Armstrong (2019)

“A lot of people criticized Neil because he didn’t quote “get out and sell the program”, but I think he was much more effective in his quiet way.” – Mike Collins

Number of Times Seen – 1 (1 Sep 2019)

Brief Synopsis – Documentary about the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong and how becoming the first man to walk on the moon affected him for the remainder of his life.

My Take on it – This is a movie that I came across by accident and since I’m a fan of the US Space Program, I immediately checked it out.

This is the kind of movie that many people (myself included) were expecting to get from First Man (2018) last year which in the end failed to really give us a clear idea of who this man was that became the first man to set foot on the moon 50 years ago.

This film gives us a fascinating perspective on the life a man who despite shying away from the spotlight was one of the greatest heroes of history.

The wya that he lived his life both before and after his historic achievement are chrnicled in this movie and they do it so well.

This movie has some great interviews with Armstrong’s family members, friends and colleagues in the space program and we get a complete picture of what made him who he was, for better and for worse.

It’s clear to understand why he was ultimately the man chosen for this historic job and that had so much to do with his personality both in front of and away from the cameras and spotlight.

The film gives us a clever use of narration where they have Harrison voice the thoughts of Armstrong based on his memoirs and quotes.

This allows us to see into his mind during some of the most memorable moments of his life in ways that most people never get to see.

The choice of Ford to do the narration works quite well because his voice is very subtle and doesn’t distract us from the fact that we are suppose to be hearing Armstrong’s words.

This is a very enjoyable chronicle of this heroes life and allows us so much insight into what helps compose a historic hero.

Bottom Line – Fascinating look at how fame can affect someone in such a subtle way and allow them to continue to try and lead a quiet life afterwards. This film does what First Man (2018) failed to do and that is show us who Armstrong really was and how he became the legend that will always remain in the history books. The interviews with family, friends and fellow astronauts shed so much light on who this man was and why he was the perfect choice to be the symbol and representative for us all. The use of narration to allow us to enter the mind of this man lets us to gain even more insight into what drove him to great heights. Ford is a nice choice to read the excepts from Armstrong’s words since his soothing voice doesn’t take away from the impact of hearing Armstrong’s voice throughout. Very enjoyable chronicle of this great American’s life. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Armstrong joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in the second group, which was selected in 1962. He made his first spaceflight as command pilot of Gemini 8 in March 1966, becoming NASA’s first civilian astronaut to fly in space. During this mission with pilot David Scott, he performed the first docking of two spacecraft; the mission was aborted after Armstrong used some of his re-entry control fuel to stabilize a dangerous roll caused by a stuck thruster. During training for Armstrong’s second and last spaceflight as commander of Apollo 11, he had to eject from the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle moments before a crash. (From Wikipedia)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10)