Apollo 11

Apollo 11

Starring Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

Directed by Todd Douglas Miller

The Story:
The Apollo 11 mission was more than just a trip to the moon - it was a revolutionary step forward in human ingenuity and perspicacity.   There's more to the story than just what was told in history class, and this documentary sets to show the events that happened right before, during, and after the momentous adventure to the moon.

The Synopsis:
"Space, the final frontier."  The famed opening monologue from "Star Trek" began in 1966, a few years after John F. Kennedy announced plans on going to the moon, but three years before it actually happened.  Space had always been a fascination, a mystery, an enigma - and for years humans wondered how they'd manage to make it out of our atmosphere and see what lies beyond the stars.  In 1969, three brave astronauts and a slew of nameless heroes on the ground worked together to achieve that goal, becoming the first country to set foot on an alien world - the moon.

Directed and edited by Todd Douglas Miller, "Apollo 11" differentiates itself from other documentaries in that it doesn't feel like a documentary, but an actual film we're seeing in real time.  There's no news articles, no black-and-white re-tellings, and no interviews of people who were there - the film was entirely shot during the events, and Miller was able to use archived footage NASA kept hidden after a failed documentary was planned years earlier.  This is the first time the general public gets to see some of the events that happened, and the film magically propels you to space along with the three historic astronauts.

Over 11,000 hours of footage was edited down to make this film, and the actual filming quality is exceptional.  It's like seeing a re-creation of the event, like you're watching an actual movie based off what happened, but in reality you're seeing everything happen as it did.  The people are real, the events happened, and its astonishing how beautifully kept the footage was.  More than just a history lesson, "Apollo 11" gives an intimate, personal, and gripping look at what happened - even though we know the outcome, it's also surprisingly tense and dramatic, especially with no actual actors on screen.  The musical score swells and flows with the events, adding a deeper sense of enjoyment and passion for the viewer as well, encompassing a perfect all-around experience.

The Summary:
A beautiful new type of documentary, "Apollo 11" fully immerses us in the events that led up to the historic launch and takes us to the moon and back, and re-ignites our desire to reach for the stars ourselves.

The Score: A+