For many Americans, the single most memorable moment in their life came on a clear summer night in 1969, when Neil Armstrong lowered his booted foot to the lunar surface and observed, "Thats one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind." The historic Apollo 11 landing and moonwalks -- together with the astronauts safe return to Earth came eight years after President John F. Kennedy boldly declared his intention to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. At 10:56 EDT, on July 20, 1969, Americans sensed anything that could be dreamed could come true.

The kids sitting alongside me during a screening of Fly Me to the Moon couldnt possibly have imagined how much emotional stress and strain was invested in the mission by their parents and grandparents. NASA engineers had already proven they could put a manned space vehicle in orbit around the moon and land a capsule on its virgin surface. Left untested was an astronauts ability to complete the scientific portion of the mission, return to the command module and make it back home without disintegrating or spinning off into Gene Roddenberry territory, never to be heard from again.

If the near-catastrophic Apollo 13 mission would further test the limits of mans technology, knowledge and courage yes, even the power of prayer -- you didnt have to be B.B. King to know the thrill was gone. The whimsical animated 3D feature, Fly Me to the Moon, revisits the events that led to the footstep heard around the universe, through the large compound eyes of a trio of stowaway flies.

The history of the American space program has been examined exhaustively on film for decades. Even the possibility of a faked landing on Mars was explored in Peter Hyams Capricorn One. Tom Wolfe and Phil Kaufmans The Right Stuff managed both to demystify and de-geek the politically driven space race with the Soviet Union, while Ron Howards Apollo 13 and the HBO mini-series, From the Earth to the Moon reminded us that the role played by unbridled hubris should always be factored into scientific endeavor.

Today, pictures are being transmitted from Mercury and the surface of Mars or, could it be Laughlin, Nevada, through a red-filter lens while the Hubble Telescope continues to look back at the history of the cosmos from its vantage point 360 miles above the Earths surface. If it werent for the Internet, however, amateur astronomers would be forced to slog through dozens of pages of political posturing and celebrity gossip before finding a newspaper article detailing what the stars and planets are telling us about ourselves. And, no, the daily horoscope doesnt count as news.

So be it, then, if the best way to turn a kids attention from Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers is to have a bunch of anthropomorphized flies and a few cutesy-pie maggots introduce them to the history and wonders of space travel. Thus inspired, one or two of them might dream about manning a space station someday, or, worst case, piloting a Virgin Galactic shuttle, delivering filthy- rich space buffs to distant spas and aerospace fantasy camps.

As Hollywood serendipity would have it, nWave Pictures Fly Me to the Moon will be vying for the critters-in-space audience with Fox/Starz/Vanguards animated 2-D feature, Space Chimps. The protagonist of that film, Ham III, is the grandson of the first chimp astronaut, who has a cameo in Fly Me to Moon.

The flies live in a dump close the launching pad at Cape Kennedy. Being young, frisky and curious, the younguns want to earn their wings by exploring their environment and confronting its challenges. Nat, IQ and Scooter (voiced by Trevor Gagnon, Phil Daniel Bolden and David Gore) also want to impress their elders one of whom, Grandpa, hitched a ride with Amelia Earhart -- and make a name for themselves.

Somewhere between the Cape and the moon, the lads are discovered by a NASA engineer and imprisoned by the astronauts in a test tube. They are let go when the humans sense the flies might be able to correct a problem in a tiny corner of the electrical system.

Cold War intrigue rears its ugly head in the form of a wee commie spy, dispatched to the Cape to put a fly in NASAs ointment and ruin Americas moment of glory. In the nick of time, one of Grandpas old flames speeds over the Iron Curtain to warn him of the scheme.

Domonic Paris fanciful screenplay informed by actual transcripts and blueprints from NASA -- is sufficiently entertaining to please younger kids and their obliging parents. The real star of director Ben Stassens comic adventure, however, is the 3D, itself. And, its pretty terrific.

Because Fly Me to the Moon was shot specifically to be watched in 3D-equipped theaters, no attempt was made to balance the experience for audiences condemned to watch it in 2D. The artists were able to create a far more immersive cinematic environment, with flies and other insects bursting off the screen to fill the auditorium. Giant rockets also were drawn to lift off directly over the heads of viewers. The kids in the screening were have a blast interacting with the images buzzing and roaring in their midst. (The 3D glasses looked and felt as if they could be taken out and worn at the beach.)

At the end of the film Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin thanks the audiences for coming, then gives a short pep talk for the continuance of space exploration. As we learned from Wolfes book, the astronauts have always been taught to be marketing savvy. Mercifully, though, Aldrins presence here serves primarily to remind older viewers of a time when America led the world in something other than the production of laser-guided missiles and synthetic celebrities. It was left to the flies and chimps to inspire the kids to pursue loftier goals.

Cast/Voices

Kelly Ripa

Christopher Lloyd

Nicollette Sheridan

Tim Curry

Ed Begley Jr.

Adrienne Barbeau

Robert Patrick

Trevor Gagnon

Philip Daniel Bolden

David Gore

Buzz Aldrin

Credits

A nWave/Illumininata Pictures production. Distributed by K2 Communications and Summit Entertainment. Produced by Gina Gallo, Charlotte Huggins, Mimi Maynard, Caroline Van Iseghem. Written by Domonic Paris.

Directed by Ben Stassen.

Executive producers, Domonic Paris and Ben Stassen Original Music by Ramin Djawadi Casting by Gina Gallo, Mimi Maynard Art Direction by Jeremy Degruson MPAA rating: G

Running Time: 90 minutes