It’s lonely up there for the man in the moon. So one day, he grabs the tail of a passing shooting star and heads to Earth for an adventure which teaches him the best and worst that humanity has to offer. Written in 1966, French illustrator Tomi Ungerer’s book is children’s classic, and its simple faith in the meaning of friendship is retained in this animated feature narrated by the author himself (in English).
With its graphical mélange of America and Europe, we’re clearly in a different imaginative universe from Hollywood animation, though the downside is some frustratingly slack storytelling. Still, film’s whimsical charm is a thing of loveliness. Adults may long for a bit more impetus in the lackadaisical narrative. But younger viewers will be entranced by the child-like wonder the Moon Man inspires in others, as this ingratiating little character discovers that children, of course, have the truest hearts.