'Moonshot' review: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse rom-com is predictable but sweet

Lana Condor’s performance in Netflix’s delightful To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before immediately established her as the potential new queen of the romantic-comedy.

While its subsequent sequels, To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All The Boys: Always And Forever, didn’t quite match the acclaim and popularity of the original, Condor was still just as sweet, funny and charming.

'Moonshot'

Director: Chris Winterbauer

Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse

Rating: 3/5

With 2021’s Always And Forever having seemingly brought the To All The Boys franchise to a close, Moonshot marks Condor’s first return to the genre. But rather than just being a straight forward romantic-comedy, Moonshot is a science-fiction film, too.

Set in 2049, Moonshot unfolds in a future where Mars has been terraformed and colonised by the very best that humanity has to offer. Thus, it only takes a month to travel from Earth to the Red Planet.

Student/barista Walt (Cole Sprouse) has applied to be part of the Kovi Industries Student Mars Programme on 37 occasions, only to be rejected each time. Meanwhile, Sophie (Condor) has been waiting to complete her studies before joining her long-term boyfriend Calvin (Mason Gooding) on Mars.

Walt decides that he has to get to Mars as quickly as possible after spending a romantic night with Ginny (Emily Rudd), only for her to reveal that she’s travelling to the planet the very next morning. Unable to afford a ticket, Walt manipulates Sophie into helping him sneak onboard.

Over the course of the journey, Walt and Sophie start to grow closer. At the same time, though, he has to pretend to be Calvin, otherwise he’ll immediately be sent back to Earth once they arrive.

Despite Condor’s past achievements in the rom-com genre, and her more prominent star status, she actually plays second fiddle to Sprouse for most of Moonshot. That’s especially true of the opening act of the film, which is focused on showing just how desperate Walt is to make it off Earth.

'Moonshot' unfolds in a future where Mars has been terraformed and colonised by the very best that humanity has to offer. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

In fact, it actually takes a while to warm to Condor’s Sophie. Not only is she a little smug and dismissive at first, but there’s very little of the humour or warmth that made her performances in the To All The Boys films so memorable. Luckily for Moonshot, Sprouse’s eagerness and charm papers over these cracks, while he also quickly makes her character more relatable when they’re together.

The more scenes that the pair share, the more sweet and engaging the film becomes. Rather than instantly making viewers pine for them to be together, Moonshot spends its time trying to build a genuine connection. In the process, Sophie becomes much more honest, as well as funny and vulnerable, all of which Condor sells with aplomb.

Sprouse deserves special praise for bringing an entertaining energy to Moonshot. At first, you can’t help but worry that his eagerness might soon become annoying. Thankfully, that never proves to be the case, as Max Taxe’s script constantly reminds viewers that he’s the underdog, while his doggedness and positivity erodes even his most irritating tendencies.

Cole Sprouse brings an entertaining energy to 'Moonshot'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Even though it’s enjoyable to watch them on-screen together, Sprouse and Condor’s chemistry doesn’t come close to matching her rapport with Noah Centineo in the To All The Boys trilogy. At times, they come across more as warring siblings instead of two people slowly falling in love as they make their way across the universe.

Despite the lack of fire and passion between its two leads, Moonshot always manages to remain engaging because of its pacy script, smart direction, and top-notch supporting cast. Zach Braff, Michele Buteau and Peter Woodward, who voices Gary the robot, all inject some much-needed laughs, where the film otherwise would have sagged.

While Taxe’s script does needlessly over-explain plot details on occasion, it also has some solid quips and one-liners. More than that, it’s also earnest and, at times, surprisingly deep. This meshes perfectly with sophomore director Chris Winterbauer’s light and playful vision for the film. His bright colour choices and inoffensive tone ensure that Moonshot is at least visually interesting, even as it plods along to its predictable conclusion.

Moonshot is out in UAE cinemas from April 21

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Date started: Okadoc, 2018

Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Healthcare

Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth

Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February

Investors: Undisclosed

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Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

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Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

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Guide to intelligent investing

Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:

Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.

THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
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Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses

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The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 611bhp

Torque: 620Nm

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Price: upon application

On sale: now

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour