Among the numerous theatrical hits released in 1986, such as Tom Cruise’sTop Gunand Sigourney Weaver’sAliens, a small independent film also came during the late summer calledStand By Me. While this Stephen King adaptation didn’t include action-packed scenes such as fighter planes jetting through the sky or terrifying space creatures exploding out of people’s chests, this realistic coming-of-age tale showed four young boys who haphazardly decided to go on an adventure to look for a dead body.
On the way there, they would end up coming face to face with many emotional and physical tribulations of life. WithStand By Meconveying a relatable experience to everyone who misses childhood innocence, the production instantly garnered various award nominations and became known as one of the best films of the 1980s.
Since then, many movies have been made where a group of young and brazen adolescents not only have to face a perilous journey on their own but, to conquer their biggest challenges within this feat, have to overcome some very difficult growing pains in the process.
While not achieving the same level of success as its predecessor just a year before,Tristar Pictures’ The Monster Squadused the same formula but added inclassical monsters like Dracula, The Mummy, and The Wolfman, which helped the movie attain a kind of cult status many years later. In 2007,Disney’s Bridge to Terabithiamixed child-like imagination with authentic takes on life once more by showing that real dangers are still very much present in made-up fantasy worlds.
Well, it seems likeThe Walt Disney Companyonce again wants to convey a powerful connection between the aspirations that were fantasized by our younger selves and the reality we step into as adults in a new Disney+ exclusive feature that mixes a futuristic space age with the same emotional tethers that were found inCorey Feldman’s Stand By Me.
Chasing after the promise he made to his father,Craterfollows the main character Caleb and his four good friends, Dylan, Marcus, Borney, and Addison, as he hatches a plan to steal a rover during lockdown on a lunar mining colony to head off towards a fabled and legendary landmark in the most southeastern part of the moon.
Combining the fact that the trip takes ten hours and the characters who go on this quest are all preteens, fun and games take place on the way, which include using oxygen tanks to fly into the air and act like a makeshift Superman and casually exploring abandoned model homes that were once the main incentive for settlers to occupy the distant planet.
Plus, seeing Earth from the perspective of a human currently standing on the moon is a visual treat for science fiction fans.
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Inspiring for Children and Thought Provoking for Adults
While the Kyle Patrick Alvarez-directed film has scenes that charm the younger audience, adults will also be entertained by thescience fiction film’s social commentaryby sending a message on parental obligations, worker’s rights, and saying goodbye to your past and class differences. Like every movie made in the past regarding this subgenre, there is a sudden, actual danger that these brave adventurers have to face when their moments of play go awry.
Crateris indeed sold as a movie for younger viewers, but the dialogue from the main cast tells us that the entire universe crafted within the film, which also includes the mining company employing these children’s parents, is far from perfect.
There is a political and social tension brimming just beneath the surface that mixes in with mysterious symbolism and a unique type of excitement that puts viewers on the edge of their seats. All of these storytelling facets help to make this experience unforgettable for viewers of all ages.
Related:10 Movies Starring Children That are Definitely Meant for Adults
Crater Comes to Life With a Perfect Cast
Thespecial effect workis not the only positive aspect to look forward to in Disney+’sCrater. One of the biggest and most surprising highlights of this cast is Caleb’s father being brought to life by the award-winning hip-hop artist Kid Cudi. Becoming a father almost ten years ago, he naturally brought that role model figure to the small screen.
Let us not forget about the cosmonaut crew of the movie, including Isaiah Russell-Bailey as main explorer Caleb, McKenna Grace as Addison, Billy Barratt as Dylan, Orson Hong as Borney, and Thomas Boyce as Marcus.
With each actor and actress quite quickly devouring roles in other genres, like Mr. Bailey in the Netflix comedy seriesFamily Reunion, Ms. Grace in Peacock’s true crime dramaA Friend of the Family, Mr. Barratt starring in a thriller mystery calledThe Other Me, Mr. Hong havinga role in Steve Martin’sOnly Murders In The Buildingand last but not least, Mr. Boyce’s soon be released empowering and anti-bullying film calledWonder London.
These various works within the cast’s growing number of acting credits show that these emerging names are up to any acting challenge thrown at them, and thismost recent release on Disney+shows that.
Even though little to no marketing has been done to help build any release hype towardsCrater, do not casually scroll past this movie because of the child-like aesthetic. The two-hour exploratory piece takes a deep dive into both the wonders of outer space and the possibilities of human life.
