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Moon Man
R1 - America - Cinedigm Review written by and copyright: Ethan Stevenson (2nd April 2014). |
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The Film
 A scarlet-haired succubus whispers words, her plans for world domination, in the ear of a leader obviously weakened by the sweet nothings she offers over his other shoulder. The manipulating maiden has convinced the man he’s powerful. So powerful that, whatever the cost, he alone deserves to rule over a vast kingdom reaching off the ends of the proverbial map. What sounds suspiciously like a subplot ripped right out of “Game of Thrones” (2011-Present)––specifically the one concerning Stannis Baratheon and manipulative sorceress Melisandre––is an also, actually, an element of the otherwise dissimilar “Moon Man”, a stylish foreign-made animated film with a thinly sketched plot, protracted pace, and unmistakable uniqueness. A German-French co-production, originally titled “Der Mondmann” and literally re-dubbed in English as “Moon Man”, the 96-minute traditionally animated feature is an adaptation of a children’s book of the same name written and illustrated by author Tomi Ungerer in 1963. Set in a fictionalized retro-future rife with Rube Goldbergian machinery, where Drive-Ins are still popular and the entirety of Earth is ruled by a dictatorial "president" set up on his pedestal somewhere in Western Europe, the film is an odd mix. It’s simplistic plot, mashing child-like wonder with adult-skewing irreverence, is backed by surrealistic visuals and a soundtrack comprised of songs by Louis Armstrong and Iron Butterfly. With every inch of earth explored, the President, spurred on by his lady-friend, wants to conquer the moon, and sets out to do so––even if it means waging war. Meanwhile, the man-in-the-moon is lonely so he hitches a ride to earth on a comet in the hopes he'll find a friend. He does befriend someone; an old, crackpot scientist, charged with building the president a rocket... to the moon. The President, scientist and Moon Man’s story is linked with that of a father and daughter out for a night at the movies. With the man in the moon gone down to earth, both children and adults can’t sleep. When he learns of the worldwide insomnia, the moon man and his scientist friend surreptitiously try to launch him home using the leaders lunar-bound vehicle. In terms of scope, there simply isn’t enough to sustain the 90-plus minute runtime, and thus “Moon Man's” pace is slow, arguably sluggish in its desire to reach an end that is put off perhaps too long by stylized diversions. Although the story lightly evokes what is perhaps the epitome of Hollywood in Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial” (1982)––a comparison made even easier in the English-language dub included here, where the titular moon man’s nasally voice sounds seconds away from croaking out a “phone home” at any moment––in overall atmosphere and tone this animation is less like something Walt Disney would’ve produced and more similar to the work of Sylvain Chomet. “Moon Man’s” creative team appear uninterested in the conventional. Sprinkled throughout the film are extended passages of often nothing more than surrealist visuals bursting with an impressionistic use of color. The style makes for some some truly arresting, referential, images. The moon man’s earthly arrival is awash in a kaleidoscopic array; a metaphorical earthly (re)birth in a Garden of Eden, no doubt an intentional allusion that’s prescient of the film’s final scenes to come later. In visual terms, the film’s climax is a straight-up riff on Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”, rainbow prism and all. But the music isn’t Floyd. It’s Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”. And, no, it’s not the long version. At their best, co-directors Stephan Schesch and Sarah Clara Weber channel master filmmakers of silent cinema, and silent comedy especially. “Moon Man” uses dialogue sparingly, with an efficient economy and often not at all (which is a good thing because some of the voices in the English dub are… strange). Several of the intricately choreographed comedy skits sprinkled throughout the film recall Chaplin; perhaps more accurately, as the sequences are less traditionally “silent” and actually reliant on a score of environmental machine sounds, Jacques Tati. Are many of these sequences extraneous, unessential asides that merely extend the film to at some point its too-long end? In terms of pure structure, and narrative significance, I suppose yes. But each one––short films unto themselves––is inventive, charming, and absolutely essential to the peculiar but ultimately pleasing experience that is “Moon Man”. It is not a perfect film, nor one that will have the mass appeal of, say, “Frozen” (2013). But it’s certainly a unique, and an undeniably quirky animation that I’d recommend to anyone looking for something a little… out there. Independently produced, “Moon Man” traveled the festival circuit throughout 2013, without ever getting an official––limited or wide––US theatrical release in the conventional sense. It now lands on these shores via a DVD release from Tribeca Film and Cinedigm. Although "Moon Man" featured German and French soundtracks overseas, in the film's native countries, Cinedigm's has only included an English dub created for the UK and the Americas.
Video
The at-times simplistic, impressionistic style of “Moon Man’s” animation is more often striking: the titular globular character a sketchy blob of whiteness clashing against splotches of brilliant, bold color. Cinedigm’s decent if never exceptional standard definition DVD presentation, framed in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, is at the mercy of the limitations of the format and source. Line art is subtle and so thin it's almost indistinct. Texture and color fills are likewise delicate, rarely resulting in sharp detail. However, the pitch black of the night sky is inky, dotted by clearly delineated white stars. The encode is not without a few noticeable issues, particularly banding and intermittent blocking, both of which are almost immediately apparent in the flicker of the drive-in projector at the film’s opening. Other scenes are similarly affected, although perhaps never as severely as that first instance. Flaws aside, "Moon Man" has a perfectly serviceable video transfer that's occasionally impressive.
Audio
The English language dub of "Moon Man" is viewable in either Dolby Digital 5.1 (348 kbps) or 2.0 stereo (192 kbps). The original German and/or French language versions of the film have not been included in any form. Although slightly disappointing, langauge matters less than many other foreign productions. Almost a silent film at times, and more importantly usually dialogue-less, with many sequences simply set to an eclectic score of machine sound effects and popular music from a number of artists, including Louis Armstrong and Iron Butterfly, electronic musician Klaus Waldeck, the Queensgang orchestra, etc. There are surprisingly few differences between the two tracks; the surround option has very little rear activity and even the music stays within the fronts. Optional English subtitles have been included.
Extras
None. “Moon Man” doesn’t even include a single trailer, either related to the film or otherwise.
Packaging
Cinedigm and Tribeca Film bring “Moon Man” to DVD in a keep case. A cardboard slip-cover has also been included.
Overall
Is the plot of “Moon Man” thinner than the air in the upper atmosphere? Yes; although there are some deeper references and allusions obviously intended for older minds, adults looking for a substantial story will be left wanting. Is the film the same time a tad too surrealistically strange, to the point where it might similarly stray away from children? I suppose yes is again the honest answer; if I were cleverer, I might have worked some sort of Acid Trip to the Moon reference into the body of this review. But there’s a certain, quirky, maybe even crazy charm to “Moon Man” that’s undeniable. The wholly unique, impressionistic style of the animation and touches of silent cinema that fill the gaps in the story make it a film worth experiencing… if you’re in the mood for an animated film that's a little different. Without extras, the DVD offers little more than a decent A/V presentation.
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