Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon

Today I took my 3rd graders on a field trip to see this film. We were mesmerized! I know that the kids were mostly blown away by the great 3D effects, but that's OK. Hopefully they absorbed a little bit of the science that was discussed.

It is fantastic. People of all ages will enjoy it. I highly recommend it if you can find this film in your area.

Two things I liked: the way To Hanks included the "first quotes" of other moon walkers (since the only one we ever hear about is Neil Armstrong's.) I also liked the scenario of what "could have happened" if there was a glitch with the moon rover during the moon landings.

See it--you'll love it.

If you saw the superb 2007 documentary, "In the Shadow of the Moon", I am not certain what the point would be in viewing this forty-minute 2005 IMAX film - at least if you are old enough to remember the television coverage of the Apollo missions. The former film includes spectacular archival footage of those missions and insightful on-camera interviews with ten of the surviving astronauts. This one is aimed more directly as a motivational film for a youthful audience as it seeks to reignite the pioneering spirit that sparked the first space flights. NASA aficionado Tom Hanks wrote and produced (along with director Mark Cowen) this enthralling if somewhat cursory look at what it took to get to the moon and what it will take to continue the legacy. The film not only recreates some of the actual Apollo lunar missions but also posits what could have happened had disaster struck. The result adds a suspenseful element obviously designed to engage younger viewers.

Hanks applies his storytelling skills to full dramatic effect during these fictitious interludes. They are intertwined with a whirlwind of facts presented in a breezy manner, an especially effective tactic in chronicling mankind's fascination with the moon since this film is meant to inspire as well as to educate. To reinforce the approach, there is a series of quick interviews with youngsters that bookend the featurette showing how the space race has completely preceded them and how it could be resuscitated for the next generation of lunar exploration which targets us back on the moon by 2016. A number of famous actors provide the voices of the astronauts - Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Paul Newman - but few are recognizable. The 3-D visual effects are lost on the 2007 DVD, though I think not as much as the elongated dimensions provided by an IMAX theater. Even more than the technical elements, what really brings the film together is Hanks' obvious enthusiasm for the subject. The DVD includes additional video footage and photographs from the Apollo 11 mission plus a trivia game.

Can't wait for this to be released -- the latest 3D Space IMAX movie. We heard a sneak preview at the National Space Society conference in Washington DC, and it was awesome. Film is produced by Tom Hanks, and helmed by Mark Cowen. The idea is simple: recreate the authentic experience of the Apollo moon astronauts using the 3D IMAX format. They are pulling out all the stops to give the actual sensation of what the Apollo astronauts saw, heard and felt in their voyage to and on the Moon. Authentic imagery, digitally manipulated for the high res Imax experience. Plus sets which recreate the lunar environment down to the little boulders in the pictures. They've got lots of astronaut participation, which is promising. This is really where IMAX is unrivaled -- transporting audiences to an inaccessible place. Highly appropriate for it to come out now, when NASA is planning to start its new Moon program. Until lunar tourism is a reality, this sounds like our best bet. You are go for liftoff!

This movie is shockingly short. Granted I did not check the run time before purchasing a ticket, but I expected the movie to be longer.

Also, despite excellent effects, amazing pictures (especially when viewed in a IMAX 3D), and excellent narration; the movie did not contain much information. The movie gives more of the feelings behind a journey to the moon, pointing out how something might have gone wrong, that it's a long journey, the people to take the journey were heroes, etc... No actual useful information. This disappointed me as I was expecting something educational.

One thing I the movie did provide was less popular comments from less known astronauts from the other Apollo missions.

Other than the short length and the lack of educational comment, it was enjoyable to watch. The visual effects are surprising and realistic (at times, because of the 3d effects you feel the sudden urge to dodge something or get out of the way of something coming at you)

This movie is a pretty decent IMAX flick. Tom Hanks makes for a great narrator. The content was very interesting and often quite funny. The music is on-par with major Hollywood films (although it got a little sappy at the end, but that's IMAX for you). It did a good job of discussing all the Apollo missions, and not just 11.

I only found out afterwards how many famous voices were involved. I recognized Morgan Freeman, but that was it. This is a Good Thing. The film did not let the "talent" get in the way of the story. In other words, the star of the show was the history and information, and not the voice work.

This movie did NOT need to be in 3D. More than half of it was archive footage, which obviously was not shot with a 3D camera. Often the footage was shrunk down to appear 3D against a generic background. The recreated lunar landing was the only part that took real advantage of the 3D cameras, but it was in no way necessary to be shot in 3D.

That being said, it was a pleasant way to spend an hour. Make sure to sit in a red seat if you see it in the Lockheed-Martin theatre at the Air and Space Museum for optimum 3D viewing.