Moonshot

Just when you thought the well of NASA-based documentaries had run dry, along comes the History Channel with this refreshing new trek over familiar territory—the Apollo 11 lunar mission. Moonshot fluidly combines effective dramatization (with a carefully researched script based on transcripts and contemporary documents, books, and interviews), original NASA footage (remastered in high-def), and international news clips. First broadcast on July 20, 2009 (the 40th anniversary of the moon landing), producer-director Richard Dale's film acknowledges previous Apollo efforts (and tragic fatalities) before following Neil Armstrong (Daniel Lapaine), Buzz Aldrin (James Marsters), and Michael Collins (Andrew Lincoln), who are chosen to make history after a rigorous selection process and a lot of soul-searching with their supportive yet understandably frightened families. The archival material grounds it all in reality (Aldrin himself offers an introductory endorsement), but the engaging narrative reveals fascinating new details, such as the rationale for choosing Armstrong as “first man out” of the Eagle lunar module, Aldrin's reputation as a bit of a wild card, and Collins' lucky offering of a marking pen that Aldrin later uses to solve a serious crisis, while the emphasis on Walter Cronkite's unforgettable coverage on CBS adds to the emotional impact. DVD extras include Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury mission galleries, and biographies of key Apollo personnel. A must-see for all spaceflight enthusiasts, Moonshot is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Shannon)