[Reddy]

So just saw this film tonight as a guest of a friend.

Summary: I loved the movie. It was a study of a man (men) who was (were) brave in the face of the unknown (space exploration).

It was exciting on the level of “Apollo 13”, yet more a study of an individual’s (Neil Armstrong’s) experience in the space program of the 1960s.

It was suspenseful and dramatic, and in that sense fulfilled all of the prerequisites for entertainment. Ryan Gosling did a great job not being Ryan Gosling, making you feel that he was someone else (Neil Armstrong).

There was drama and intrigue and bravery making this great for the big screen.

It’s all done well, but at the point where we all know the denouement begins, “One small step for man...” I seriously wondered where the flag was? It was missing. But then I remembered the controversy surrounding this movie and the flag. However, what followed in the movie was a great, IMO, tribute to the US regarding our contribution to space exploration.

I told my husband he had to see this movie on the big screen. It’s one of those big action films that can’t be replicated at home. Seriously, the flag controversy is a non-issue. Take it from someone who notices these things.

[C210N]

Saw it last night: Amazing attention to detail. One example: just how the hatch's closed: In the X-15, like the tin of a can of tuna; In Gemini - like a volkswagan door; in Apollo - like a Cadillac door. I don't see the flag hoopla at all. There were tons of US Flags thru-out the movie. Even an international audience cannot mistake that this was a USA-driven effort. And besides, after seeing the film, it becomes clear that the statement being made on the moon itself was limited to one thing, and one thing only, having to do with the Armstrong character personally - a recreation, effectively, of the Heart-of-Gold tossing scene in Titanic. So, the planting of a flag in the moon would have diluted the scene, IMHO.