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In the Shadow of the Moon
ThinkFilm


9.0

based on 34 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 8 votes
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MPAA RATING: PG for mild language, brief violent images and incidental smoking

Starring Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Eugene Cernan, Michael Collins, Jim Lovell, Edgar D. Mitchell, and Harrison Schmitt

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)

GENRE(S):	Documentary
DIRECTED BY:	David Sington
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: February 12, 2008 Theatrical: September 7, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	100 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	UK

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

In the Shadow of the Moon finds new resonance in the moment when America redefined progress -- but also when it heeded the siren song of a world so desolate it reminded you what a paradise ours truly is.

100

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

By turns awe-inspiring and deeply human.

100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

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.

100

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Quite simply, a revelation.

100

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

It's both irrefutably concrete and irresistibly uplifting.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

After seeing this film, try reading Norman Mailer's "Of A Fire on the Moon," its perfect companion piece.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

This magnificent documentary, directed by David Sington and presented by Ron Howard, rises to the occasion by interspersing its interviews with NASA footage that evokes the grandeur of the whole Apollo adventure.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

The riveting documentary In the Shadow of the Moon, is an unexpected knockout.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

The value of this film, not just to moviegoers today but to future generations, is simply enormous.

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

May well be the most exciting documentary of the year so far. I guess it took a British director, David Sington, to capture the story of the dozen American men who walked on the moon -- the only human beings in our species history yet to visit another celestial body.

New York Magazine David Edelstein

I came out giddy, feeling lighter--by about five-sixths--than I did when I went in.

Washington Post Joel Achenbach

Now, finally, we know what it was like to walk on the moon: unbelievably cool. Amazing. Fantastic. Scary.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

The story (even more so if you weren't around in July of 1969) is gripping, eloquent, and powerful stuff, the right stuff right down to its pioneering heart, taking manifest destiny to the stars themselves.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

Seeing the Earth from the point of view these men saw it -- ''like a jewel hung in the blackness'' -- tends to put things in perspective.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

It's a stirring reminder of a time when anything seemed possible - these American heroes boosted morale eroded by the Vietnam War, as well as bringing the whole world together to celebrate their success.

USA Today Claudia Puig

One small documentary for a filmmaker and one giant leap in inspiration for audiences.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Gianni Truzzi

By 2020, when NASA's Orion lunar spacecraft is scheduled to launch, it's unlikely that any Apollo veterans will still be alive. Sington has done us a service in helping preserve their memories.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

It ends on a random note, making an awkward plea for better ecological stewardship of the Earth, which looked so small and frail to the astronauts regarding it from the moon. But otherwise it's a satisfying and heartening reminder of what a glorious thing a small group of men once contrived to do.

Empire Ross Bennett

This wonderful documentary succeeds as a reminder of human endeavour.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

In the Shadow of the Moon is such a morale booster. The power of its archival images hasn’t diminished with familiarity.

The New Yorker Anthony Lane

Bean, a lovely guy with a touch of Mickey Rooney, is one of the stars of Sington’s rousing show. There was something unearthly, in every sense, about the astronauts in their prime.

Chicago Reader Reece Pendleton

The astronaut interviews are fun and occasionally moving, but the real reason to see this is the remastered archival footage, some of it previously unseen and all of it spectacular.

Film Threat Jamie Tipps

A surprisingly fresh take on familiar material.

Newsweek David Ansen

As we watch the astonishing NASA footage, they eloquently evoke the optimism, anxiety and excitement of those voyages.

Variety Todd McCarthy

The excitement, majesty and extraordinary human accomplishment of the American lunar program of the '60s and early '70s is rousingly captured in In the Shadow of the Moon.

Village Voice Jim Ridley

In the Shadow of the Moon recalls the wondrous moment when America had the entire world looking up, up, and not away.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Want to know what the “right stuff” really is? Take a look.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

It has the air of an officially sanctioned tribute rather than a probing study, but it's stirring all the same.

San Francisco Chronicle Leba Hertz

For those of us too young, this will give you an idea of what it meant to watch those baby steps that led to one giant leap.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Sington's smartest decision was to let 10 of the astronauts speak for themselves. The film juxtaposes their personal stories, both their doubts and machismo, with the titanic achievement of the lunar landings.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

There's more to the film than nostalgia; it also offers insight, and that's what makes it worth viewing on the big screen rather than waiting for its Discovery Channel premiere.

Boston Globe Mark Feeney

It's so simple, so obvious - and a revelation.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

And oh, what stories these heroes have to tell - and what incredible sights they brought back with them.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

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.

The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jay H. gave it an8:
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.

Patricia B. gave it a10:
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!

Kevin C. gave it a10:
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.

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In the Shadow of the Moon ThinkFilm

In the Shadow of the Moon
ThinkFilm