Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fake moon-landing chiller is no Blair Witch in space.
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Apollo 18
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
Based on 29 kid reviews
Kids say that the film is mostly boring, with many finding it unsuitable for children due to its violent and disturbing content, including jump scares and gore. Some enjoyed its found-footage style and a few thrilling moments, but overall, the negative reviews highlight its clichéd scares and lackluster plot, with mixed opinions on its suitability for younger viewers.
- boring
- mixed reviews
- unsuitable for children
- jump scares
- clichéd plot
- some enjoyable moments
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Just as NASA is about to cancel its manned moon missions, it prepares for one more trip, a top-secret voyage to plant a radar device on the lunar surface to keep tabs on the Russians. The Apollo 18 mission lands successfully, and the astronauts (played by Warren Christie and Lloyd Owen) go for their moon walk. Unfortunately, they find an abandoned Russian craft, plus evidence of foul play. Soon, strange things begin happening aboard their own ship, and one of the astronauts is wounded by an unseen invader. Worse, their radio contact with Earth is knocked out. Will these brave men ever return home?
Is It Any Good?
The fake "found footage" genre has really started to wear out its welcome; this movie really shows the drawbacks and limitations of the format. APOLLO 18 always seems like an attempt at a scary movie edited by scary movie-makers, rather than an actual document from the NASA vaults. It's never convincing, except perhaps for the pre-flight interviews conducted on Earth. And the picture's constant twitching and dropping out gets annoying.
On the moon, there's hardly any drama or character development to keep things moving. The moon monsters -- when they're finally revealed -- are fairly pathetic, and we barely know the characters, so there's no one to root for. What's more, the film's general tone is so downbeat and hopeless that it's not the least bit fun. The best thing you can say about this movie is that it's not too long.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's violence. Is it scary? In general, which has more impact -- seeing frightening things take place or knowing that they're happening but not being able to see them?
Does this film really look or feel like it's made out of real found footage? How does the editing affect that perception? How does this compare to other movies using a similar style?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 2, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : December 27, 2011
- Cast : Lloyd Owen , Ryan Robbins , Warren Christie
- Director : Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego
- Studios : Dimension , Weinstein Co.
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some disturbing sequences, and language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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