Rating: 
Summary: Great Drama, Great History
Review: I'm watching this miniseries for about the fifth time (it's great to NordicTrack to). Each time I watch it, I am more impressed. First, it works as a dramatic narrative. The History Channel it ain't! The drama centers around the usual "people at risk" conflicts, but it derives as much of its energy from the aspirations that drove the people to put themselves at risk. It could easily have collapsed into cheap sentimentality or jingoistic patriotism, but instead, it inspires. Almost as importantly, it doesn't compromise its history to tell its story. I am personally very tired of producers who excuse bad history by saying "we're making entertainment, not a documentary." If you're good enough, you can make great entertainment that is great history. This miniseries is a mavelous example of just that. I think that what I enjoy most about the series is that it's as much about the 1960s as it is about the Apollo program. We went through incredible social changes during that decade, and 'From the Earth to the Moon' touches many of them. I don't buy television series on DVD, because I don't think I would watch them more than once in five years. I bought this one, and I bring it off the shelf every year. It's well worth the investment.
Rating: 
Summary: Great
Review: Simply the best and most comprehensive program. Hanks approaches this story from an angle never thought of. He takes the most critical part of each mssions and details it. As the 10 episodes unfold you have the story of a complete mission from a to z. Hanks is a genius.....GET this DVD set if you are a moon fan. Get this DVD so your kids can find out what we had to do to get to the moon and back without killing the people who went. It is an historical monument to the endevour. It is a history lesson that is fun to learn.
Rating:
Summary: We're Go, Flight...
Review: "From the Earth to the Moon" is an epic worthy to tell the Gemini and Apollo astronauts' stories. That said, the one thing that jarred me was the amatuerish special effects that occasionally popped up. For instance, when Alan Shepard reenters the earth's atmosphere in Freedom 7, it almost looks like a tiny model strung up in front of a sky backdrop--it reminded me of the old 60's TV show "Thunderbirds," it was so hokey. It was obvious that HBO did not have the bankroll to snag Digital Domain, the same people who did "Apollo 13." (To steal a quote from another space film: "No bucks, no Buck Rogers.") Luckily, those glaring moments are few and far between, which is why I gave it 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: The spirit of Apollo enshrined
Review: This production represents the most far going attempt yet made to capture the thrill, the glory, the triumph and the courage that was Apollo, while not losing site of the simple humanity of most involved. It spans the entire programme in a way shows what it was about that space programme that made it special: constant challenges, innovation, novelty and high adventure. Manned pace exploration in the 60s and 70s was really about the exploration and not exploitation of space! Anyone interested in the Apollo voyages to the moon with find this series a magnificent homage to those trips. The individual triumph of many of the astronauts is brilliantly captured, the awe, the tenacity, and the spirit of bold curiousity suffuses these programs: I loved them. The series is perhaps almost as uplifting as the programme itself, and show Apollo for perhaps what it really was: the most inspiring act of faith, courage and singular purpose of the twentieth century.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptionally accurate and fascinating
Review: This miniseries captures the excitement and tension of the project Apollo brilliantly. It does a great job of focusing on the technical achievements without forgetting about the humor and humanity of those involved. From the fun of Pete Conrad and Alan Bean to the sacrifice of the astronaut's wives, this series gives an accurate and in-depth perspective to this important period of American history. It's hard to recommend this enough.
Rating:
Summary: Required viewing
Review: This miniseries is an excellent portrayal of the triumph of the human spirit that was the "Moonrace." One of the most amazing things about this program is that the landing of Apollo 11 occurs at the halfway point. This series truly chronicles the entire Apollo program and makes one ask, "Why haven't we been back for 30 years?" This series should be required viewing for all American kids.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but it is not The Right Stuff
Review: OK, The Right Stuff is one of my favorite movies of all times, but it was a movie. You sat down and watched it front to back and felt like you knew more about the Mercury program and the people in it. Well, From the Earth to the Moon gives you that same feel like you know the people, but the mini-series format really kills that sense of story you got with The Right Stuff. Look, if you are a space buff, buy this and watch it with your kids when they are old enough to handle the language (which gets a little rough around the edges at times).
Rating: 
Summary: Gee Whiz Aren't We Neato?
Review: This is not a documentary. It is a long movie based on actual events, obviously made by Americans. It has too much "gee whiz aren't these American guys just so neato?" thrown in for me to enjoy it. Though it may be a matter of pride that we got to the moon first, this volume is too maudlin and patriotic for me to enjoy it as a documentary, which is what I thought it was.
Rating:
Summary: Way Overdue
Review: Seeing the printed word is one thing, but to witness the cutting edge of human evolution driven home through utterly first class acting, special effects, music, and storytelling is entirely another. Reading of Apollo for so long, I think, certainly sweetened the extravagenza of imagery in From The Earth to the Moon. It was just so cool to see it *finally* brought to the screen. I watched all twelve hours in two days--seriously. Each episode has its own, delightfully creative angle. In that sense I'm sure it will keep your interest for a long, long while. And, a la the movie Apollo 13, it also does such an indispensable job of conveying human emotion. Although robots have explored planets like Jupiter and Saturn, we cannot truly feel like we've been to anywhere but our moon, because mind and soul are always paramount. And that's why Apollo will always be such a fascinating story.
Rating:
Summary: Moving Soundtrack frames an engrossing story
Review: If you enjoy the idea of the American entrepreneurial/pioneer spirit, and, though imperfect and at times prone to failure, this spirit is the best thing on earth...or the moon, you will enjoy this DVD set. Similarly, if you are intriqued by engineering and the process of getting technology from research to reality, this DVD will entrance you. And if a romantic, cinderela story, filled with real personalities is your cup of tea, you too will find yourself unable to wait to see the next episode in this series. HBO did a wonderful job on this endeavor. Seeing Band of Brothers, and Apollo 13, I thought I would enjoy From the Earth to the Moon. I wasn't prepared for the quality and entrancing effect of this series. My wife and I found ourselves watching two episodes a night, instead of the agreed upon single installment! I indentified with the engineers at Grumann as they worked the problems out of the LEM. I was intrigued by the political and media aspects surrounding the space program which I was too young to have known about. Alan Bean's trip to the moon was presented in a wonderfully hilarious way. And the characters had depth with common-man heroics as well as failings. Do yourself a favor, and get a copy of this DVD to watch, learn and enjoy.
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