Genres

Visitors Review

Scott 2013-06-14 05:09:46

A Very Poor Effort

I'm in the minority, but I was extremely disappointed with Magificent Desolation. The Apollo missions to the moon are a fascinating topic, and should have provided a wealth of intriguing anecdotes, facts, and trivia. What we got instead was pure fluff. We learned little of the knowledge that was actually gathered from the moon landings. We learned little of the science behind the missions and the challenges faced by those who planned the Apollo missions. The astronauts themselves, by their very nature and occupation, are almost certainly fascinating characters, but again we learn little - little but their names and a few quotes (many voiced by big-name actors). The "troubles" experienced seemed limited to a few silly stumbles in the moon dust and the "what if there was a problem?" hypothetical scenario was a utter waste of time. MORE SCIENCE PLEASE, LESS FLUFF!Visually, I was far more impressed by the brief and beautiful preview for the 3D Jean-Michel Cousteau show Sharks 3D than by anything in the feature film. The 3D "wow" effects are limited to dust and debris flying at you during the lunar landing and from the spinning tires of the lunar transport. The rest is, as you might expect, predominantly grey moonscapes.I saw a lot of yawns in the audience, even though it was a short film. Your money can be better spent elsewhere. I wish I had seen Sharks 3D instead.

george-490 2013-06-13 14:53:18

Can't wait!

Can't wait for this to be released -- the latest 3D Space IMAX movie.We heard a sneak preview at the National Space Society conference inWashington DC, and it was awesome. Film is produced by Tom Hanks, andhelmed by Mark Cowen. The idea is simple: recreate the authenticexperience of the Apollo moon astronauts using the 3D IMAX format. Theyare pulling out all the stops to give the actual sensation of what theApollo astronauts saw, heard and felt in their voyage to and on theMoon. Authentic imagery, digitally manipulated for the high res Imaxexperience. Plus sets which recreate the lunar environment down to thelittle boulders in the pictures. They've got lots of astronautparticipation, which is promising. This is really where IMAX isunrivaled -- transporting audiences to an inaccessible place. Highlyappropriate for it to come out now, when NASA is planning to start itsnew Moon program. Until lunar tourism is a reality, this sounds likeour best bet. You are go for liftoff!

Matthew 2013-06-05 09:51:05

Shocked

This movie is shockingly short. Granted I did not check the run timebefore purchasing a ticket, but I expected the movie to be longer.Also, despite excellent effects, amazing pictures (especially whenviewed in a IMAX 3D), and excellent narration; the movie did notcontain much information. The movie gives more of the feelings behind ajourney to the moon, pointing out how something might have gone wrong,that it's a long journey, the people to take the journey were heroes,etc... No actual useful information. This disappointed me as I wasexpecting something educational.One thing I the movie did provide was less popular comments from lessknown astronauts from the other Apollo missions.Other than the short length and the lack of educational comment, it wasenjoyable to watch. The visual effects are surprising and realistic (attimes, because of the 3d effects you feel the sudden urge to dodgesomething or get out of the way of something coming at you)

Michael 2013-06-04 23:02:09

Awesome! This is the best IMAX movie ever made!

It is clear that this documentary about the moon landings is a result a fantastic effort. It is very powerful, original, well-made and realistic. You really feel like you are riding the lunar landing module and then that you are on the moon and you are walking on it. It reminds us that reality is much more fascinating than the not-so imaginative worlds portrayed in science fiction movies.

ashleyphotostory 2013-06-04 07:15:19

Pretty good IMAX

This movie is a pretty decent IMAX flick. Tom Hanks makes for a greatnarrator. The content was very interesting and often quite funny. Themusic is on-par with major Hollywood films (although it got a littlesappy at the end, but that's IMAX for you). It did a good job ofdiscussing all the Apollo missions, and not just 11.I only found out afterwards how many famous voices were involved. Irecognized Morgan Freeman, but that was it. This is a Good Thing. Thefilm did not let the "talent" get in the way of the story. In otherwords, the star of the show was the history and information, and notthe voice work.This movie did NOT need to be in 3D. More than half of it was archivefootage, which obviously was not shot with a 3D camera. Often thefootage was shrunk down to appear 3D against a generic background. Therecreated lunar landing was the only part that took real advantage ofthe 3D cameras, but it was in no way necessary to be shot in 3D.That being said, it was a pleasant way to spend an hour. Make sure tosit in a red seat if you see it in the Lockheed-Martin theatre at theAir and Space Museum for optimum 3D viewing.

TxMike 2013-06-03 20:07:04

Very nice DVD of the IMAX film.

My public library has the DVD of this film. I was able to see it on a52-inch 1080P HDTV and played with an upconverting 1080P player. Withthat combination it is a remarkably clear and life-like presentation.Not quite IMAX, but very nice.By way of history, I was a pre-teen in the 1950s when Russia launchedthe Sputnik, and I remember watching the sky with my dad, searching fora view of it. So in my lifetime the first artificial satellite was putinto orbit, the first men into space, and the first men to land andwalk on the moon.For me this is a wonderful film. It in a way ties all that together,and using both actors and simulated moon landscapes combined withactual 1960s moon landing footage, gives us an up-close experience ofwhat the moon landings must have been like.

mvolk23 2013-05-31 07:59:40

Outstanding! Great use of 3D technology...

Outstanding! What a great tribute to the Apollo space program. A greatuse of 3D technology. I loved all of the star voices sitting in for theApollo astronuats. I recognized some of them, not all of them. Thismovie - only about 45 minutes long - shows us past footage and newfootage of what it was like to fly an Apollo mission to the moon.Including hypothetical worst case scenarios and what moon travel mightbe like in the future. For those who remember the Apollo missions, thiswill be a great reminder and tribute to those days of the late 60's &70's. And for those who have no frame of reference, what a great way tolearn about what it was like. The 3D effects are outstanding, notgimmicky. Please go see this movie and take your kids. I remember verylittle of the Apollo missions when they occurred, but this movieactually had me choked up at the end. I only wish it was longer...

msspurlock2 2013-05-30 21:09:03

No Use Getting Excited About Our Future in Space

Good flick, but now that the Democrats are in power, you can forgetabout the space program. They have starved the program at the cost ofastronauts' lives, and they have interfered in every aspect. Why dothey do this? Because they want to keep us bottled up in cities wherethey are in control and can suck the life out of us with taxes andfascist laws. So don't look to the sky or dare to dream, because theyare going to continue to sabotage efforts to improve mankind at everyturn. Cynically, they use the old wheeze that "we should be worryingabout problems right here on Earth. They say this at a time when theyhave make stuff up using junk science, in order to have enough problemsfor a platform.

Ed Uyeshima 2013-05-29 03:29:17

Cursory, IMAX-Formatted Look at the Apollo Lunar Missions Designed to Inspire the Next Generation

If you saw the superb 2007 documentary, "In the Shadow of the Moon", Iam not certain what the point would be in viewing this forty-minute2005 IMAX film - at least if you are old enough to remember thetelevision coverage of the Apollo missions. The former film includesspectacular archival footage of those missions and insightful on-camerainterviews with ten of the surviving astronauts. This one is aimed moredirectly as a motivational film for a youthful audience as it seeks toreignite the pioneering spirit that sparked the first space flights.NASA aficionado Tom Hanks wrote and produced (along with director MarkCowen) this enthralling if somewhat cursory look at what it took to getto the moon and what it will take to continue the legacy. The film notonly recreates some of the actual Apollo lunar missions but also positswhat could have happened had disaster struck. The result adds asuspenseful element obviously designed to engage younger viewers.Hanks applies his storytelling skills to full dramatic effect duringthese fictitious interludes. They are intertwined with a whirlwind offacts presented in a breezy manner, an especially effective tactic inchronicling mankind's fascination with the moon since this film ismeant to inspire as well as to educate. To reinforce the approach,there is a series of quick interviews with youngsters that bookend thefeaturette showing how the space race has completely preceded them andhow it could be resuscitated for the next generation of lunarexploration which targets us back on the moon by 2016. A number offamous actors provide the voices of the astronauts - Matt Damon, MorganFreeman, Paul Newman - but few are recognizable. The 3-D visual effectsare lost on the 2007 DVD, though I think not as much as the elongateddimensions provided by an IMAX theater. Even more than the technicalelements, what really brings the film together is Hanks' obviousenthusiasm for the subject. The DVD includes additional video footageand photographs from the Apollo 11 mission plus a trivia game.

mitchstevens 2013-05-28 13:39:03

You will be surprised with how truly Magnificent this is...

I wish I had the time to express how much this movie moved me. So,please just take my word for it, the movie is very INSPIRING and wellworth it! I think it is great for kids and adults alike and reallygives you a sense of "awe", looking at this great accomplishment ofmankind in 3D. In watching the movie, it made me realize just how muchwe often take this amazing feat for granite. I plan to take all mychildren to see this to help them gain a new perspective and respectfor this achievement. I truly hope this movie with help inspire a new generation to achieveeven more than the last, and to stand on our shoulders and reach evenfurther. It is worth it… take the family, go see it and be proud!

artisticengineer 2013-05-22 17:25:15

Great film, though misleading

This movie should be seen along with "In the Shadow of the Moon" aswell as "For All Mankind". The last one I mentioned, "For All Mankind",came out around 1992 and the producers actually had a very hard timemaking it due to a limited budget as well as limited interest overallat that time. It should be mentioned that after the first moon landinginterest by most people quickly faded. In fact, by the time of the lastlanding, Apollo 17, public interest was so low that NASA supposedlypaid the networks to show the moonwalks of Cernan and Schmidt. I doremember that even then the moonwalks were shown in split screen alongwith college and pro football games so as not to alienate the averageTV viewer (please remember that this was long before we had all thecable channels and home video recorders). The moon walks were really adisappointment; that is why I, for one, do not expect to see any againfor a long time. Some other country may put a man or men on the moon toshow the world they can do so, but it will probably be a one time dealfor publicity only. The possibility of a moon base in our lifetime israther low.Which is why this film is so great. It actually revives interest inthese old missions by showing details that were not shown when theyfirst aired. The depiction of the landing process for Apollo 15 wasfantastic; and now I can see how the astronauts went through thelanding procedure. This film even provides a better look on the Apollo11 moonwalk-something that my generation could not quite as well withthat black & white TV camera that the astronauts used on that veryhistoric night. Oh, we saw a lot that night, but the overallperspective was missing. That is what is so great about this film. Thedangers faced by the Apollo 15 moon walkers (falling down into thecanyon) were not understood very well by NASA, let along the average TVviewer of that time (such as me). This film shows the "hidden" dangersquite well!! Much more exciting that way than when we were viewing themoon walk live!It is a great film. I was a teenager when the walks took place andquite frankly I could live the rest of my life quite happily withoutseeing another one occurring. The problem is that kids the age of mygrandkids did not see those walks and nobody really knows when theywill be able to see one. Therefore, this film is great as it shows themwhat we saw; in even better color and detail. It is misleading as thequotes from the astronauts were not actually read by those people; themovie implies the voices heard were those astronauts. In reality, thequotes were being read by professional actors. To see the actualastronauts and hear them speak you need to watch, "In the Shadow of theMoon". Still, this is a 40 minute movie well worth seeing; I certainlyenjoyed it. Enjoyed it even better than watching some of those moonwalks when they were actually happening!!!!!

msp-3 2013-05-21 18:45:56

They miscalculated their lunar insertion burn making this film...

The first time I saw "Magnificent Desolation" I was very impressed withit, in particular the "you are there" feeling of watching this in IMAX.If I had rated the movie when I left the theatre that first time, Iwould have given it a 10.But then, I watched it again. That was when I started to get annoyedwith the film. Why do we hear the blast of rockets in the vacuum ofspace? And even the footfalls of the astronauts on the moon? Why are webeing shown lots of cute schoolchildren posing for the camera, ratherthan spending the time talking about the engineering and hard work thatmade this possible? Why are we listening to recorded actors, ratherthan some interviews with surviving astronauts? And, to top if off, why do we have the melodramatic near-final scene of"what would have happened if...", instead of just documenting theincredible events that actually DID happen? Was reality not excitingenough for the film makers? So, I'm giving it a begrudging 5. Theycould have done SO much better with this.

Morgan H 2013-05-20 05:10:25

Lame Footage and Execution

I'm a fan of Earth to the Moon and Apollo 13, but this documentary was horrible. The first 10 minutes of the movie is interviews with children who have no idea who the first man on the moon was. Then there was a montage of faux-moon history and facts, slightly amusing, but boring. The historical footage is so grainy, that they use only a small portion of the IMAX screen to show the real footage. New footage is all staged (but looks great), but since it is in 3D, they have to make something jump at you, so they pan down and throw dirt at the camera when the astronaut kicks up some moon dust. They do this about 3 times and is annoying.Think of all the missed opportunities. I would have been happy with a Saturn V launch, a lunar orbit, a descent, a couple of moon walks, a ride on the lunar rover, and a lift off from the moon, and a splash landing. That would have made me happy.What we get is some old footage on the moon, some voice overs, some bad children level science, and some grainy footage. We don't even get a liftoff, just a still picture of one at the credits.Save your money and time. Don't go.

GilbertV 2013-05-19 09:17:15

Good, just not great

If you aren't very interested in the subject matter, you probably will find the film just to be OK. Me? I'm an Apollo junkie, so I really enjoyed it. It just wasn't the "knock your socks off" kind of thing that I was expecting. Would have enjoyed more 3d computer and recreation screen time and less "3D windowpane of 2D video" screen time.

phillipstephenso 2013-05-19 03:52:56

Otherworldly

I saw this movie at our local IMAX theater at the Pink Palace Museum,Memphis, which has a screen that is about 30 feet high. The scenes ofthe Moon were so detailed that it was a sensory overload for me. So, Ihad to restrict my vision (and attention) to just a small section ofthe screen to avoid dizziness and vertigo. It must take a strongconstitution to be an astronaut, due to an inevitable sensory overload.I get dizzy just climbing up a ladder. I know I would get a severe caseof vertigo if I actually witnessed the Earth rising above the wastelandof the Moon. But, this film is excellent for young adventurers, whoaspire to travel to the Moon. I am sure that vacations to the Moon willbe as numerous in coming centuries as cruises to the Caribbean aretoday. The numerous scientific skills associated with space travel areendlessly fascinating to developing young minds. Tom Hanks, however,does a good job of warning us of the dangers of space flight and theheroism of American astronauts, who, quite literally, gave their livesto the pursuit of the dangerous vocation of space travel andexploration.

ludovica36 2013-05-18 20:54:03

Could do better

Well, This was my first IMAX experience so I was pretty blown awayabout that, primarily; although with hindsight, I can't help wishingthat it had been some other (less monochrome)film.Magnificent Desolation very much had the "Programme for Schools" feelthe way it listed all the astronauts and this made it feel a LOT likereading National Geographic Magazine in 3D. Weirdly it actually had avery two dimensional quality that only occasionally exploded intoreality and a lot of time it felt like some PowerPoint Presentation.There was a moment in the film when an unnoticed abyss opens; seeminglyat your feel, that had a bit of a WOW factor but to be honest, that mayhave had more to do with me being an IMAX virgin.The commentary, provided by Tom Hanks, I personally found very, (what'sa nice way to put it??) "flag-wavingly nationalistic" which didn't godown too well in central London, judging by remarks overheard as weleft.Over all, I loved the IMAX experience, but dearly wish a different filmhad been on on that day. The Moon isn't a particularly colourfulsubject and to be honest, a lot of the 3D effects were lost in themonochrome scenery. All that would have been well, were it not for thedocumentary inserts and distractions like the interviews with Americanschoolchildren which spoiled it a bit

2013-05-18 05:26:50

Smashing!!

What a delight and a real treat for the appreciative movie lover..It is nice to attend a film that is different from all the rest..Probably will be the closest to space technology and all the details we will ever experience, unless of course we are active with the whole NASA thing. I feel that a nice job was done bringing to light what we only ever hear about, and finally get to experience..."A must see"..............

2013-05-17 20:18:20

Every American should see this film!

I had the priviledge of attending an advanced screening of this film and I'm grateful I did. This IMAX documentary is insightful, thoughtful, and even emotional. The visuals are stunning and the 3D is extremely well done - clear, crisp, and convincing.I left the threater with a sense of gratitude to the 12 men who have walked on the moon, and a sense of patriotism to my country. Even the small children left the movie excited, which I think is the point, for they are the next to walk on the moon.

mail-2143 2013-04-26 13:46:58

A "world rocker" to be sure.

Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D is another amazing IMAXfilm by NASA and Lockheed Martin. Not since Space Station 3D (2002)have I seen such a tribute to astronauts, their missions and the spaceprogram. While Magnificent Desolation is not quite as impressive asSpace Station 3D (all footage filmed on location) it is still a "worldrocker" to be sure. It really makes you feel like you are on the moonas a spectator watching the astronauts. I'd love to see them ad another75 minutes to these films. even the skeptics should go see this one.It's as close as you're going to get unless NASA/Lockheed has anothermoon mission and films it in 3D.

FilmCreature 2013-04-26 04:33:30

FilmCreature Reviews 'Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D'

The world now seems to be in an odd stage of downsizing, in whichobjects such as DVD and CD players are steadily decreasing in size. Itis obviously much cooler to have a smaller iPod than a larger one. Thisis not so with theater screens, as is the case with the IMAX, theenormous, widely-known theater system that has stunned audiences uponits release, and to this day. As long as the material's right.The main problem with 'Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D"is that it uses the huge screen as its main advantage. It is dull,uninformative, and relentlessly eager to please and amaze us with itscorny special effects and inspiring quotes from famous names such asNeil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Another problem with the film is thatit doesn't even take the time to sit down and interview those lucky fewwho have had such an extraordinary experience as to have been to themoon. Instead, the writers have simply pressed COPY and PASTE and hiredfamous voices such as Morgan Freeman, Bill Paxton, and Matt Damon toimitate their famous quotes. This tactic is unrelentingly repetitiveand tedious.I'd say without one moment's hesitation that I didn't learn one pieceof information from the film that I didn't already know.And it repeatedly insisted on irritating the crap out of me with itsinsistent sentimentality. Every three minutes there seems to be a cuefor Tom Hanks' voice to say something like "Without the contributionsof these brave men and women..." Watching the film is like watching abad commercial. For forty agonizing minutes.1/4