Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Not even very young kids will be over the moon.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Fly Me to the Moon
What's the Story?
In May 1969, daydreaming young house fly Nat (voiced by Trevor Gagnon) and his two pals -- brainy IQ (Philip Bolden) and chubby Scooter (David Gore) -- stow away on the Apollo 11 with NASA astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins. Back on Earth, the fly boys' families, led by Nat's daring Grandpa (Christopher Lloyd) -- who accompanied Amelia Earhart on her cross-Atlantic flight -- must fend off menacing Soviet flies from sabotaging the moon mission.
Is It Any Good?
Although FLY ME TO THE MOON's inventive 3D scenes are well-executed (director Ben Stassen is a 3D specialist), the movie's pacing and plot development are amateurishly flat. There's not much dramatic tension (a key element of most animated adventures), and the main characters, while cute, just don't engage viewers. For some reason, Nat and IQ continuously implore Scooter to go on a diet -- so much so that one sequence seemed like a weight-loss PSA aimed at kids. Unfortunately, preachy anti-obesity speeches don't make for entertaining dialogue.
The most exciting character is Grandpa, who gets back into action when Soviet flies dispatched from the Kremlin (the sight of flies dressed like uniformed Communist operatives is one of the rare laugh-aloud moments) try to disrupt NASA control's communication system. (Yes, you should be prepared to answer questions about the Cold War after the credits.) It's too bad the movie didn't focus on Grandpa's exploits. He's one fly who shouldn't get swatted.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the small flies made a big difference. Parents, if your kids are interested/need plot clarification, explain the history of the space program and explain the central role of the long-standing competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. Ask kids how they think things have changed since the '60s. Is space exploration as big a deal as it was back then? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 13, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : December 1, 2008
- Cast : Christopher Lloyd , Ed Begley Jr. , Kelly Ripa
- Director : Ben Stassen
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Summit Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , History
- Run time : 81 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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