Nat, IQ, and Scooter are tween-aged pals with a fascination for rockets, spaceflight, and adventure. Not all that unusual in 1969, when everyone is on the edge of their seats as NASA prepares to send a mission to the moon. What is unusual is that Nat and friends aren’t your typical young boys of the period. In point of fact, they’re not really boys at all… they’re flies. And they want to be the first flies on the moon. Hey, everyone needs a goal right?

That’s pretty much the entire plot of Ben Stassen’s made-for-3D animated film Fly Me To The Moon. Billed as the first film conceived, created, and produced in 3D for a 3D-only release into theaters, this film has lofty goals to demonstrate the potential of the 3D format. Does it work? Not as well as I would have liked. But I can’t really blame that on the 3D technology.

Visually the film is a treat. It opens with a thrilling shot that does indeed demonstrate the capabilities of modern 3D film. We’ve certainly come a long way from the red and blue cardboard glasses of my youth. Early scenes in the film elicited frequent “oohs” and “ahhs” from the audience with whom I watched it. Those soon died away to silence, punctuated by an occasional quiet chuckle and the rustle of adults checking the time and struggling to stay awake.

And that’s the nail in the Fly Me To The Moon coffin… it just isn’t all that entertaining or fun once the novelty of 3D has worn off. Audiences are now used to digitally-animated films from the likes of Pixar and have come to expect an engaging story with their serving of thrilling visuals. Anything less—even with an extra dimension or two thrown in—just doesn’t satisfy.

Not even name-brand voice actors in the form of Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry, Kelly Ripa and others can ride to the aid of this film. You know you’re not leveraging the talent when the audience has to wait for the credits to see who was who. The digital models here seem to have no relationship to the actors behind the scenes. None of the performances show through, it’s just pure voiceover. Honestly, it begs the question, “Why bother hiring recognizable actors?”

The lackluster result is a shame, because I do believe that 3D technology has achieved a level where we can begin to expect really good things from it. But it’s no substitute for a good story that is well told. And that is the one thing missing-in-action from Fly Me To The Moon.

Young children may find some entertainment value from this film, but anyone into their tween years or beyond is probably going to find most of the film a tough slog. I have a hard time imagining how a film based on the early moon missions could be tedious and dull, but Fly Me To The Moon has managed that dubious achievement.

Fly Me To The Moon is rated G. Boring, but not otherwise offensive. I guess that’s something.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Michael attended a promotional screening of Fly Me To The Moon.