A fascinating chronological documentary of the mission that put men on the moon, APOLLO 11 looks like it was filmed yesterday.
4K restoration and presentation of preserved film brings every visual nuance of the mission to life in eye popping fashion.
The film shows the mission from beginning to end, without talking heads and narration, letting the bravery and drive of the NASA team speak for itself.
Neil Armstrong is the reserved leader and the film serves as an interesting companion piece to Damien Chazelle's terrific Armstrong biopic "First Man".
Buzz Aldrin is a hilarious mix of ego and brass balls, qualities that have stayed with him since the 1969 mission, as anyone that's seen interviews of the last decade knows well.
Michael Collins, the man left orbiting the moon to re-connect with his fellow astronauts after their moonwalk is a fascinating subject too.
I am an Apollo mission fan since the actual events, and I have fond memories as an 8 year old watching the mission at school along with the rest of the Earth.
I was fascinated throughout with the amount of this footage that I had never seen before and its pristine condition.
CNN and Director Todd Douglas Miller deserve a lot of credit for assembling what should stand as the definitive capture of this incredible moment in human exploration.
The genius of its structure as a documentary is achieving the fine balance between the intricacies of the mission and the smaller human stories within it.
The helicopter shots of all the people of every age and demographic crowded together on the decks of Florida hotels and beaches to watch the launch are incredible.
It also recalls a time when ALL Americans came together with pride, fascination and patriotism to be part of an incredible achievement.
What an incredible time that was.
APOLLO 11 is a jaw dropping tribute to American exceptionalism, bravery and triumph.
From launch to splashdown, it gets an A+.
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