I haven't seen a whole lot of movies this summer, including most of the big action blockbusters. Maybe I'm just tired of having my senses (or sensibilities) assaulted, but I really haven't missed them any.

That said, me and a couple of friends wanted to go see something, so we looked through the listings and found Moon.

Moon has kind of fallen under the radar this summer since it's not a big-budget, well-advertised, mainstream-audience movie. But it is well-reviewed, and looked like it would fall into that more serious 2001-type sci-fi movie genre that we all liked, so we went for it.

Moon is part 2001, part Silent Running, with a little bit of Blade Runner thrown in. And while Moon isn't in the caliber of those films, it's still a good film in its own right. It's not an action film by any stretch - it's more of a tense, thought-provoking, introspective piece; something on a smaller, more intimate scale. Yet despite its more modest scope, the production values and special effects are still excellent and they fit the story perfectly fine.

Some elements of the story itself are a bit predictable, although figuring out exactly how it was going to end kept us guessing (and some key questions were left unanswered - which was just fine with me, since I like the sort of discussions that generates). What really makes the film compelling though is Sam Rockwell's performance in a dual role, where he's esentially playing the same character, but from somewhat different points-of-view. He really makes this film work, and well-worth seeing. If you're looking for something a little different from the run-of-the-mill summer fare, and have about a ninety-seven minutes to spend (it's a surprisingly short film), do yourself a favor and check out Moon. Besides, you'll probably have the theater to yourself.

8/10