REVIEW: Moonwalkers

There are some films that capture the attention of the audience the moment one hears of the premise. I am not immune to such charms; there are some films where, when I hear what they're about, I'm sold. Hook, line, and sinker, I am in. Moonwalkers is definitely that sort of movie. 

Starring Ron Perlman and Rupert Grint (this being the only non-Harry Potter film I've ever seen him in), the movie takes place in the late 60's; Vietnam has ended and the space race is in full swing. The United States are hellbent on beating the Russians to the moon, willing to do just about anything to bolster the spirits of the American people. Enter Perlman as agent Kidman, a CIA operative and Vietnam veteran. His job is to travel to England and secure the services of one Stanley Kubrick to film a fake moon landing (in the event that the Apollo 11 mission ends in a less than heroic fashion, so there will still be something uplifting to broadcast before the entire world). Things become complicated when a sketchy talent manager by the name of Johnny (Grint) enters the mix. After tricking Kidman into handing over the sizable payment (meant for Mr. Kubrick), Johnny becomes embroiled in this lunar conspiracy. One thing leads to another, and it's up to Kidman and Johnny to film a fake moon landing before Apollo 11 is left without a proverbial safety net.

Is that or is that not just a delightful setup? Hellboy and Ron Weasley need to fake the moon landing because Kubrick was unavailable. It's so absurd and original and utterly rife with possibilities, I simply couldn't pass it up. While I found the plot intriguing, I must sadly report that it doesn't really go anywhere. Things meander about and they don't even really begin filming the moon landing until more than 3/4 of the way through the running time. The plot progression almost feels like something in the style of the Cohen Brothers; a general air of aimlessness scattered with bits of absurd comedy and deadpan deliveries reminiscent of The Big Lebowski. While there were a number of moments that I enjoyed (in particular any interaction between Johnny and his junkie roommate, Leon (Robert Sheehan), who acts as a swell foil), this is a movie where the comedy is not only dry, but sparse. That isn't necessarily a winning combo.

There's also a fair number of plot points that simply don't mesh with the rest of the film. For example, it's revealed literally in the opening scene that Perlman's character suffers from hallucinations as a result of his PTSD from his time in Vietnam. One might think this could contribute to the plot in some way, but it only serves to add a bit of visual flair every so often. True, it helps humanize Perlman considerably (since aside from his PTSD, he's basically just an unstoppable killing machine), but one would expect it to play a larger role, given how much emphasis is placed upon it whenever it's brought up. Despite the movie's unorthodox and laid-back tone, the climax boils down to nothing more than a supremely flaccid firefight in a single hallway. There's also an entire subplot about the band that Johnny is managing that disappears for basically the entire second act and feels like a chore whenever it returns. There are parts of this movie that really, truly work, but it really feels as if there were several notable moments and aspects where the filmmakers really missed the mark.

Odd patches aside, the performances here are all quite solid. While you've got the occasional wooden extra who was clearly only chosen because they fit the physical description of what the scene required (giant beefy henchmen, I'm looking at you), everyone who actually matters does a pretty superb job. Perlman is playing his usual "tough gruff asskicker" type, but damned if he's not good at it by now. Grint is supremely entertaining, flitting from nervous straight-man to irresponsible scumbag in the blink of an eye. He may be doomed to be forever known as Ronald Weasley, but I still look forward to seeing him in more. The two have surprisingly strong chemistry together and really make the movie. Without these two at the top of the cast, this film would be nothing more than a neato premise with little else to offer.

As much as I feel bad about knocking a movie that tries to think outside of the box, I have to admit that Moonwalkers is pretty mediocre. It's certainly not bad, but it's nothing particularly special. The plot meanders around, there's no particularly strong characterization at play, and there's no impressively funny moments to think of. It's quite well-shot and well-acted, but I can't help but think that everything else about this movie could have and should have been better. I can't exactly say I'm disappointed, considering I had no idea what to expect, but I'm certainly not really impressed either. It's a middling kind of flavor of film that I almost enjoy less than something that's spectacularly awful. I'd say it's worth checking out, but you could surely do better.