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Fly to the Moon isn’t anything new, but it’s colorful, clean and wholesome entertainment for the family.

Fly Me to the Moon is an animated 3-D version of the first moon landing in 1969, as told through the eyes of three small flies. Cute, fun and colorful, the simplistic but pleasant film features detailed, crisp animation and solid voice work. Moon isn’t anything new or truly innovative, but is enjoyable, clean entertainment and a fun way for the whole family to beat the summer heat.

Moon concerns three American houseflies – Nat (Trevor Gagnon), I.Q. (Phillip Bolden) and Scooter (David Gore), who stowaway on the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. Nat is the sensible one, I.Q. the book smart one, and Scooter the hungry one. Bored and unfulfilled, the three young boys seek adventure, fun and to make a name for themselves. They have the wholehearted support of Nat’s Grandpa (Christopher Lloyd) and the doubt of Nat’s mom (Kelly Ripa). Some angry Russian flies led by Poopchev (Ed Begley Jr.), Yegor (Tim Curry) and Nadia (Nicolette Sheridan) threaten the fate of our heroic space flies and everyone must work together to ensure a safe homecoming for Nat, I.Q. and Scooter.

Moon is the first feature-length animated film produced specifically for the 3D format, and it works well with the simple, predictable story. The film was produced by nWave Pictures, who have produced shorter 3D animated films in the IMAX format, but this is their first feature-length film. Moon is a good diversion especially for the younger kids, who’ll enjoy watching it in those 3D glasses. The 3D aspect is a nice addition, though the story could’ve worked just as easily without it.

Speaking of which, Moon’s storytelling and characters lack the refreshing originality you’d find in any Pixar feature, but it makes up for it in the clean, detailed animation and some whimsical moments (those young maggots are the most fun). Bright and colorful, the highlight of the film is the detailed recreation of the moon landing, and astronauts Buzz Aldrin (who makes an appearance at the end of the movie) and Neil Armstrong should be happy with their animated CG versions. One drawback, though: human movements are stiff and slow, far less so than the real stars of Moon - the flies.

Fly Me to the Moon does have some memorable, energetic voice work, with screen veteran Lloyd (most notably of the Back to the Future films and Taxi) the most recognizable as the gruff old fly who still has a little kick left in him. The three young boys – Gagnon, Bolden, and Gore – all veterans of the small screen - voice their lines well, and TV talk-show host Ripa also has a few laughs as Nat’s worrisome, fainting Mom.

Adrienne Barbeau (The Thing, Swamp Thing) fans take note, she has a small role voicing one of the other Mom’s, but listen closely, as she has nary a few lines. In addition, with the exception of maybe Tim Curry, the actors voicing the Russian flies are good (maybe too good) but hardly recognizable under their thick Russian accents. You would hardly know that those flies were the voices of Ed Begley, Jr. and especially Desperate Housewife Nicolette Sheridan.

The real Aldrin’s aforementioned appearance at the end squashes the notion that flies could’ve actually been on Apollo 11 – a downer given the whole premise of the film – though it gives Fly Me to the Moon some credibility as far as space goes.

More than Aldrin himself, the real judges for Fly Me to the Moon should be the kids and their enjoyment level. A pleasant story, the bright 3D animation and a little popcorn thrown in should add up to enough wholesome levity to keep the kiddoes out of trouble for a bit – and you can’t ask for more than that.

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