While the technical aspects of this "space age" comedy from the early 1960's are understandably dated, the major problem with watching "Moon Pilot" now lies in its slow pacing. Virtually every scene runs longer than it should and the conversations within each scene are too often marked by needless pauses and languid delivery. The result is a 70-minute story that's been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d into a 98-minute movie.
Tom Tryon seems an unusual choice for the title role. His dark, brooding, sexually-ambiguous looks would qualify him to play "Heathcliff" but "Moon Pilot" is virtually his only foray into farcical comedy. However, his innately serious quality helps him to anchor the movie more securely than would a Dick Van Dyke or a Dean Jones, but he really doesn't shine in this kind of material. His image as a juicy slab of "beefcake" remains intact, however, since even this family-oriented Disney comedy finds an excuse to strip him down to his boxer shorts in order to display his hairy chest in two separate scenes.
Tom Tryon seems an unusual choice for the title role. His dark, brooding, sexually-ambiguous looks would qualify him to play "Heathcliff" but "Moon Pilot" is virtually his only foray into farcical comedy. However, his innately serious quality helps him to anchor the movie more securely than would a Dick Van Dyke or a Dean Jones, but he really doesn't shine in this kind of material. His image as a juicy slab of "beefcake" remains intact, however, since even this family-oriented Disney comedy finds an excuse to strip him down to his boxer shorts in order to display his hairy chest in two separate scenes.