This is How Movies Should Be Made

A Disappointing Continuation

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

For having a relatively low budget, the film's style and overall art direction are immensely impressive.

This documentary film tells the details of the Apollo space missions, and what it was like for the twelve highly privileged astronauts to walk on the moon."Magnificent Desolation" gives us details of what it is like to walk on the moon. It is a behind the scenes documentary, and we get to see footage we would otherwise not see, such as astronauts tripping over on the moon. We are told that every minute of the moon walk is planned, and there is no time to waste. And an astronaut left his family photo on the moon for future generations to discover. It is filled with little facts that you otherwise would not see elsewhere. The real surprise was the narration. I didn't realise they were all celebrity voices and not astronaut voices, so when the credits rolled, I was shocked to see so many big names.As a documentary, "Magnificent Desolation" is not particularly entertaining or educational. I did not leave the film thinking I have learned more. It contained fun facts to know nonetheless.

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.

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.

Outstanding! What a great tribute to the Apollo space program. A great use of 3D technology. I loved all of the star voices sitting in for the Apollo astronuats. I recognized some of them, not all of them. This movie - only about 45 minutes long - shows us past footage and new footage of what it was like to fly an Apollo mission to the moon. Including hypothetical worst case scenarios and what moon travel might be like in the future. For those who remember the Apollo missions, this will be a great reminder and tribute to those days of the late 60's & 70's. And for those who have no frame of reference, what a great way to learn about what it was like. The 3D effects are outstanding, not gimmicky. Please go see this movie and take your kids. I remember very little of the Apollo missions when they occurred, but this movie actually had me choked up at the end. I only wish it was longer...