Samuel Edwards discusses why feel feels Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall will be his ultimate career comeback.
Roland Emmerich has an astonishing body of work ranging from the 1990’s to present day.
His genres include Sci-Fi and Action, but his specialty has really been his portrayal of destruction. He can also blend genres together seamlessly.
1996’s Independence Day saw the White House blown to shreds which would leave Roland Emmerich’s name cemented into the likes of some of the greatest directors of blockbuster extravaganzas.
He has branched out with films such as Anonymous, Stonewall and even the monster flick Godzilla but his interest in science fiction has been clear since 1990’s with his earlier directorial efforts, Universal Soldier and Moon 44.
However, his career has been hit and miss. He has directed some of my favorite films such as Independence Day, The Patriot and I even enjoyed White House Down more so than Olympus Has Fallen.
However, he has failed in recent years to make a true cinematic comeback.
His last cinematic film was the disastrous Independence Day: Resurgence which just failed on almost every aspect, even the special effects and his recent directorial effort was Midway which although had some spectacular action sequences, critics were generally unfavorable towards the film, scoring a lackluster 41% on rotten tomatoes.
The action genre has recently been dominated by franchise pieces, whereas Moonfall is an original release and Roland Emmerich being the director, is one of the few directors left in Hollywood that has proven to be an auteur.
Why Roland Emmerich Is A Master
He has a niche and he specializes in grand popcorn action films. In today’s cinema, his main competitor is Michael Bay who has also stalled a bit in terms of quality of his releases.
I do believe that there aren’t many directors in today’s industry that have really matched the level of expertise that Roland Emmerich has achieved in the action genre.
It is important to mention that his films have not been made towards critics.
His films are meant to be cinematic escapism at its purest form where you leave all knowledge of physics behind.
He keeps the plot moving at an exciting pace regardless of how ridiculous the plot is evolving.
This type of entertainment is rarely found in today’s cinema or not done to the quality of his work. Either the action is lackluster or the plot is too uninspiring and unrealistic.
For example, Justin Lin is a fantastic director of action and showcased that with some of the fast and furious films, however the franchise has evolved so radically that the set pieces feel so far from any kind of reality that it takes you out of the experience.
Those films also take themselves much more seriously, whereas Roland Emmerich pumps a sense of fun in every project he is involved with. Even projects that are loosely based of real events such as The Patriot.
Overall, I think Roland Emmerich has strived to achieve a finer sense of physical reality in his films because he has done so in the past and can strike that balance well.
White House Down is a good example.
Ridiculous action but it doesn’t take itself too seriously and there is humor throughout which keeps you entertained and not solely baffled by the narrative flaws.
Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall
His runs his own production company called Centropolis Entertainment. With this, he has complete control over his projects which gives him the freedom to explore original stories that are not tied into franchise building.
This leads me nicely into his upcoming film Moonfall. This is in the science Fiction and action genre, which is a good return to form.
The plot is centered around a group of strangers who come together to save Earth when the moon suddenly falls out of orbit.
The cast is promising, it includes Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland. It has been reported that Patrick Wilson will play a NASA astronaut with a troubled past. Perhaps he will be the hero of the operation?
Halle Berry has been very prolific in the action genre with a recent starring role in John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum and her upcoming directorial effort Bruised which is centered around MMA fighting.
The film will also include All the Money in the World’s star Charlie Plummer.
The plot seems to be pulled straight out of the 1990’s which is interesting.
The budget is currently set at $150 million, being higher than his previous film Midway at $100 million dollars.
Roland Emmerich functions better at higher budgets, this film being one of the most expensive independent films ever made.
The writing department comes from a slight unconventional background. One of the writers is Harald Kloser who has composed music for most of Roland Emmerich’s work, including The Day after Tomorrow and White House Down. However, he has 4 writing credits to his name including 2012 and 10,000 BC.
The other writers include Spenser Cohen and Roland Emmerich.
The film is set to be released in 2022, which will be the year of films such as Indiana Jones 5 and The Batman.
The film will be shot by Robby Baumgartner, who also lensed the underrated The Geust (2014). Hopefully his visual eye can be on par with such science fiction films like Gravity, but that is a high bar to set.
In the field of his previous works, this film seems to borrow Sci-Fi elements from Independence Day but the plot mirrors more towards 90’s classics such as Deep Impact (1998).
As a fan of his work, I hope this brings a sense of cinematic explosive fun that he has come accustomed to.
The cinema misses his presence and Moonfall could fill that void.
We are in need of a good science fiction action film that takes place on a grand scale and one that packs heaps of memorable charm, Roland Emmerich’s skills and experience will certainly match that request.
Time to get excited!
Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall article by Samuel Edwards
