Tom Hanks' folksy narration could be intended to bury as much as praise the space program: Apollo missions belonged to an era of American optimism unlikely to be revisited.
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:28
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: This inspirational 3D IMAX film approximates for audiences what it is like to set steps on the moon.
Runtime: 40 mins
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
US Box Office: $30,577,464
Synopsis: This 3-D IMAX presentation cuts no corners when it comes to its mission, recreating--down to the most precise detail--the experience of landing on the moon. An educational extravaganza, the unique... This 3-D IMAX presentation cuts no corners when it comes to its mission, recreating--down to the most precise detail--the experience of landing on the moon. An educational extravaganza, the unique film allows viewers, behind their enormous 3-D glasses and comfortably seated in front of an enormous screen, to experience a moonwalk in its closest approximation. The film begins by noting the fascination that the moon has held for people over the centuries, and looking at their fantasies about what they might find there. Proceeding on to the astronauts who made the trip and the years of preparation that made it possible, the film shows what the lunar landings looked like, using sets that recreate the moon's surface with painstaking fidelity. The film provides a brief overview of some of the experiments the astronauts were sent to perform, capturing the gravity of the venture as well as the joy they experienced. As they explore the surface of the moon both by foot and by car, the perspective of the audience becomes that of the astronauts, creating a giddy sensation not unlike the optical illusions the space explorers themselves describe. MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION also posits some hypothetical situations, documenting conspiracy theories that claim the moonwalks never happened and creating a harrowing enactment of an emergency that, thankfully, never took place. The presentation is very kid-friendly but, paired with the spectacular effects, it will appeal to viewers of all ages. In addition to narrator Tom Hanks, who also produced the film, the star-studded cast of voices includes Mathew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Morgan Freeman, Paul Newman, Matt Damon, John Travolta, and Donnie Wahlberg. [More]
Starring: Neil Armstrong, Alan Bean, Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon
Starring: Neil Armstrong, Alan Bean, Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Scott Glenn, Rick Gomez, Matthew McConaughey, Paul Newman, Bill Paxton, Peter Scolari, Gary Sinese, John Travolta, Donnie Wahlberg
Director: Mark Cowen
Director: Mark Cowen
Producer: Mark Cowen
Studio: Imax Corporation
Reviews for Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D
As contrived as its title, Magnificent Desolation has the look and feel of a NASA fundraiser.
One of the astronauts describes his excitement during the lunar mission as 'like a kid playing in a sandbox.' Unfortunately, that could also sum up the film's visual content.
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon is an earnest but insubstantial Imax 3-D spectacle that, even at 40 minutes, seems unduly padded.
When you fail to acknowledge the difference between Hollywood and reality, you have abdicated this responsibility.
The illusion is impressive but incomplete, and therefore mildly disappointing. But I cannot deny having felt a little nervous when 'we' were standing too close to the edge at the Grand Canyon-like Hadley Rille. So clearly I am a liar.
In a cinematic era in which seemingly any feat or place can be generated for the screen, it's what these men said -- in mundane exchanges and insightful retrospection -- that stirs one most.
Simply take in the sparse, but beautiful, terrain of an entity that's in the sky every night; and one that so many of us only dream of setting foot on.
The film is adoring and respectful to the history of the space program, and earnestly hopeful that what was accomplished before can be expanded on for the future.
It's a call for continued space exploration... whets the appetite for future scientists. You feel the awe and wonder of men reaching for the impossible and achieving it.
A gee-wonderful virtual visit to the arid orb, which uses ingenious technical sleight of hand to -- let's face it -- fake it beautifully.
The movie's very realistic 3-D simulations and cleverly collated archival footage give filmgoers the best idea yet of what it's like to set foot on gray lunar soil.
Offers the most realistic approximation of a moon visit that Earthbound mortals have ever seen.
The movie's biggest asset is Hanks, who can't hide the excitement in his voice. The mood is contagious.
It’s a stirring and persuasive plug for resuming in-person space exploration -- and it’s a lot of fun besides.
It cleverly re-creates what it must have felt like to walk in the astronauts' weighted boots.
Magnificent Desolation is restricted by the fact that it wasn’t actually shot on the moon. The best footage was one giant special effect, and that lessened its impact.
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