“NASA: A Journey Through Space” Television Review: To Binge or Not to Binge

    A few days ago marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon mission so I wanted to wait and post my review for “NASA: A Journey Through Space” on the actual anniversary of the mission in honor of mankind’s accomplishment.  Of course, the anniversary of mankind’s accomplishment also happened to fall on days I worked so this post is a little late.  Thankfully, the good folks at Mill Creek Entertainment provided me with this review copy for which I am very grateful for.

    This series tells the story of the events that led to formation of NASA and everything that follows.  From exploring writers and filmmakers fascination with landing on the moon to actually doing so, this series provides information into the minds that helped push towards space exploration.  Each episode focuses primarily on specific milestones in the history of NASA.  For instance, there is an episode about the events focusing on the Apollo 11 moon mission which is sandwiched between episodes detailing the events which led to the historic mission and what happened following it.

    Now, I know this description of the show isn’t super specific but in all honesty, it’s not easy to sum up this show because it covers so much time and detail that unless I wrote a summery of each episode specifically, I would be doing this series a disservice.  You might be asking why, and the answer is rather simple, the show is a documentary which packs a lot of history and information into each episode and there is very little fluff to be found.

    I have been known to watch my fair share of shows on the History Channel (okay, okay, mainly the show “Ancient Aliens” but that show is still technically on the History Channel) and to me, this series felt a lot like a show which would air on the History Channel.  The series is narrated by Coby Batty (who does a fairly good job changing accents when necessary).  Batty is known for his work narrating documentaries and he does a good job with this series as well.

    So, as you might already know, when it comes to my tv shows, I normally try to do my reviews based on the series as a whole (which admittedly is a lot easier when dealing with a mini-series).  While I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed this series as much when I was in school, I have grown and enjoy educational shows and movies far more now.  I also think that this is the type of show that is important for someone to watch even if they don’t find it as fun as something else.

    So, in honor of the giant step mankind made fifty years ago, I am proud to recommend binge watching this series.  Somehow, we managed the impossible and it’s fascinating seeing how we managed to do so.

Overall Grade: B

To Binge or not to Binge Verdict: BINGE

Buy “NASA: A Journey Through Space” on Blu-ray Here!!!

“First Man” Movie Review

    I have always been a big fan of science fiction with “Star Trek” being one of my favorite shows so one could probably assume the subject of space exploration would be one that has always interested me but, perhaps surprisingly, it’s actually a subject matter I have never found all that interesting.  Now, I have always greatly respected NASA and the accomplishments of every individual involved with the space program, regardless if they were members of the flight crew or scientists on the ground.  I guess on a scientific level, they are so beyond me that it is hard for me to connect to the subject matter on an emotional or intellectual level.  As someone who enjoys writing, I rely a great deal on what connects to me emotionally.

    I am not a complete stranger to the subject however, as I had a brother who was very much obsessed with NASA and space exploration in his youth.  My parents tried to visit locations on vacation that my siblings and I would enjoy and also educate us.  One such location was the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  It was an interesting place to visit and I even remember watching a documentary on the Hubble satellite in 3D there.  I remember as we left the theater there was a kid and his mother leaving the theater with us and she asked her son if he enjoyed the movie.  Her son quickly informed her that he found the film to be extremely boring.  The boy’s mother quickly pointed out that the film was in 3D and how engrossing and fun that was (this was before “Avatar” came out and popularized 3D again so it was uncommon at that point).  Without missing a beat, the child responded with “Great, it was boring...IN 3D!”.  I never agreed with a kid more.

    When the movie “First Man” came out, it wasn’t exactly on the top of my list of movies to see in theaters because of the subject matter.  The film looked decent and I did want to see it, but as someone who works a lot, I only have so much time in the week to go to the movies.  As I was checking out the local video rental store, I noticed “First Man” and decided to buy it so I could watch it anytime.  Well, after viewing it, I can finally share my thoughts on the film.

    “First Man” tells a pretty straightforward story about the life of Neil Armstrong from his time as a test pilot until the Apollo 11 moon mission.  The mission and decade leading to it showcases the hardships Neil Armstrong and his follow astronauts went through before Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon.  The film paints Armstrong has a sort of tragic figure, a man lost of Earth after the death of his daughter trying to find some kind of purpose to move forward.

    Unlike a film such as “Apollo 13” which focuses on the nitty gritty of the mission, “First Man” instead focuses on the love and passion that leads individuals to aspire to greater things.  Ryan Gosling perfectly captures the feeling of emptiness a person can feel after the loss of a loved one while still pressing on.  Claire Foy did an excellent job as his Neil’s first wife Janet.  Foy managed to play Janet as a strong figure who supported and loved her husband and family even through the emotional turmoil the couple went through leading to the Apollo 11 launch.

    From a technical prospective, the film shines.  The special effects are both serial and yet realistic capturing the breathtaking beauty of outer space.  I also liked the camera work used in the film a great deal.  The score was also phenomenal.

    I should discuss the controversy that hurt the film at the box office and had some people claiming the movie was unpatriotic for not depicting the American flag being planted on the moon.  I don’t like to pick sides on issues typically when discussing controversies surrounding films because I typically feel it is not my place.  That being said, to say this film is unpatriotic is ridiculous in my opinion.  The film didn’t show the American flag being placed on the moon because the film was focused on Neil Armstrong’s journey to come to grips with the death of his daughter.  The scene that showed Armstrong dropping his daughter’s bracelet into the dark abyss of a crater on the moon was heartbreaking and showcased humanity as a whole would have taken away from that.  As far as patriotism goes, how could you get more patriotic than John F. Kennedy’s stirring speech about the moon mission?

    As far as films based on NASA missions go, this film connects with me most due to it focusing primarily on the human condition over the science and math aspects NASA missions require.  The eagle has landed and this film definitely has the right stuff.

Grade: B+