The new space-disaster movie Moonfall comes with crucial warnings clearly posted. First of all, it's a film by the shameless CGI merchant Roland Emmerich, who hasn't delivered a really sharp picture since early in the Clinton Administration. The second tip-off, for those who pay attention to such things, is a writing credit for Harald Kloser, who previously co-wrote two of Emmerich's silliest films, 2012 (2009) and the head-slappingly ridiculous 10,000 BC (2008). Then there's Emmerich's trademark digital-effects overload, which is annoying even in the movie's trailer, in which skies are darkened by chunks of tumbling space debris that could also pass as very large intergalactic insects.
In the actual movie we find the director repeating himself, never a happy development. Once again there are sad parents, winsome kids, cratering real estate, and a really big tidal wave. This time, though, the movie's rampant computerization and subpar lighting design make whole scenes look fake, and cliché shaky-cam photography is a recurring annoyance.
