Moon: DVD Review

Moon: DVD Review

Moon
Released by Sony Home Entertainment
Rating: M
In this superb slice of intelligent sci-fi, Sam Rockwell stars as Sam Bell, an employee contracted for three years by a mining company to work on the surface of the moon to help extract helium-3 which is to be used on earth as a power source.
As the end of his stretch nears, Bell suffers an accident on the lunar surface and wakes up back inside the base, convinced he is not alone&
There's much to love about Moon - from the retro stylings of the moonbase (its sheer whites recall 2001: A Space Odyssey - as does Kevin Spacey's voicing of the robot GERTY, whose monotone talk and displays emoticons on its screen are reminiscent of HAL) -to the wonderful performance of Sam Rockwell as a disaffected Bell.
But in terms of themes, Moon is more than just scifi.
It has universal themes such as isolation, what it is to be human and how we need other people to survive - the initial opening is all about the character study and how one survives alone and millions of miles away from others before it changes into something even smarter and more existential. Rockwell continues to grow his portfolio as one of the best actors around - his multiple character emotions are brought excellently to the fore by director Jones. It's his performance which literally pivots the film - and which is so compelling, you can't take your eyes off the screen for one moment.
To simply define Moon as sci fi is to do it a disservice - to consider it more as a study of the human condition and of the big questions in life is more appropriate.
Extras: Commentary with the director, and producers, a featurette on the making and the visual effects - as well as a short film by the director Duncan Jones - all add to the experience.

Rating: 8/10