The Accidental Accomplishment

Rating: 4/10 (19 October 2018)

Do not worry about the spoilers, there are no tense moments or surprises in this dull film about a man who has little personality.
First off, any blather about the film being unpatriotic is nonsense. It was a movie about a man more than the event of the first man on the moon. The flag is seen clearly in a wide shot. Not showing the planting of the flag certainly falls into the space called artistic license. We were glad to see the picture of the flag. It was more appreciated than the untold number of shots of Armstrong's sun shield reflecting things we have no idea what they are. If there is anything left off of the 2+ hours Armstrong and Aldrin spend on the moon's surface is that they showed very little.
Neil Armstrong accomplished some amazing feats. He did things the normal person could never do because he was given the opportunity and in that opportunity he excelled to the point that he was chosen to be the one at the right time to lead Apollo 11 and be the first man to step onto the moon. But do not let this movie lead you to believe that he had many other significant firsts. His trip to the edge of space where he managed to recover and return was not intended and due to not following the test-flight plan. We will never know the reason Gemini 8 malfunctioned after a successful test-coupling of two vehicles in orbit. The biography and the movie that was based on the biography by James R. Hansen gentled any controversy from the investigation into why the capsule began to roll out of control. As in the X-15 incident, Armstrong did have his head about him and found a way to stop the roll...according to the story in the film.
Ryan Gosling does a commendable job but that is about it. He had very few challenging scenes and many that might have been were simply shot with a shake 'n bake camera and not much can be seen and less understood what was happening. Gosling is a good actor, this was simply not a part that demanded a good actor. So many scenes of him thinking, staring, not talking, being distant, thoughtful, and just plain boring. I suppose if the real Armstrong was such then Gosling did a good job but why make a movie about someone like that. Oh, right, he first man to walk on the moon...hang the movie of a boring person on that.
Thankfully there was Kyle Chandler as Deke Slayton and Corey Stoll as Buzz Aldrin to bring some enjoyable humanity to their characters. Claire Foy was so much better as Queen Elizabeth than as Janet Armstrong.
Over all the story was oddly put together with major pieces missing or unresolved and the ending just plane sucked. It was one more "how do we end this movie?"
We give 4 stars because the crowning piece showing the landing of the lunar module was wonderful. So well done, maybe that is how the first one happened too? If they can do it today, who is to say they didn't in 1969? No, I don't believe it but they did such a great job those who believe the Apollo was all faked.
There is one thing in the movie that was completely fake and probably added because somehow, they had to make Armstrong character human.
No matter where space travel may go in the future, Mars or beyond, NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) forever has the place as the first human ever to set foot on solid ground outside of our atmosphere. Taking that "one small step for a man" onto the moon on July 20, 1969.