The First Men in the Moon (2010) Reviews

• One of the better Hg Wells adaptations.

  SinisterCreep2011-01-23

  After so many bad Hg Wells film and TV adaptations it's nice to see one that's quite faithful to the original story and well made. the acting's great, so is the script and it should make you smile. It's well worth a watch if you like Wells stories and sci fi in general. The pacing was well done unlike for instance the new series of Dr Who has been since it came back in 2005. The special effects aren't too bad either. the selenites themselves are well done and there's also a nod to the old George Melies silent film which was a really nice touch. the only real downside i thought was we didn't see much of the Selenites world underneath the moon. I'd like to have seen some more spectacular scenery like giant caves and the impression there's a city of selenites under the moon. Still I liked it and will be watching it again.

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• Space travel for Edwardian adventurers.

  june17-875-6660952010-10-19

  It's only been on for 15 minutes and I love it! Thankyou Mark Gatiss for finding this brilliant novel, and presumably the previous film version, and remaking it for today. Clever and funny and hopefully immensely sad ( haven't got to that bit yet.....)it tells of before we knew more than that the stars twinkled and other worlds existed, and chances were that aliens lived in darkest Africa. If you've ever loved Edwardian schoolboy stories, or looked for adventure in everyday happenings - or imagined yourself living in a time when there was no cynicism, Science was King, and literally ANYTHING was possible - then enjoy this. The acting is good too - it's like tome travel....

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• Wonderful

  zygonjon2010-10-24

  The First Men in the Moon is a delightfully slow-paced, contemplative science fiction drama with enough depth to keep the viewer intrigued for the full 1 hour 30 minutes. The CGI wasn't great but this didn't really detract from the story, and the cheap animation actually seemed to make it more charming - it certainly has a hint of Harryhausen, as a previous reviewer pointed out. There was enough in common with the 1964 adaption to satisfy aficionados but also definite refinements - the 'apple' Cavorite scene, for instance, was far classier than the same scene from the previous version (which involved a chair). There was also a wonderful sense of innovation and quirkiness throughout; the Le Voyage dans la Lune style dream sequence did seem a little disconnected but was a great touch, and very avant-garde. Overall, watching The First Men in the Moon is an enthralling and thoroughly original experience.

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• Decent adaptation

  neil-4762010-10-19

  HG Wells' First Men In The Moon, previously visited in what is probably Ray Harryhausen's most lacklustre movie, gets a revised adaptation by, and starring, Mark Gatiss. The adaptation is fine - both faithful to the original but with a knowingly contemporary air to it. Gatiss and Rory Kinnear, as the two main actors, are both very good. The production is well staged, too, looking authentically Victorian. Only the lunar exteriors look somewhat stagebound (hardly surprising, perhaps), while the interiors are nicely convincing. The CGI Selenites look very similar to Harryhausen's stop motion models - they both follow Wells' description - and the animation is fine, although the integration into the background plates isn't always successful. But overall, this must be judged a successful and very welcome update.

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• A ponderous adaptation

  Fatboydim2010-10-30

  This adaptation seemed void of any dramatic tension and had very little comedy. It has it's moments, but I'm struggling to think of them having just watched the film. Far too often the characters would just ramble on and on, spouting exposition. Uncomfortably trying to shoehorn between Wells's original fantasy vision and the reality of science as we understand it today. Gatis wrote the screenplay and needed a strong editor. The direction and sets were equally uninspiring. Whereas the 1964 movie lives on in my memory - this version will be quickly forgotten. All in all it was like a bad episode of Dr Who. I also have to say the make up was appalling. Rory Kinnear's fake beard looked ridiculous.

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