An unbelievable look at the American led Apollo 11 space mission that landed successfully on the moon and returned to earth in 1969. The mission was led by commander Neil Armstrong and two fellow pilots – Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. The film manages to capture the events spanning all the way from the initial launch preparation to shortly after the safe competition and touchdown back on earth. A truly spectacular documentary based on, at the time, the most dangerous space mission of its kind.

Director: Todd Douglas Miller
Writers: N/A
Starring: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins

It’s essential to note that rather uniquely, during this documentary there is no acting from anybody and perhaps more importantly, there is no narration over what we as a viewer witness. Refreshingly, there was also no agenda at play and the goal of the movie was to simply deliver spectacular remastered footage of the Apollo 11 mission.

There was some truly beautiful camera shots of the spacecraft prior to the mission beginning and these visuals continued as the documentary unfolded, especially as the pilots looked back on earth. The remastered pictures, footage and audio alike, really helped highlight the magnitude of the task that faced the astronauts. The filmmakers also made it a priority to emphasise from the off that this was man’s greatest adventure to date.

Not only are the remastered visuals and audio stunning to view and listen to, the soundtrack alone was also enough to make the viewer worry about the safety of the three astronauts, especially at key moments within the movie. On more than one occasion you was left on the edge of your seat purely down to the sheer intensity of the film.

The documentary also managed to highlight many parts of the mission that some will not have known about or witnessed at the time. For instance, the medical experts that were constantly monitoring the health of each astronaut and detailing their heart rate, along with the fact that the operation encountered more than one stumbling block along the way – some before it had even begun.

It was also a great insight into how the public treat the mission too – with thousands upon thousands waiting eagerly to see the mission take place. A real sense of pride and patriotism shone.

The documentary makers really did successfully take the viewer on a journey, all the way from the build up to the initial launch, followed by the journey to the moon, before the moon landing and then the departure and safe arrival back to earth. All in all, Apollo 11 is most definitely a movie that I’d encourage anybody to watch at least once in their lifetime to truly understand and appreciate the task that was undertaken in 1969.

“One small step for man… One giant leap for mankind.”

Neil Armstrong – Apollo 11