Moon Man

Based on the 1966 children's book by illustrious illustrator Tomi Ungerer, this gently entertaining fantasy goes against the grain of the the average Hollywood animated fare. The story of a bored Man in the Moon who catches a comet to Earth to find some excitement is depicted via old-school hand-drawn animation. (Those who prefer CGI extravaganzas by Pixar or DreamWorks should beware.) The little lunar man, who resembles an even paler version of Uncle Fester (from The Addams Family) only with the voice and innocence of ET the Extra-Terrestrial, quickly embraces the sensory wonder of the planet but soon falls foul of a megalomaniac Earth president and his desire to land on the Moon. There are obligatory messages for children about love, trust and friendship, however there are also some amusing sight gags (seemingly stuffed animals that turn out to be alive), beautifully rendered visuals and an eclectic music score (Louis Armstrong, Iron Butterfly). Sentimental it is not, just charming and quaintly unassuming.