Rating: 
Summary: We choose to go to the moon
Review: "We choose to go to the moon, not because it is easy, but because it is hard." Kennedy's famous speech opens up this movie and sets the mood for what is to follow: wonder. As noted in other reviews, "For All Mankind" is not a detailed, factual account of the Apollo program. Rather, it is an impressionist painting captured on film. Brief glimpses of footage and voiceovers flow together to create an atmosphere of wonder and awe. The feeling that the astronauts had when they took their historic flight.This film gives a tourist's eye view of a trip to the moon. One astronaut comments that, when riding up the elevator to the launch pad, he realized just how complicated the ship was and how little he knew about what made it go up. These men were not scientists, they were adventurers. They had fun in space, and had a difficult time paying attention to their duties while in weightlessness. There was a connection made as you hear their jokes, and listen to their insights. It was really nice to see the humanity behind the names. Through their home movies, I feel like I went along. Additional note: The DVD itself is excellent, with relevant, interesting features. Hats off again to the Criterion Collection.
Rating:
Summary: We choose to go to the moon
Review: "We choose to go to the moon, not because it is easy, but because it is hard." Kennedy's famous speech opens up this movie and sets the mood for what is to follow: wonder. As noted in other reviews, "For All Mankind" is not a detailed, factual account of the Apollo program. Rather, it is an impressionist painting captured on film. Brief glimpses of footage and voiceovers flow together to create an atmosphere of wonder and awe. The feeling that the astronauts had when they took their historic flight. This film gives a tourist's eye view of a trip to the moon. One astronaut comments that, when riding up the elevator to the launch pad, he realized just how complicated the ship was and how little he knew about what made it go up. These men were not scientists, they were adventurers. They had fun in space, and had a difficult time paying attention to their duties while in weightlessness. There was a connection made as you hear their jokes, and listen to their insights. It was really nice to see the humanity behind the names. Through their home movies, I feel like I went along. Additional note: The DVD itself is excellent, with relevant, interesting features. Hats off again to the Criterion Collection.
Rating:
Summary: Mankind's last great adventure...
Review: "We choose to go to the moon..." JFK stated those words, which begins this DVD documentary, boldly stating that the United States of America will land men on the moon before the end of that decade. This DVD, as other reviewers have stated, is not about one specific Apollo mission but is a chronicle of a "typical" lunar landing, using the words and images of the handful of men who've walked upon our celestial neighbor. It's not a strict documentary per se (and I did find the use of the Gemini mission footage jarring), but it give's you an idea of what these brave men saw and experienced when they went of the fartherest trip that man has ever embarked on. The DVD images are clear (although there are some limitations due to the use of old film of course) and the sound is good. The images of our fragile planet will move you, and if you even have a minute interest in the space program, I recommend that you get this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: The Debate Continues...
Review: 'For All Mankind' documents the Apollo space program and the attempt to land a person on the moon as a result of President Kennedy's historic commission. In some sense, this endeavor was initiated to show the capability of American technological prowess as a justification of our national way of life, but also as a kind of national symbol of scientific excellence for the first world. It is a sobering exercise to compare this film, which makes the positive case with the Philip Glass, Godfrey Reggio film 'Koyaanisqatsi', which makes the negative one. 'Koyaanisqatsi' uses a space launch/crash in it's opening/closing sequences as a symbol of the "madness" of a country basing it's moral and social growth on the way of technology. 'For All Mankind', for it's part, not only: A) Documents the special collaboration of the mission control crew. B) Shows a powerful and complex vehicle system making an impossible journey C) Features the profound meditations and humor of a variety of heroic astronauts ...but it also has a beautiful atmospheric score by the electronic musician Brian Eno and shows valuable film footage from taken from the rare perspective of outer space. Perhaps the jury might deliberate the film's fundamental premise, that technology as a way of life is of benefit to all mankind, for some time to come.
Rating: 
Summary: Criterion mutilation of a classic space journey experience!
Review: ...read the reviews with interest - but frankly I was gutted to discover that Criterion have 'mutilated' this superb doc by messing with the original score/arrangements. 'Deep blue Day' by Brian Eno and intermittant musical inserts lasting only a view seconds (which previously transported the viewer away from the immediate scene with the Astronauts) have all been removed - the magic has been squeezed out of this classic piece of video/doc architecture by a company who have done the equivalent of a painting a moustache on a classic oil with a black felt tip pin! Please cure my depression with some info on how I can get my hands on the original classic version on DVD or VHS? (unmutilated)! Bill Andrews
Rating: 
Summary: the person who borrowed my laser disc never returned it...
Review: ...so I am going to get the DVD and not loan it out. It is really confusing having all missions con-joined into a 'best of" and "virtual" trip to the moon, however, most people don't care that you see one astronaut on the screen and hear another one talking. It is poetic liscense to do what the film makers did. If NASA themselves would put out a product like this, rather than the lame-o old filmstrips we saw in school with "boingo boingo" so-called modern music, then I would say be a purist and get the genuine thing.... well, guess what? it doesn't exist! This movie has more footage than you will see anywhere else and even though many folks plug the Eno soundtrack, in a few more years that may not hold up, like the other music hasn't. So get it for the footage and the actual voices of the actual men who left the "surly bonds of earth" and travelled to space. The artistic points may not meet everyone's standard, but getting to see the "actual people" is a far better experience than seeing Tom Hanks overact, anyday. I'm buying it and I'm not loaning it out, so get your own. You'll be glad to share it with friends at your house!
Rating:
Summary: A worthy legacy of the Apollo program
Review: A superb look back on the entire apollo missions, the extra's bundled with this edition make it an essential purchase if you are apollo daft. Probably my favorite feature of the disc, is the commentary by Alan Bean as he discusses his paintings, a nice touch is the subtitles that allows you to identify the astronauts during the main feature.
Rating:
Summary: Great NASA Archive footage
Review: After viewing the film, I watched it with the Director's commentary with the Gene Cernon. The accounts that both give are worth more that the footage itself. By the accounts given in the film, there are 9000 hours of NASA film in stored in Super cool Liquid Nitrogen for future preservation. The producer was given access to footage never before seen and the negatives were reproduced with high definition scanning. I can't believe I missed this one in 1988... David_Carlin@vtel.com
Rating:
Summary: It's art, not necessarily history.
Review: Al Reinert's "For All Mankind" uses exclusively NASA footage and the voices of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts to tell a story. It is the story of a vast enterprise, a grand adventure, a national trimuph. This motion picture is by no means technically accurate, chronologically correct or told within a proper historical timeline. But all that misses the point of this picture. What Reinert does in 79 minutes is tell a tale of granduer. He weaves a tapestry of vision and imagination. He paints a picture of emotion, triumph, tragedy and day to day grind. This motion picture was never intended to be a science class. It is intended to be a documentary that showcases the feelings and impressions of the very men that made the journey. It is intended to convey a sense of the mad dash to a seemingly impossible goal that this nation was going through in the 60's and early 70's. If you're interested in a technically accurate chronology of the early space program, then you'd be wise to get a different movie. But get this one too - if for no other reason than its inspirational value. The Criterion DVD also contains a wonderful selection of Allan Bean's paintings with commentary from the artist about each one. Bean's paintings are magnificent and his descriptions of how each one came to be bring a new life to them. Very worthwhile disk to own.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT video footage! Highly recommended...
Review: As a former NASA employee building my space video collection,
I was attracted to this DVD as a way of catching up on footage
that I had missed out on (being born in 1968). I was highly pleased with my purchase--many great scenes from
multiple Apollo missions. I especially like the video footage
of the LM touching down & lifting off! One other thing--multiple reviewers here have criticized the
fact that you will see different astronauts throughout the
video. While this certainly IS true (as presumably complete
video coverage from any given mission was not available), it
doesn't detract from the beautiful footage taken during the
Apollo program. In summary-- If you want to see the same faces in chronologi-
cally appropriate order, rent "Apollo 13". If you want
painstaking technical details, read the NASA "Mission Reports".
If you want to enjoy REAL video from the moon's surface... buy
this DVD!
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