First Man
71 Reviews
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In Theaters: October 12, 2018
On DVD/Blu-ray: January 22, 2019
PG-13 | Drama | 2h 13m
3.53/5
Based on 196 votes and 71 reviews.
Please rate between 1 to 5 stars
October 13, 2018
Some 25 years ago, I had the privilege of asking Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin what it felt like when the Saturn 5 took off and he indicated it was a very smooth take-off to the point he couldn't really tell exactly when it lifted off the pad and in this regard this movie grossly exaggerates the noise and shaking the astronauts of Apollo 11 experienced. Also, in the Gemini/Agena incident (Gemini 8), the whirring heard in the movie simply didn't exist. The spaceship silently started to spin faster and faster until it quietly nearly killed both of its passengers and I feel the sense of sheer terror would have been better portrayed if they had showed it like that in the movie instead of adding the Hollywood style sound effects. Other than these 'dramatisation' liberties, this movie is a relatively faithful '1st person view' of the most important events related to the 1960s space race to the moon as seen and experienced by Armstrong, his family and colleagues. Armstrong was deeply affected by the death of his daughter and that of some close friends but also by the fact he was constantly putting his own life on the line to achieve a goal set by one of the most famous U.S. President and the focus of the entire western world. 'First Man' gives an intimate portrayal of the impact on Armstrong's psyche and his family. Go see this movie if you want a good history lesson which includes important details about the human side of one of the least known space race hero. Don't go if you expect something thrilling or entertaining. It's easier to understand some parts if you read about the LLRV crash, the death of the Apollo 1 crew , Gemini 8, Apollo 11 & the X-15 prior to watching the movie.
October 12, 2018
Shea Whigham is great.
October 12, 2018
I was looking forward to seeing this......well, it was long, too long, 2 1/4 hrs.....boring. I was somewhat disappointed. Ryan Gosling is good but there isn't too much more here, we all know the history of the moon landing, this is just insight into the man Neil Armstrong. I wanted to like it....
October 12, 2018
Excellent movie. The 2+ hours went by fast. Kept my attention the whole time.
October 12, 2018
Was expecting more, a lot more. Good history lesson but Hidden Figures was a better movie and story.
October 12, 2018
too much on the depressing side for such an historic event
October 12, 2018
Excellent portrayal of Armstrong. We need more Americans like him. Very accurate picture of 60’s space program.
October 12, 2018
terrible movie! not american!!
October 12, 2018
I was born in 1962, watched the moon landing while it happened. Captivated by everything space related for the last 50 some years. I read more than 50 books a year, about half are science fiction. This movie made me regret my interest. It turned something that should be the height of excitement into a movie that made me want to do something fun, like statistics, or mop the kitchen floor, or watch paint dry in slow motion. Claire Foy's Janet Armstrong was the only visible sign of life, and she was strong. The technical aspects seemed accurate mostly, except someone had a crazy love affair with shaking the camera at every opportunity. Their depiction of the moon was the other aspect of the movie that I liked (other than Claire Foy). All in all, if you need a 2 hour nap with 12 interesting minutes, watch this movie. If you want an interesting space movie, watch Space Cowboys, or any direct to DVD movie for $5.00 in the bargain bin.
October 11, 2018
At times your holding your breath, and other times the film suffers from low lighting and was Neil Armstrong really that dull in life. But times were different in the sixties and the intelligence and the brave astronauts who risked their lives to further the space program simply take your breath away. Edge of the seat sometimes. All over a good movie.