Over the Moon Parent Guide

Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) and her parents live a happy life baking and selling mooncakes and telling stories of the Moon Goddess Chang’e, until her mother tragically passes away from an illness. Four years later, her father (John Cho) brings home a new girlfriend (Sandra Oh) and her 8-year-old son, Chin (Robert G. Chiu). Feeling betrayed, Fei Fei builds a rocket to the moon to find Chang’e and prove to her father that love is eternal. Once on the moon, Fei Fei discovers that Chang’e (Phillipa Soo) is not what she expected.

Director Glen Keane has a long history in film, working in animation and character design for a number of Disney films, including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled. That history is on full display in Over the Moon, which feels a lot like a Disney musical in many respects. From the very first scenes, Over the Moon latches onto your heartstrings and does not let go until the credits roll. The musical numbers are a perfect accompaniment to an emotional story and do not detract from the flow of the narrative. Aside from the beautiful themes woven throughout, which I will touch on in more detail later, the star of this film is the visuals. Chinese mythology and art combine with fantasy elements to create a lush, colorful world full of life. Almost every moment is a feast for the eyes. The vocal performances, especially from Ang and Soo, are wonderfully done and add depth to this world.

Where Over the Moon shines the brightest is in its message. Fei Fei and Chang’e both learn to move through grief and accept that those we love never truly leave us. They both realize that giving love to new people in our lives does not take away from the love that we have for those who are gone. It’s ok to grieve, but we also need to find ways to move forward. These are powerful lessons, not just for children, but for people of all ages. Fei Fei is no damsel in distress, she is smart, resourceful, and thoughtful. Her emotions are never shown to be a weakness. Her ability to love so deeply is a strength, and her grief does not debilitate her. She uses her interests and talents in math and engineering to solve her problems, combining science and mythology in a beautiful way. Fei Fei is a character I think any parent would be pleased to have their child look up to.

Is this movie perfect? No. I could quibble about some of the story beats and pacing, and there are a few minor continuity errors I noticed. But the characters, themes, and visuals are so strong that it doesn’t matter. I would put Over the Moon on a similar level as most Pixar or Disney animated films; it really rises above the quality I’ve come to expect from Netflix. With almost no content concerns, I think that Over the Moon has the potential to become a family favorite for years to come.