In the Shadow of the Moon
Discovery Communications | Release Date: September 7, 2007 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
84
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 34 Critic Reviews
Positive:
33
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Quite simply, a revelation. Read full review
100
Entertainment WeeklyOwen 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. Read full review
100
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
By turns awe-inspiring and deeply human. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger 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. Read full review
100
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
It's both irrefutably concrete and irresistibly uplifting. Read full review
91
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
After seeing this film, try reading Norman Mailer's "Of A Fire on the Moon," its perfect companion piece. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe 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. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
The riveting documentary In the Shadow of the Moon, is an unexpected knockout. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The value of this film, not just to moviegoers today but to future generations, is simply enormous. Read full review
90
SalonAndrew 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. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
I came out giddy, feeling lighter--by about five-sixths--than I did when I went in. Read full review
90
Washington PostJoel Achenbach
Now, finally, we know what it was like to walk on the moon: unbelievably cool. Amazing. Fantastic. Scary. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleMarc 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. Read full review
88
Miami HeraldRene 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. Read full review
88
USA TodayClaudia Puig
One small documentary for a filmmaker and one giant leap in inspiration for audiences. Read full review
88
New York PostLou 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. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn 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. Read full review
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerGianni 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. Read full review
80
EmpireRoss Bennett
This wonderful documentary succeeds as a reminder of human endeavour. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderReece 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. Read full review
80
Film ThreatJamie Tipps
A surprisingly fresh take on familiar material. Read full review
80
NewsweekDavid Ansen
As we watch the astonishing NASA footage, they eloquently evoke the optimism, anxiety and excitement of those voyages. Read full review
80
VarietyTodd 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. Read full review
80
Village VoiceJim Ridley
In the Shadow of the Moon recalls the wondrous moment when America had the entire world looking up, up, and not away. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen Holden
In the Shadow of the Moon is such a morale booster. The power of its archival images hasn’t diminished with familiarity. Read full review
80
The New YorkerAnthony 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. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleLeba 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. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Want to know what the “right stuff” really is? Take a look. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
And oh, what stories these heroes have to tell - and what incredible sights they brought back with them. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
It has the air of an officially sanctioned tribute rather than a probing study, but it's stirring all the same. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeMark Feeney
It's so simple, so obvious - and a revelation. Read full review
75
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. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames 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. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubScott 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. Read full review
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