Saw Over the Moon, an animated film about a Korean girl whose father is re-marrying. In a quest to prove that love is immortal, the girl travels to the moon to prove that the mythical moon goddess Chang'e truly exists. It's very a touching and yet commercial film. It's not challenging or very illuminating to an adult, but it is delightful and so colorful.
The film brings some fresh (to me) Korean symbolism of chickens and cranes and pangolins to the story. There's a wonderful K-pop inflected song that the moon goddess has and the Moon festival is a central event in the film. It's a Disney-style educational pamphlet of Korean mythology. The film uses the trappings and images of the myth and largely ignores any moral or lesson behind it (ultimately, the original story has is frankly subverted.)
The film opens with a sequence where the protagonist's biological mother sickens and dies which evokes Up's opening gut-punch. Also like Up, this film deals with moving on and not letting regrets keep you from growing and living. The film is much more direct than Up was however, and is more clear in its messaging.
It's also just gorgeously colorful. I loved the moon city and the adorable, glowing, merging and dividing, delicious-looking creatures there. Everything sparkles and twinkles and shines. It's a little cloying, but it's well done and a kid's movie anyway so what do you want?
I enjoyed the film. In an ideal world, it would maybe be a bit more subtle and artful and coy in its message and ultimate lessons, but of course I'm not exactly the intended audience and such an approach wouldn't be appropriate for children. It's a good kid's movie.
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