In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon Image
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Metascore
84 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 34 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.9 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Between 1968 and 1972, nine American spacecrafts voyaged to the Moon, and 12 men walked upon its surface. They remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. In the Shadow of the Moon brings together for the first--and possibly the last--time the surviving crew members from every single Apollo mission that flew to the Moon, and allows them to tell their story in their own words. This riveting first-hand testimony is interwoven with visually stunning archival material that has been remastered from the original NASA film footage--much of it never used before. The result is an intimate epic that vividly communicates the daring, the danger, the pride, and the promise of this extraordinary era in history, when the whole world literally looked up at America. (THINKFilm)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    These astronauts are still alive, but as long as mankind survives, their journeys will be seen as the turning point -- to what, it is still to be seen.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    100
    Quite simply, a revelation.
  3. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Jamie Tipps
    80
    A surprisingly fresh take on familiar material.
  4. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    58
    There's none of the poetry of "For All Mankind," just visual support for a meat-and-potatoes recap of events that have already been chewed over plenty.

See all 34 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. PatriciaB.
    10
    One of the best documentaries I've seen since One Day in September. Of course, the feeling this film leaves you with is completely the opposite of that one - this movie is so uplifting and powerful. Even for someone who wasn't alive at the time when landing on the moon was a miraculous event - this film captures that time, that excitement.... it transports us back to the early days of the space program and moved me to tears of joy! The filmmaking is excellent. The director wisely lets the spectacular images and the succinct storytelling of the astronauts do all the work. A great movie for families. The audience I saw it with applauded several times. Pretty impressive given that we all know how this one ends!… Expand
  2. jcaimbridge
    10
    This is easily the best documentary on the moon landings, and probably one of the best space documentaries in general. Instead of focusing too much on technical details or basking in nationalism, this film puts you in the astronaut/cosmonauts' shoes and explores the human experience of being on the frontier of exploration. Forget the trivia e.g. about the apollo investments paying for themselves several times over or whatever else of that sort. Rather, this film truly conveys the innate and thus self-justifying human desire to explore--something which transcends all of the supposedly necessary economic motivations (and is unfortunately often not realized without experience).

    I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like to participdate in such a thing--or even to be alive during that time (if I had been, I certainly would have taken interest in the sciences at a much younger age), but this film gave me a glimpse of it and also of what our future *could* be.    … Expand
  3. KevinC.
    10
    I know it's easy to give out absolutes -- 10 or 0 -- but in this case, just trust me. This film, without narration, isn't a documentary. It captures so much about what makes us Americans, what makes us humans. There's so much nuance here, you're generously rewarded for paying attention, I'm not sure even the Astronauts knew what the filmmakers were putting together. No SFX will ever match the Saturn-V ignition or Buzz Aldrin being the first human to pee on the Moon. It's inspiring, touching and crisp enough to never be boring. Spellbinding.… Expand
  4. JayH.
    8
    Awesome documentary, fascinating from start to finish with excellent interviews. It is very well edited, never sluggish and frequently thought provoking. A wonderful and educational experience.… Expand

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