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Movies / Upcoming / Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D

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Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005)

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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: $29,986,870

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

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato

Urban Cinefile Critics

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.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 14 2005 10:34 PM

Urban Cinefile

tomato
3.5/4

Mike McGranaghan

This is a mesmerizing film that serves as a reminder of just how amazing our country's space exploration has been.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 10 2007 09:43 AM

Aisle Seat

tomato
4/5

Jim Lane

It’s a stirring and persuasive plug for resuming in-person space exploration -- and it’s a lot of fun besides.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 12 2006 03:16 AM

Sacramento News & Review

tomato
2.5/4

Ross Anthony

Overall, the production successfully maneuvers through 2D and 3D nearby-space with a playful spirit of curiosity, experiment and wonder.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 27 2006 10:45 AM

Hollywood Report Card

tomato
3.5/4

Larry Ratliff

Go see Magnificent Desolation on the giant IMAX screen and Tom Hanks will moon-rock your world.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 19 2006 09:29 AM

San Antonio Express-News

tomato
3.5/4

Linda Cook

"Magnificent," indeed.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 23 2005 12:15 PM

Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

tomato
3.5/5

Annlee Ellingson

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.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 29 2005 04:04 AM

Boxoffice Magazine

tomato
3.5/5

Norm Schrager

condensing the moon program into roughly 60 minutes is a pretty impressive feat. Giving you the feeling of actually being part of it is even more impressive

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 28 2005 04:48 PM

Filmcritic.com

splat

Daniel Eagan

As contrived as its title, Magnificent Desolation has the look and feel of a NASA fundraiser.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 10 2005 11:24 AM

Film Journal International

splat

Joe Leydon

Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon is an earnest but insubstantial Imax 3-D spectacle that, even at 40 minutes, seems unduly padded.

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Oct., 06 2005 02:38 PM

Variety

tomato
3/5

Anita Gates

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.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 04:25 PM

New York Times

splat
2/4

David Hiltbrand

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.

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Sep., 23 2005 04:18 PM

Philadelphia Inquirer

tomato
3.5/4

Kyle Smith

Adults will be more than passably entertained by this short, patriotic feature, and kids will be entranced.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 04:07 PM

New York Post

tomato
3/4

Jami Bernard

Playful, inspirational.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 03:57 PM

New York Daily News

tomato
3/4

Jeff Shannon

Offers the most realistic approximation of a moon visit that Earthbound mortals have ever seen.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 03:57 PM

Seattle Times

tomato
10/10

Jack Garner

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.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 03:56 PM

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

tomato

Robert W. Butler

The film is fascinating history and unabashedly inspirational.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 03:54 PM

Kansas City Star

tomato

Sheri Linden

Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D promises to put viewers on the lunar surface, and through previously unreleased photos and footage from NASA's archives, along with CGI and re-enactments, it pulls off the illusion.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 03:51 PM

Hollywood Reporter

tomato
3/4

John Monaghan

It cleverly re-creates what it must have felt like to walk in the astronauts' weighted boots.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 03:48 PM

Detroit Free Press

tomato
3.5/4

Jeff Vice

The whole package is as entertaining as it is educational.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 03:47 PM

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

 
 
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