Boasting wonderful visual effects but a thin storyline and lame gags, director Ben Stassen's 3-D animated Fly Me to the Moon (presented on DVD in both 2-D and 3-D, with two pairs of 3-D glasses) “stars” three adolescent flies (voiced by Trevor Gagnon, Philip Daniel Bolden, and David Gore) whose yearning for adventure brings them to the site of the 1969 Apollo 11 launch. Having learned that Russian spy-flies plan on sabotaging the moon mission, the trio hitch a ride, managing to save the astronauts when an electrical short in the wiring poses grave danger (interestingly, real-life Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin appears at film's end to assure viewers that no insect could ever get inside a NASA spacecraft). Some of the vocal work is fine—especially that of Christopher Lloyd, Kelly Ripa, and Nicolette Sheridan—but you can tell that these talented actors are struggling to inject oomph into the clichéd dialogue and corny gags. Unfortunately, the plot just isn't strong enough to sustain 90 minutes, so even though there's no denying that Fly Me to the Moon features 3-D effects that are often extraordinary, it's purely flyweight, narrative-wise. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: Featuring both the 2-D and 3-D versions of the film (with two pairs of 3-D glasses included), DVD extras include an interactive planetarium game. Bottom line: a so-so extras package for a disappointing family film.] (E. Hulse)
Fly Me to the Moon
Summit, 89 min., G, DVD: $25.99, Dec. 2 Volume 23, Issue 5
Fly Me to the Moon
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