 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
In the Shadow of the Moon
- Review Date: October 15, 2007
- PG
- Genre: Documentary
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Lofty recap of the Apollo moon program.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this documentary mentions the riots and upheavals of the 1960s, as well as the dangers of the Apollo moon flights, with much time devoted to the launch-pad fire that killed three astronauts on the ground. There is also Buzz Aldrin's revelation that he urinated inside his space suit on worldwide TV before stepping on the moon.
What's the story?
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON is a retelling of the Apollo space program that aims rather high in compressing the whole epic moon-launch mission into feature length, covering everything from how the space program fit into the political climate of the time to the disasters (the 1967 launch-pad fire) and near-disasters (the Apollo 13 mission).
Is it any good?
This never-boring documentary uses no charts or diagrams or PBS-style narrator but comes from the mouths of the astronauts and ground crew themselves, helped by a clever montage of astounding NASA space footage and pop-culture background (like Neil Armstrong's parents on a vintage TV game show).
Two sides of the space program emerge here. One is the awe of achievement for all humankind that seemed to transcend the turbulent times. The other shows the fine line between the "Right Stuff" idea ("an unshakable belief in your own infallibility") and the overconfidence that led to a 1967 fire on the launch pad that killed astronauts Grissom, White, and Chaffee in a sealed cockpit inferno.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the documentary's assertion that the American space program somehow transcended its Cold War goal to outdo the Soviets, becoming a more meaningful enterprise. What does the idea of a successful moon landing mean to you? What lessons do you get from the cool-headed "right stuff" attitude of the pilots? The astronauts allude at the end, briefly, to conspiracy theories that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax filmed on a movie set. Why do you think people would believe that?
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| Topics: | history, science and nature |
| Studio: | THINKFilm |
| Director: | David Singleton |
| Cast: | Alan Bean, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Run time: | 99 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 12, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | February 11, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | mild language, brief violent images and incidental smoking |
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