Moonshot

Led by Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse, “Moonshot” drops on HBO Max March 31.

One can’t help but wish to go back to the more grounded tone of the galaxy hologram scene in the middle of the film. In one beautifully shot scene, Walt and Sophie sit cross-legged in a dimly lit room, poring over a holographic galaxy map with bursts of white, red and blue light overlaying their faces. Like maybe every rom-com to come before, the film focuses on taking ownership of one’s path in life, and accepting that dreams can change over time. While Condor fits comfortably into every scene, Sprouse unquestionably has more of a talent for the lighthearted moments (everyone say, “Thank you, ‘Suite Life of Zack and Cody’”). He can come off as not fully convinced during romantic overtures, but overall gets the job done. Streaming today, March 31, “Moonshot” tells the story of two college peers: free-wheeling Walt (Cole Sprouse) and down-to-earth (pun intended) Sophie (Lana Condor) as they navigate literal space and their respective futures. However, Sprouse and Condor’s comedic chemistry is the real standout of the film—the two banter and play off each other so effortlessly that “Moonshot” starts to feel more like a buddy comedy.

Cole Sprouse and Lana Condor have a meet-cute en route to Mars in the young adult rom-com “Moonshot,” streaming on HBO Max.

That’s OK. It’s a sturdy, versatile trope, no less appealing for being predictable, and with the right balance of flirty antagonism and latent sexual tension, the payoff is certainly satisfying. Walt and Sophie have to spend it sharing quarters, keeping up amorous appearances, and (of course) exchanging the kind of witty banter and increasingly lustful glances that in a rom-com are the foundation of any budding relationship. When Walt stows away on Sophie’s space shuttle, he assumes the identity of her longtime boyfriend Calvin (Mason Gooding), and manages to embroil her in the deception.

Here's how you will be able to watch the new sci-fi romcom starring Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse.

Landa Condor stars in Moonshot as Sophie, a young college student who is traveling to Mars to reunite with her boyfriend. One of those films is the still in development Young Adult romantic adventure film The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. HBO Max also has several other films on the horizon that will appeal to the Gen-Z audience including a remake to the 90s comedy franchise House Party. The trailer for the film shows stars Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse as their characters, Sophie and Walt, as they embark on a journey through space. As they make their way across the cosmos, Sophie and Walt grow closer, and a potential romance appears to bloom. The film stars To All The Boys I've Loved Before breakout star Lana Condor and Riverdale alum Cole Sprouse as Sophie and Walt, two young people coming of age in a world where Mars has been colonized, and space travel has become part of our everyday lives. HBO Max and New Line's new sci-fi romantic comedy Moonshot is a futuristic space adventure about finding yourself and discovering what you really want out of life.

A penniless stowaway meets an uptight rich girl aboard a spaceship to Mars in this retro-futuristic YA throwback to classic rom-coms.

“Most people aren’t special,” Walt’s roommate (Lukas Gage) warns him before Walt travels across the cosmos to see about a girl, “but memories are special.” The rest of the movie embodies that idea to a tee. At a time when attention spans have been whittled down to the nub, and most streaming fare is paced at light speed in a desperate bid to stop people from looking at their phones, it’s delightful when something as fluffy and gossamer thin as “Moonshot” abides by the more traditional rhythms of its genre. Walt blackmails Sophie into sneaking him aboard her Virgin Galactic–looking flight to Mars, and the rest of “Moonshot” is all spry vibes and decidedly old-fashioned chemistry as our two leads pretend to couple up for the sake of appearances. A dramatic spacewalk notwithstanding, most of the trip is adorably quaint in its adherence to basic rom-com conventions. You can’t even text during takeoff aboard a Southwest Airlines flight that’s wheezing its way out of Reno! And how is it that gate security has somehow gotten less restrictive in the age of interplanetary travel? That’s where most of this modest but well-realized HBO Max original takes place, as its star-crossed tale about a rich girl named Sophie (Lana Condor) and penniless stowaway Walt (Cole Sprouse), who sneaks into her heart, as they’re largely confined to a cabin they’re forced to share for 55 million miles.

Lara Condor ("To All the Boys I've Loved Before") and Cole Sprouse ("Riverdale") fail to launch the future of the romantic comedy for Gen Z in "Moonshot".

I mean, call me a traditionalist, but I just don't consider two people on the rebound (while in space) to be the fairytale future I envision for the modern era rom-com. The script is fine, for a computer program: It checks almost every box on paper, all while missing that most vital human touch. Lacking all the skills needed to join humanity's Mars colony, Walt falls for a girl who inspires him to risk it all for his moonshot (get it?) dream. Predominantly centered around starry-eyed yet underachieving college student Walt (Sprouse), the story begins with a false start of a meet-cute. So while the movie has an abundance of individually pleasant elements, it's missing a lot of key parts on the whole. Despite some charming moments, though, Moonshot unfortunately does not deliver on its potential as a bold new future for the modern-day romantic comedy.