Last month chimps went to space. This month, flies are going to the moon. Exactly what our fascination with the outer space journeys of non-humans is, I'm not really sure. Maybe it's about the accomplishment of an underdog even lesser than us. Maybe it's the simple appeal of a different take on the same stories we've heard a million times before. Or maybe it's the idea that there is always more to the story that what may first appear.

Fly Me to the Moon is pretty much the story of the Apollo 11 flight to the moon, from a fly's perspective. Living just outside NASA's Cape Canaveral launch control center, young fly friends Nat, Scooter, and I.Q. have grown up with adventure right outside their front door. Nat's mother constantly reminds Nat that "dreamers get swatted." But his grandfather, the fly who flew across the Atlantic with Amelia Earhart, is just as eager to impart his wisdom that "if it ain't an adventure, it ain't worth doing."

Not surprisingly, Nat latches onto his grandpa's philosophy more than his mother's. The night before the Apollo 11 launch, he decides that it is time to seize his own adventure. And the next day, Nat, Scooter, and I.Q. stow themselves onboard Apollo 11 and blast off for the moon.

Since a simple trip directly to the moon and back just doesn't make for great storytelling, the fly's space flight involves a bit more than just following the autopilot. Onboard the Apollo shuttle, the young flies prove invaluable when a malfunction too difficult for human hands to reach needs to be fixed. Later, their bonds of friendship prove to be just as priceless as they help each other escape from their own dangers.

Back on earth, things are also more exciting than a roomful of donut-eating controlmen. Since Nat, Scooter, and I.Q. left without a word to anyone, their sudden appearance in the backgrounds of TV screens across the country is enough to send family and friends alike into a flurry of hysterics and excitement. But so is not true of everyone.

Mirroring the Soviet-American space race, the young flies' space flight also becomes a matter of Russian-American fly conflict. Determined that the American flies will not claim this accomplishment before them, the Russian flies set out to sabotage the mission. And in doing so, they provide earthbound American flies with their own chance to step up to the plate as well.

As a whole, Fly Me to the Moon is an okay movie. It is the first animated movie specifically created for 3-D, and the 3-D is fun watch. Visually, its greatest strength is its world, backdrops, and scenes that actually do have an increased feel of depth and richness. But beyond that, the rest is just about average. Frankly, almost all of the fly characters feel flat and unimaginative. And the humans aren't any better.

Nonetheless, for a kid-pleasing Saturday afternoon flick, Fly Me to the Moon will probably satisfy just fine. Although its story is not complex, its ties to common human truths make it one that connects at enough points to keep most audience members engaged. And at its end, it does leave you with messages most will be happy to take away.

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