Over The Moon Review

A movie about a Chinese girl who loves science and is named Fei Fei. Could I get any more representation? Well, maybe if she was adopted. 

I sat down to watch Over the Moon after reading my fellow Chinese adoptees’ posts about how much they loved the movie. I have to agree. I immediately related to Fei Fei (and not just because my name is Lilly Fei). I loved her tenacity and determination. 

My heart broke a little (as it does with every children’s movie) when Fei Fei loses her mother and struggles with her father’s impending engagement to Ms. Zhong. The Moon Festival is a time for families to come together. Watching that in this movie and knowing I didn’t have that made me long for my first family in China. 

I was unsure about the songs in the beginning, but they quickly grew on me. They were catchy and up-beat. The animation that accompanied the music was vibrant and fantastic. I couldn’t look away. The pacing was good. I didn’t feel like any part was too slow. The movie was a good amount of time for my attention span. 

Chang’e’s style was beautiful. It made me want to put on my qipao and embrace more of my identity. I didn’t do that, but I did put on my jade necklace (coincidentally the same as hers!). Getting to see some of the culture and hear some of the language brought me so much joy. I feel like a little girl looking up to Mulan again. 

While the story is fantasy (I really had to convince myself that one could survive on the moon without equipment), Fei Fei was a relatable character with real struggles. I am so glad to have this character. Representation matters.