Apollo 11 (2019)

A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

Director:

Todd Douglas Miller

Stars:

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 53 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Neil Armstrong	...	Self - Mission Commander (archive footage)
Michael Collins	...	Self - Command Module Pilot (archive footage)
Buzz Aldrin	...	Self - Lunar Module Pilot (archive footage) (as Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin)
Deke Slayton	...	Self - Director of Flight Crew Operations (archive footage)
Clifford E. Charlesworth	...	Self - Flight Director Green Team (archive footage)
Bruce McCandless II	...	Self - Capsule Commuicator (CAPCOM) Green Team (archive footage) (as Bruce McCandless)
H. David Reed	...	Self - Flight Dynamics Officer (FIDO) Green Team (as Dave Reed)
Charles Duke	...	Self - Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) White Team (archive footage)
Gene Kranz	...	Self - Flight Director White Team (archive footage)
Bill Anders	...	Self - Backup Command Module Pilot
Jim Lovell	...	Self - Backup Commander (archive footage)
John F. Kennedy	...	Self - President of the United States of America (archive footage)
Janet Armstrong	...	Self (archive footage)
Patricia Mary Finnegan	...	Self (archive footage)
Andy Aldrin	...	Self (archive footage)

Storyline

On its fiftieth anniversary, the events surrounding the actual Apollo 11 space mission are presented solely using archival footage and still photographs of or associated with the mission. The events span from the eleventh hour preparations for the launch to shortly after the safe touchdown of the capsule with its three astronauts back on Earth. The mission is historic as the first time humans had stepped on the surface of the Earth's moon. It arguably made household names of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as the first and second to walk on the moon, and slightly less so for the third astronaut, Michael Collins, who remained inside the capsule at the time. It was arguably the most dangerous space mission at the time in part to the astronauts leaving the safety of the capsule.

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Plot Keywords:

apollo 11 | astronaut | reference to michael collins the astronaut | electronic music score | buzz aldrin character | 

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Taglines:

Includes never-before-seen NASA footage.

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The electronic music soundtrack was played entirely on instruments available in 1969.

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Goofs

When the returning Apollo 11 blasts away from moon orbit, there is a dual visual display showing elapsed rocket burn time and spacecraft speed. The speed rapidly increases to just over 5500 mph during the rocket burn, and then the rocket cuts off. But the speed continues to increase for a few more moments. In reality, the speed would have stopped increasing the instant the rocket cut off. This is not an error as the residual bleed of the engine slowly being shut off will result in a slight continuation of acceleration.

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Quotes

Himself - Command Module Pilot: I promise to let you know if I stop breathing.

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Alternate Versions

In 2019, an edited version of the film, cut down to 45 minutes for exhibition in museum IMAX theaters, was released as Apollo 11: First Steps.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Movies of 2019 (So Far) (2019)

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Soundtracks

Mother Country
Written and Performed by John Stewart

User Reviews

Perfect Cinéma Vérité

The film starts the morning of launch day July 16, 1969. There are no actors, no reenactments, no narrator. It is 100% restored archival footage and recorded audio, most of which I had never seen before. Opening footage of the crowds gathering around Kennedy Space Center gave you the sense it was apparent to everyone the magnitude of what was about to happen.

They had audio and video of (an issue I won't spoil, something during launch prep I had never heard of before). Obviously there is no external footage of the spacecraft from the time it leaves earth orbit until it arrived at the moon but the editing and coverage used are excellent and you never feel like you're in the dark or missing out.

There is no attempt made at politicizing the event or manipulating the viewer, it is raw, factual cinéma vérité. Although I did find Kennedy's speech moving, they made the excellent choice to NOT show the famous portion we've all heard about landing a man on the moon and returning him safely by the end of the decade. It was the rest of that speech, which I'm not sure I'd ever heard, that was astute, prophetic and even funny at one point.

My one very minor caution is that viewers who aren't already aware how critical/dangerous some maneuvers were could miss out on the gravity of the situation. The filmmakers do assist with this with the score, which is absolutely fantastic (and according to the credits, composed entirely with instruments available in July '69), and some minor on-screen graphics (e.g. FUEL 30 seconds, 1202 alarm). It's a trivial concern but viewers who are familiar with the space program in general, and this mission in particular, will get the most out of the experience.

The film wraps up after our astronauts are safely home and cleared from quarantine. During the credits there are a few more interesting shots of some of the celebrations.

Details

Official Sites:

Museum NASA

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 2019 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Apollo 11

Filming Locations:

Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,607,040, 3 March 2019

Gross USA:

$9,039,891

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,342,353

Company Credits

Production Co:

CNN Films, Statement Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1