3...2...1...Loved it!

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2018)

I just watched First Man on a 60 ft tall IMAX screen with insanely great sound. But I would have loved this film had I watched it on my phone. First Man isn't a hero-worship tribute that relies heavily on rocket ship emphasis, it's quite an understated character study punctuated by moments of edge-of-your-seat tension.
I was possessed by the story for every moment of the film, my mind never wandered, my butt never got sore as happens during so many movies. I was taken inside the protagonists life and given a look at 60s Space Race through his eyes. And not a Hollywood sanitized version, First Man depicts a NASA that's a bit grittier than the publicity photos suggest.
Had I not read so many books about the early NASA missions since I watched Niel Armstrongs first steps in 1969 I may not have appreciated this film as much. But being familiar with the events depicted I was delighted to witness those events recreated. The launch sequences are not done using the usual cliches and with the IMAX sound I felt like I'd just been blasted off the planet.
I can't say enough good things about this film and would highly recommend it to anyone who's a spaceflight history enthusiast or who likes a movie that explores a character with a bit of depth. As other reviewers have said, First Man is no Right Stuff but that's a plus, where the Right Stuff blew me away, First Man moved me and touched something inside me like few films do.