It’s December 2029, 5 years after Korea’s tragic first attempt to be the second country ever to land astronauts on the moon. Those events caused Korea to be thrown out of the International Space Agency, and the flight director, former NASA researcher Kim Jae-gook (SUL Kyung Gu, Public Enemy, Memoir of a Murderer), to leave the program to live a more reclusive life running an observatory in the mountains. The Korean government has been working to prove the validity of their independent space program and are planning to launch a second lunar probe, Woori-ho, with a new trio of astronauts.
However, tragedy once again strikes when solar winds affect the satellites and communication, and leave the ship badly-damaged as it heads to orbit the moon. The youngest and most inexperienced of the crew, former SEAL Hwang Sun-woo (DOH Kyung Soo, Along With the Gods franchise), soon finds himself stranded and alone. With meteor storms approaching, and a rapidly-decreasing fuel and oxygen supply, the research mission quickly becomes a rescue mission as those in the Naro Space Center desperately search for a solution to avoid a repeat catastrophe.
They call in former director Kim Jae-gook—the man who originally designed the control module of the ship—and his young research assistant Han-byeol (Hong Seung-hee) to help. Jae-gook hopes that if he can at least save this one young astronaut, it might somehow make up in some way for his tarnished legacy. But with each step forward, some new danger presents itself, and it’s going to take a miracle to bring Hwang Sun-woo home. Meanwhile, Jae-gook’s ex-wife, future NASA director Yoon Moon-young/Jennifer Evans (Kim Hee Ae, Herstory), is in charge of NASA’s nearby space station, Lunar Gateway, but her government refuses to let her assist in the rescue as the U.S. had been one of the countries speaking out against this launch in the first place, and they are already dealing with their own problems caused by the solar winds.
The Moon, which comes from writer/director Kim Yong-hwa (Along With the Gods franchise), is an exciting edge-of-your-seat thriller that’s like Apollo 13 meets Gravity. The film takes the viewer on an action-packed journey, both in space and on the ground. Each time it looks like the rescue mission is going to be successful and you start to take a sigh of relief, some new life-threatening issue arises to throw another wrench in the plans. Both those at mission control as well as the young stranded astronaut are constantly forced to think on their feet to come up with yet another solution to put out the latest fire (sometimes literally). The effects look amazing, and realistic, from just the general floating around in weightlessness, to the darkness of space, and the surface of the moon. It is a visually stunning movie that makes you feel like you are miles away from Earth along with Sun-woo as he struggles to survive in the depths of space.
In addition to the tense action, the film also has its more humorous moments, despite the ever-present danger, as well as a deep, emotional story at its core. Both Jae-gook and Sun-woo were personally affected by the previous tragedy, and in different ways, this mission is their second chance to make things right. Former director Jae-gook hopes that if he can save Sun-woo, it will somehow make up for his part in the previous events. Sun-woo has his own personal connection to that first failed mission—and the reason he originally signed onto the crew of the Woori-ho—and he is determined to not suffer a similar fate.
The Moon feels like a big budget epic, and takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It is thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release looks amazing, with a crisp, clear picture and seamless effects that really transports the viewer into the darkness of space. The blacks are solid black, while other scenes are only lit by the glow of the sun coming in through the ship’s window, or from the lights on the ship’s control panel. The level of detail in the faces is excellent, and really captures the emotions the characters are going through. The audio track is presented in its original Korean language, though there are some characters (mainly at NASA) who speak English. The disc offers English and Full English subtitles (the latter also captions the English dialogue), which are well-written and easy to follow. Also, character names, roles and locations that appear on screen are also presented in English. The surround channel is utilized to provide a somewhat immersive feeling, which is most noticeable whenever there is chaos in the control room.
Well Go’s Blu-ray releases are often barebones, but this time we actually get two short behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew discussing the film. The Blu-ray comes packed in a locking HD keepcase. There is no digital copy, but our review copy did include a nice cardboard slipcover.
What’s Included:
Film: (2:09:26)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Audio: Korean 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Korean Stereo
- Subtitles: English, Full English
Extras:
- Behind The Scenes (4:16)
The cast and crew talk about the technology used to recreate space, creating the sets, the use of light, acting in this environment, and more. Includes concept artwork, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director KIM Yong Hwa, director of photography KIM Young Ho, production designer HONG Jo Hee, visual effect supervisor JIN Jong Hyun, and stars DOH Kyung Soo (“Sun-woo”), Kim Hee Ae (“Moon-Young”) & SUL Kyung Gu (“Jae-gook”). - Character Bios (3:42)
The cast and crew talk about the premise of the film, the themes, the characters, and the cast. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director KIM Yong Hwa, production designer HONG Jo Hee, and stars DOH Kyung Soo, SUL Kyung Gu & Kim Hee Ae. - Trailer (1:25)
- Previews
- Ransomed (1:32)
- The Childe (1:26)
- Monster (2:28)
Final Thoughts:
The Moon is an exciting and action-packed space drama that feels like a big budget Hollywood film. The visuals look amazing, and really transport the viewer into space and onto the moon. The performances are great, and the characters are grounded in a very emotional way, even as the action goes a bit over-the-top. Well Go’s Blu-ray release features excellent picture and sound, and even includes some behind-the-scenes bonus material. The film constantly had me on the edge of my seat, and I think fans of films like Apollo 13 or Gravity will really enjoy this one. I highly recommend picking up this disc.
The Moon
57% Off $29.98 $12.00 (as of October 31, 2024 20:00 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
The Moon
48% Off $24.98 $12.99 (as of October 31, 2024 20:00 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
