There's nothing like a good conspiracy theory, and one of the most interesting (and perhaps polarizing) that's been floating around is the theory that man never landed on the moon. This film presents an interesting variant on that theory: that man has landed on the moon, but has never gone back for a darn good reason. Presented as a faux long-lost NASA film, Apollo 18 depicts a fictional secret mission to the moon that's doomed to failure, due to a secret threat hiding in the moon rocks.
Unfortunately, the film itself is nowhere near as interesting as its premise. It's a very dry feature; nothing in the action or dialogue stands out in the slightest. Even the slowest space operas (like the notoriously boring 2001: A Space Odyssey) is way more interesting than this! Not even the occasional scare or freak-out moment breaks up the monotony. This is not so much a film as it is a chore.
Compounding the issue is the story, which barely even exists. Without any substantial plot structure, conflict, or character development, the film doesn't seem to go anywhere or do anything. Not only does this make it even more dull, but it proves to be shallow.
As a film, it looks quite gaudy. It was designed to look like authentic NASA footage, and it is generally successful. However, the film makes frequent use of screen flickers, light flashes, shakey hand-held camera work, and alternating film stocks; the result is pretty erratic and dull. None of the acting really stood out for me, and the writing has nothing remarkable. The best that can be said is that the production features good-looking sets, props, and costumes.
With its promise of a plot heavily interwoven with a moon landing conspiracy, I was willing to give the film some credence. It turned out to be a shallow gimmick, and a very dull film.
Not recommended!
1.5/5 (Entertainment: Very Poor | Story: Very Poor | Film: Poor)
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