Fly Me to the Moon

Director: Ben Stassen

Starring: Trevor Gagnon, Christopher Lloyd, Robert Patrick, Kelly Ripa

It's 1969, and a young fly named Nat (voiced by Trevor Gagnon) dreams of exploring space, his imagination fuelled by the stories of his grandfather (Christopher Lloyd). Deciding to follow his dream, he stows away (along with his friends IQ and Scooter) with Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong on board the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Apart from the obvious perils of space exploration, a further obstacle arises with a maniacal Russian fly (Tim Curry) who tries to sabotage the mission for his motherland. While at times it feels like a Nasa promotional video, it's difficult to be too hard on a film that is so intent on pleasing its target audiences. Teaching the space race by wrapping it around a story of talking flies may seem odd, but there's a charm to the film that is enhanced by the 3D, which is clearly suited to the subject matter. The voice talent is well chosen, too, with Curry in particular reproducing his standard over-the-top baddie performance in insect form. Although the film, first released in America in early 2008, predates such spectacles as Pixar's Up and Toy Story 3, it is hard not to view it as somewhat basic by comparison. Nonetheless, it is a family story meant for younger viewers, and passes by without too much effort.