In the Shadow of the Moon

Jim Quon
September 14, 2007

Jim’s movie rating 4 stars out of 5.

With all the huge advances in special effects it seems like anything is possible today. Science fiction blockbusters like Star Wars make space travel seem commonplace. We forget that only a handful of people have ever even set foot on the moon. In Ron Howard’s In the Shadow’s of the Moon, we are reminded how great a feat this really was, and how through sheer human willpower, ingenuity, and courage, we are able to accomplish the loftiest of goals. 

Many may begin watching this film thinking that going to the moon may be old news and that they’ve heard it all before, but this film really brings in the human element, interviewing many of the astronauts who were the original trail blazers of the space race. With just a single act of going to the moon their lives were changed forever and so too was the way that the world viewed itself. 

Not only is the whole space program documented but also how politics and culture were shaped by this epic journey. The race to land on the moon gave hope to people in a time of political turmoil and social change. A project of this size and complexity involved great risk, but this was a time where people were willing to take such risks. 

The film does a great job to remind us that we really haven’t gone that far in space exploration, and there is so much that we have yet to accomplish. This film might change the way we view the world itself, showing us that we should not take this fragile planet for granted. 
The best parts are listening to the astronauts tell the stories themselves. They are truly remarkable people, and it’s fascinating hearing their stories today now that they have gained some perspective with the passage of time. Every decision they made could be the difference between life and death, and they had to deal with this knowing billions of people were watching their every move. 

Those who are expecting an action packed movie may be disappointed as the movie mainly revolves around interviews with the astronauts, and there are parts that can get a little bit preachy as well. Nevertheless, the story is very compelling and footage of the events is beautiful. This is more science than science fiction and this film demonstrates that fact is sometimes more astonishing than fiction. With a new moon exploration race currently underway, this movie is even more topical, even though this is more than just a story of exploration.