Apollo 11
Informative yet mostly dull, Apollo 11 explores the various happenings centered around the 1969 undertaking to land on the moon (led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins). Filmmaker Todd Douglas Miller’s all-encompassing look at the famed mission ensures that Apollo 11 is, at the outset, more fascinating and engrossing than one might’ve anticipated, as the director offers up surprisingly crisp footage of everything from the control-room exploits of dedicated NASA employees to reporters doing their work to enthusiastic bystanders preparing for the launch. It’s an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at one of the 20th century’s most iconic occurrences, and yet it’s equally clear that the film slowly-but-surely loses its grip on the viewer once the spacecraft blasts off – with the lack of compelling footage during this stretch certainly accelerating the picture’s descent into irrelevance. Miller’s decision to emphasize the progressively tiresome minutia of the mission ultimately proves rather disastrous, as Apollo 11‘s midsection is chock-a-block with scenes and sequences detailing a whole host of activities all but the most hardcore space fanatic will find tedious (eg collecting samples, performing experiments, etc). Matt Morton’s exciting score can’t quite disguise the fact that we’re essentially just watching stock footage (and grainy, hard-to-make-out stock footage at that), and although the film closes with a strong finale stretch, Apollo 11 has long-since confirmed its place as an incredibly detailed misfire (with the movie sure to enthrall devotees of this sort of thing, admittedly).
** out of ****
What a decidedly dull review… from the same person that gave Dumbo 3.5/4 stars. This was one of mankind’s most noble expeditions—you’d think the fine details are worthy of public viewing?
How would you have recommended the approach to the moon be directed? Mostly skipped?
To each their own, I suppose.
I am dumb-founded Nusair failed to be impressed by heretofore unseen 65mm footage and the overall artwork of Apollo 11. This film not only was impressive in its technical achievement but also connected emotionally, giving this viewer goosebumps for its almost entire run time. There’s also something cynical, contemptible, and self-loathing as to how Nusair almost finds Apollo 11 as a yawn (“…grainy, hard-to-make out stock footage…”) Did we see the same movie? Is it a type-o that the movie is listed as “Apollo II” (Roman numerals) vs “Apollo 11” in his text?
I have to agree with this review, albeit reluctantly. The film is extremely tedious; after the third or fourth onscreen countdown timer leading to no payoff, the viewer becomes distrustful. There are also two! extremely tedious tracking shots of all the people sitting at desks in mission control. We get it, there were a lot of desks in mission control. Who are these people though?!
The movie cries out for some sort of narrative and sense of wonder. If you want to experience that, then I urge you to see Criterion’s ‘For All Mankind’ which remains an unsurpassed look at the Apollo program.