draws you further into Rockwell’s portrayal of a man literally falling apart. The movie starts off with Sam close to the end of his three year shift on the moon, but this is a movie so of course something has to go wrong. You have to applaud Rockwell’s performance in interacting with, well, himself. Yes, it turns out Sam is a clone, and an emotional one at that. The twists and drama that leads up to the final parts of the film are wildly entertaining, and when the credits roll most viewers are going to have a hard time believing this was a low-budget film.

My only problem is that if you take a moment to step back and look at everything, cracks and plot holes begin to form. Mainly, it makes no sense why the company is using human clones to start with. It’s not like every day is an intensive work schedule: he’s spending most of his time goofing around making wooden models anyway, and GERTY seems fairly capable of handling most tasks. Even with training and transport, are you telling me that it’s somehow cheaper and more effective to house a clone army, as opposed to normal people on rotation? Somehow I doubt cloning people in the future is insanely cheap, but what do I know? Sure, you could save the guys salary, but I just don’t see the cost savings. This is a bit of needless nitpicking, and I don’t think it’s even fair to be so critical of the plot twist, but afterwards it was all I could think of.

Moon will probably be way more pertinent in the future, if we ever do manage to clone people thousands of times. Until then, it’s still one of the best science fiction stories out there, albeit a bit convoluted. The story is about a struggle for identity, and if you focus on that you’ll enjoy it.

Rating: Amazing production value, a cast that nails their roles, and a plot that will launch you to the moon. If you’re a science fiction or film lover, this is a no-brainer.

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