Quick Vid: Over the Moon (Review)

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✅Video Credits✅

►Video Edits by Saber
►Audio Edits by dBPony
►Intro Music/Outro Music by Hirosashii
►Avatar Pics by Acid Neko
►Intro and Background Visual and Thumbnail by Henri
►Music by Home

[Saberspark]

It's not often that I cry because of a movie but this one got me. Did it get anybody else?

[xxskellyxx]

A sad fact about the movie, Audrey Wells wrote the script as a gift to her daughter and husband in order to aid them as she was dying of cancer. She sadly died at the beginning of the movie's production.

[aurorastardust]

I can't get over that the screenplay writer for this movie, Audrey Wells, wrote it as a love letter to her own daughter and husband as she was battling cancer. This movie was her legacy that she wanted to leave behind. I think she passed away right before they started production.

[madmyth]

I’m glad they acknowledged the fact their are multiple versions of Chang'e’s myth on how exactly she ended up taking the pills and leaving Houyi behind on Earth. I liked they left it kind of ambiguous when we actually meet her. Chang'e did seemed to take offense to the boy saying she took the two pills herself for selfish reasons but never denies it. The only thing we know for sure is this version of Chang'e loves and greaves for Houyi no matter how this ended up happening.

Side note, I remember being confused by pop star Chang'e and then like three quarters in I remember mythologically she was a performer (specifically a dancer if I’m remembering it right) before the whole moon thing. I felt like an idiot for forgetting that.

[Ynot]

Her believing the moon goddess story while still believing science is actually her clinging on to one of the last good memories she has of her mother. They established that right in the beginning of the movie. There was even a line in the beginning when her father, interjected with the story and said, "Does anyone want to hear the scientific explanation?" and she said she thought her Mom's explanation was the best. It isn't that she fully believed it, but not believing it means letting go of her mother's memory and she wasn't ready for that. The belief of the myth is a representation of her mother's memories.

[phantombermuda]

I wanted this to be a separate comment, but i whole heartedly believe that the reason why Fei Fei believes in both science and the moon goddess is because of her parents. Her dad is extremely scientific, but her mom believes in mythology and in the beginning we see that her parents cater to that belief system where, yes the moon is far away and science is real but also Chang'e and her story is very much real. After her mom died, i think she held onto the idea of Chang'e even more which just furthered that belief. Basically, its the mixture of her parents beliefs, thats why Fei Fei believes in both science and mythology

[Elementroar]

The lack of world building may be because to us Chinese, there’s very curious integration of Chinese myth, superstition and folklore in daily life that’s just kinda taken as given, and the film seems specifically targetted at people of Chinese descent. The thing is that Chinese folkloric customs are so ingrained that it’s kinda common to all Chinese populations. Im a Chinese Singaporean, I know about Chang’e, the moon rabbit, and everything. I’ve watched animations and even used text books that used Chang’e as an example. And Singapore’s not purely Chinese, we also have our own myths and traditions that differ a lot from mainlanders (as Chinese here are mixed or already changed, some are Nonya who are mixed of indigenous Malay and Chinese for generations), yet there’s always a set of stories and beliefs that are universal to a lot of Chinese. You could prolly say the same story to Chinese Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Chinese Americans too, they’d know about Chang’e. So the attitude in the film reminds me of how Chinese people treat our folkloric culture - it’s there, always. And we go about life assuming it’s there, and even if it isn’t, it honestly doesn’t really affect our practical daily lives.

[themanwhosayshey]

Nobody talkes about the grandfather. His facts about the crab are amazing.

[cocoroach_ok]

That rabbit side kick is definitely a reference to East Asian's folklore about Moon Rabbit. It's cute reference, I guess

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

Everybody knows the moon is made of cheese, Gromit

[c.lawnmower_]

As a Chinese guy who is somewhat detached from my culture (not as bad as my friends), I absolutely loved this movie. The plot is mostly just ok for me, but the music absolutely hits, since you hear the Chinese influences. It’s also so pretty!!! The part that really broke me watching it was at the end when Fei Fei was sitting at the dinner table with her family. The fact that it’s beautifully animated movie where a little Chinese girl sits at a Chinese table with Chinese food on it watching her Chinese relatives interact really hit. I’ve always said representation matters but I don’t think I’ve ever really processed why until this movie. My culture is being showcased in a great movie and that just feels amazing. Every time I listen to Rocket to the Moon, I want to cry.

[sarabearah_]

I can’t believe you forgot to mention Audrey Wells. The writer of the movie. She wrote this while she was dying from cancer for her daughter and husband. This movie is also a personal message

[cd]

i must admit i inmediatly fell in love with Chang'e. she was so beautiful, and her outfits, her personality. it killed me

It's weird how when Saber was talking about "Disney checkboxes" he didn't mention the dead parent

[lochness]

This probably isn’t a coincidence, but I feel like Yue and Sokka’s love story may have been inspired by the Moon Goddess myth

[MsDangerouscrayon]

As someone who lived in China and has Chinese heritage, this movie made me really happy. I saw elements in the film that were familiar to my daily life (like ping-pong, square dances and the way Chinese grandmas stuff you with food) in China and one of my favorite legends is the centerpiece of the film. I liked how beautifully animated it was and the songs were mostly pretty good! I liked how Chang'e when you first meet her, is seemingly cool and confident but is really broken and grieving when it comes down to it. It really drives home how many people try to bury their sadness deep down and not actually address it. Overall, a solid 9/10 film.

[PrincessSlytherClaw]

With regards to the 'world building' I really liked how, "zoomed in" it was. This story is about a girl processing the loss of her mother written by a dying mother. Audrey Wells wrote it as she was battling cancer, so this was her saying good bye and I love you and it's okay to find new love and happiness, The process of Grief is a personal one, so it makes sense that the story would be very personal. I would've liked a bit more about Chin (His dad is gone, could've drawn parallels with FeiFei, and maybe if the movie was longer or aimed at an older audience they would've), but it seemed to me that the animal sidekicks were like a shorthand to draw those parallels.

As far as not learning about the Lunarians. They were made from tears and dust, their purpose was to provide company for Chang'e. So I think that's all we needed to know for the story being told.

As far as her believing in Chang'e on the moon and Science: People contain multitudes. And she's a kid. If she was scientifically inclined and believed in Santa, we wouldn't rag on her; there's plenty of Christian Scientists. If she was grown-up we would understand her belief as maybe more metaphorical.

(And with all kindness and respect, the bit about not being able to pronounce names falls flat when it is said constantly throughout the movie.)

[SirXer]

I liked that she was into science and also believed the mythology of the moon goddess, I think kids should enjoy STEM while still having their imagination!

[rimjobledouche]

"Ultraluminary" is an absolute banger.

[prizmarvalschi]

Chang'e in her myth is either a selfish, desperate wife who's willing to leave her husband to die a mortal, or a selfless, loving wife who's willing to self sacrifice for her husband's safety and well-being. Either way, her husband remains mortal and dies while she remains on the moon cuz she's technically banished from heaven and on the count of being immortal, can't stay on earth. Tragic on both ends but one of them is sweeter