Moon 44 *** (1990, Michael Paré, Lisa Eichhorn, Dean Devlin, Malcolm McDowell) – Classic Movie Review 11,334

‘A galactic adventure from the excitement zone!’

Director Roland Emmerich’s lively and likeable 1990 West German B-movie-style sci-fi action thriller Moon 44 stars Michael Paré, Lisa Eichhorn and Malcolm McDowell.

It is 2038, and multi-nationals vie for control of lunar resources and undercover internal affairs agent Felix Stone (Paré) is sent in to prevent a terrorist attack and to find out what is really going on beneath the surface of moon 44.

Moon 44 is a wiz-bang action adventure set in a rather clichéd future with a story that delivers all the usual sci-fi goods, and some knockout special effects. Perhaps it fails to add anything new to the genre, but there is a nice spirit, a good score, exciting action and decent performances, with Paré making a sterling hero.

It might not be Star Wars (1977), but it is still good fun.

Also in the cast are Dean Devlin, Brian Thompson, Stephen Geoffreys, Leon Rippy, Jochen Nickel, Roscoe Lee Browne, Renée Estevez, and Mehmet Yilmaz [Mechmed Yilmaz].

Moon 44 is directed by Roland Emmerich, runs 98 minutes, is made by Centropolis Filmproduktion and Overseas FilmGroup, released by Medusa Pictures (1990) (UK), is written by Dean Heyde and Oliver Eberle, based on a story by Roland Emmerich, P J Mitchell, Dean Heyde and Oliver Eberle, is shot in colour and Panavision by Karl Walter Lindenlaub, is produced by Michael Scordino (executive producer), Dean Heyde and Roland Emmerich, and scored by Joel Goldsmith, with Production Design by Oliver Scholl, Special Effects by Volker Engel (special effects supervisor), and Visual Effects by Robert Gerard Brown (special visual effects director).

It was shot in English in Germany between December 1988 and February 1989.

Stuttgart-born Roland Emmerich is the German director of blockbusters Universal Soldier (1992), Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), The Patriot (2000), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), 10,000 BC (2008), 2012 (2009), and White House Down (2013).

He decided to be a director after watching Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). He often features the number 44 in his films to access Moon 44. He credits the help of Sylvester Stallone, who was impressed with Moon 44 and began recommending Emmerich to producers around Hollywood.

He met actor Dean Devlin on Moon 44 and Devlin became Emmerich’s writing and producing partner in Hollywood.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,334

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