"It'll be an adventure." - Janet Armstrong to husband Neil Armstrong

Rating: 8/10 (22 March 2019)

I had stayed away from this film due to the pre-release controversy over the omission of the American flag planting on the moon. The hint of a political agenda in movies like this are a downer for me, so it made me hesitant about watching the picture. Perhaps the controversy was overblown somewhat, although that aspect of the moon landing was important and if I had my way it would have been included. The thing is, while you're watching the landing unfold, it's not something you particularly miss, especially if you weren't around back in 1969, and aren't aware of the details of that first moon landing. And there are scenes in which the American flag is prominent, along with a French woman, I believe, interviewed after the fact, that praises and thanks America for accomplishing such an historic mission. So I appreciated that.
Historically, the film appears to capture the real angst about American space flight relative to it's cost in money and lives, and the personal toll it took on members of the NASA family during numerous test phases getting ready for Apollo 11. Without knowing about any of the personal details of men like Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Mike Collins, or Ed White, the story unfolds credibly in a well represented chronology. I was rather incredulous however when Deke Slayton (Kyle Chandler) let Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) know he was selected to command the Apollo 11 mission in a bathroom.
Visually, the flight scenes and moon landing are noteworthy, and deserving of the Visual Effects Oscar the picture earned. On the flip side, that moon landing scene does exhibit the kind of realism that allows skeptics to say the whole thing was staged. I really can't get over how dense some people can be. Same thing with the Twin Towers conspiracy folks, but save that for another day. So all in all, the film, based on a remarkably true story, deserves a worthwhile viewing, even if the omission of the American flag on the moon is not based on a true story.