Moonwalkers

Rupert Grint will forever be known as the actor who played Ron Weasley...no matter how many more films he makes and even if the films are nothing like the Harry Potter franchise. Because of this, some folks might be a bit aghast at his latest film, "Moonwalkers", as he's about as far from Ron Weasley as you could imagine! Instead of the angst-filled teen, here he's an adult living back in 1969 and he hangs with a pretty wild crowd of weirdos. He and his friends take drugs, hang out at avant garde parties where clothing is surely optional and he's a bit of a crook! In addition, he's joined by Ron Perlman...a very strange combination to say the least!

This film is a strange sort of what if movie. The premise is that the US government isn't totally sure that they will actually be able to get the first men on the moon safely...so they have a back-up plan. A CIA operative, Kidman (Perlman), is instructed to travel to Britain in order to convince Stanley Kubrick (yes...THAT Stanley Kubrick) to film a fake moon landing...just in case the real one fails. That way, as a back-up they can claim that the mission was a rousing success. To get Kubrick's cooperation, Kidman has a briefcase filled with cash...and instructions to kill the famed director of 2001 should they need to use his footage in order to prevent the truth from being revealed. However, when Kidman arrives at the office of Kubrick's agent to discuss the matter, the agent is out and his loser cousin Jonny (Grint) is there and Kidman mistakenly thinks Jonny is the man's agent. As for Jonny, he at first tries to tell Kidman about the mistake but then realizes that this might be the answer to all his financial problems. After all, gangsters are already talking about emasculating him if he doesn't pay them....immediately. And, Kidman has a briefcase filled with cash. So, Jonny decides to have one of his strange friends impersonate the director and con Kidman out of the money. However, there is much more to this story and it takes many, many strange and unpredictable turns. I challenge you to guess where the film will go next!

While this all sounds like a comedy, and it is of sorts, I must warn you that the film is extremely violent and filled will all sorts of things your mother would not approve of...well, at least my mother! There's quite a bit of nudity, harsh language and heads exploding galore...and the movie clearly has earned its R rating. In many ways, the film plays a lot like an early Guy Ritchie film like "Snatch" or "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"...it's funny but incredibly violent and not to everyone's taste. As for me, I really dislike 'ultra-violence' but can, on rare occasions, allow myself to endure it if the plot is good and engaging. While I wouldn't put it in the category of the two Ritchie films I mentioned since the story doesn't quite fit together as well as a Ritchie film, it was enjoyable and I recommend you see it...mostly because it is incredibly unique and, at times, fun. Of course, at other times, there are heads exploding, blood flying and boobs...so think twice before you consider seeing this one.

As far as the theaters go, this film came and went almost at the same time. While it was debuted in January, it's already on DVD and debuted on Netflix this week. I really think it's a case where the studio just didn't know what to do with the film or how to market it...it's that strange. It's definitely an acquired taste...but one I am glad I tried. With some excellent acting, a goofy script and some memorable characters, the good easily outweighed the negatives in this one.

A Wild and Off-Beat B-Movie with very Broad Strokes and is All Over the Map with its Outrageous Plot about Stanley Kubrick Faking the Moon Landing.

Set in the Psychedelic Sixties it spares Nothing and No One with its Ultra-Violence and Over the Top Characterizations. It's a Colorful, Mad-Cap, Action-Comedy that Hits the mark most of the time and is an Entertaining Effort with an Abundance of Artistic Flare.

Ron Pelleman is Superb as a CIA Agent that is in the Center of this Whirlpool of Government Conspiracies and Gangland Comeuppance. Violent and Sleazy, it contains Nudity and Gore but the Impressive Production Design alone is Worth the Price of Admission.

Rupert Grint (of Harry Potter fame) is also quite Good as the "Loser" Rock Band Manager who Stumbles and Bumbles but Charms His way through Outlandish Situations. There's one Acid-Dropping Scene with Pelleman that is a Standout.

Overall, Worth a Watch for "Artsy" Types and Anyone who Enjoys Off-Kilter Cinema with a Good Cast, a Quirky Story, and the Talent to Deliver such a Maniacal Movie and make it all work.

The poster, the cast and the plot made it seem like it could be an amazing movie, albeit it's far from amazing it's still entertaining.

I expected a more realistic approach on tackling one of the greatest conspiracy theories of our time, the one that is about the moonlanding in 1969 being staged (in order to beat the Russians to the task so they would still be seen as the most powerful country in the world).

A theory that I actually believe could be a true one but I won't dig too deep into that because if that actually did happen how it happen would most likely differ substantially from the plot of this movie as this one is solely about the comedy... and the action, which there was plentyful of, to the point that it might get too bloody for some sensitive viewers.

A lot of sex, drugs and rock n roll as well.

The acting is fine, Rupert Grint does really well in comedies as he's proved before with the slightly better 'WILD TARGET (2010)' which also got him entangled with gangsters.

Robert Sheehan I didn't even recognize as the bearded hippie-friend of Grint, despite 'THE ROAD WITHIN' with Sheehan being one of my favorite movies of 2015, so yeah he was good too.

Ron Pearlman does his thing as always.

Gets a little too druggy at times perhaps and the pre-credit montage was a little too much but overall yeah solid enough entertainment for sure.

Also the movie clocks in at 97 minutes not 107 minutes like IMDb lists it at.

Looks like an American film but is not: although shot in English, is a French-Belgian production on the script of English screenwriter Dean Craig.

It's a funny and ironic film, celebrating the psychedelic atmosphere of the swinging London (we are in June '69). You won't really laugh but you will have a good time watching: who doesn't like to watch magic mushroom-eating guys playing the good ones?

Everybody acts sensationally and the characters are so good that you will easily imagine a sequel. One word about the cast: Ron Perlman and Rupert Grint steal the scene but males will surely also notice beautiful Belgian actress Erika Sainte, previously unknown to greater American and British audiences

Seen at the Etrange Festival where it won the Audience Award. One of the coolest stoner comedy with a - as always - fantastic Ron Perlman and a Rupert Grint who obviously wanted to exit from the Harry Potter era. Regardless of the subject, this movie was for me an enormous laugh from the opening credits to the very end. It was even better because I didn't know anything about it, in particular that it was a comedy. Ron Perlman is sent by the CIA to England to shoot a fake movie of the moon landing directed by Stanley Kubrick in case of failure of the Apollo 11 mission. Of course, nothing happens as expected. Don't expect Citizen Kane, but I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.