Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D

If you saw the superb 2007 documentary, "In the Shadow of the Moon", I am not certain what the point would be in viewing this forty-minute 2005 IMAX film - at least if you are old enough to remember the television coverage of the Apollo missions. The former film includes spectacular archival footage of those missions and insightful on-camera interviews with ten of the surviving astronauts. This one is aimed more directly as a motivational film for a youthful audience as it seeks to reignite the pioneering spirit that sparked the first space flights. NASA aficionado Tom Hanks wrote and produced (along with director Mark Cowen) this enthralling if somewhat cursory look at what it took to get to the moon and what it will take to continue the legacy. The film not only recreates some of the actual Apollo lunar missions but also posits what could have happened had disaster struck. The result adds a suspenseful element obviously designed to engage younger viewers.

Hanks applies his storytelling skills to full dramatic effect during these fictitious interludes. They are intertwined with a whirlwind of facts presented in a breezy manner, an especially effective tactic in chronicling mankind's fascination with the moon since this film is meant to inspire as well as to educate. To reinforce the approach, there is a series of quick interviews with youngsters that bookend the featurette showing how the space race has completely preceded them and how it could be resuscitated for the next generation of lunar exploration which targets us back on the moon by 2016. A number of famous actors provide the voices of the astronauts - Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Paul Newman - but few are recognizable. The 3-D visual effects are lost on the 2007 DVD, though I think not as much as the elongated dimensions provided by an IMAX theater. Even more than the technical elements, what really brings the film together is Hanks' obvious enthusiasm for the subject. The DVD includes additional video footage and photographs from the Apollo 11 mission plus a trivia game.

Magnificent Desolation plays mostly as a promotional piece for young, would-be astronauts. The impetus for the production, it seems, was the thought that interest in the Moon, and space exploration in general, has been waning. The film is about one-third education, one-third inspiration and one-third mystifying 3-D visual effects.

At 40 minutes, it's a short number -- which suits school children well. Now that my attention span has grown with age, however, I wished it had been longer and the recreated 3-D scenes had been more embellished -- maybe an adult version fraught with fictional peril. I became greedy for more time in the 3rd dimension.

The three-dimensional visuals are stunning – like none that I have ever seen. The 3-D glasses are still somewhat clownish in appearance, but are an advancement compared to the cheap-paper disposals I am accustomed to, as they don't distort your view with hues of blue and red.

I predict that there will be renewed interest in viewing films in 3-D, and Robert Zemeckis and Co. are wise to re-release the Polar Express in 3-D IMAX format this December.

Although for the adult, the educational aspect may be a little rudimentary or underwhelming, Magnificent Desolation is inspiring, and I'm always willing to pay a few bucks for some inspiration; to be reminded of how incredibly amazing our achievements have been over the past 100 years, and how amazingly able we humans are at realizing dreams that still seem so impossible, so mystifying -- whether viewed through 3-D glasses or just contemplated on a clear night while looking up at the night's sky.

To be the first man to ever set foot on the Moon is an ineffably fantastic feet; to think that you were the first person to set foot on something that every living inhabitant of this earth has looked upon since the inception of this planet. It's amazing -- one of the most extraordinary experiences one can have -- talk about "out of this world!" I didn't fully appreciate the awesomeness of this accomplishment until I was forced to think about it this past weekend while watching this film. So, I think the Magnificent Desolation is effective at getting audiences to think a little more about how amazing the original Apollo missions were.

In closing, even though my matured tastes left me wanting more, in the end I think it best that Magnificent Desolation is what it is: a simple, short film that captivates the eyes, minds and, hopefully, hearts of young and old alike, inspiring us all to continue reaching and dreaming of things that appear beyond reach of human capacity, for Magnificent Desolation reminds us that how things appear is just that, illusionary appearance. In this world, during our lifetime, anything is possible.

This documentary film tells the details of the Apollo space missions, and what it was like for the twelve highly privileged astronauts to walk on the moon.

"Magnificent Desolation" gives us details of what it is like to walk on the moon. It is a behind the scenes documentary, and we get to see footage we would otherwise not see, such as astronauts tripping over on the moon. We are told that every minute of the moon walk is planned, and there is no time to waste. And an astronaut left his family photo on the moon for future generations to discover. It is filled with little facts that you otherwise would not see elsewhere. The real surprise was the narration. I didn't realise they were all celebrity voices and not astronaut voices, so when the credits rolled, I was shocked to see so many big names.

As a documentary, "Magnificent Desolation" is not particularly entertaining or educational. I did not leave the film thinking I have learned more. It contained fun facts to know nonetheless.

I went to see DESOLATION this afternoon with the hope of it delivering on the hype: namely, a virtual walk on the moon.

Well...it does deliver that...but in frustrating snippets.

After all, with only 40 min of film time (for $10.50), I was really hoping for an immersion experience, start to finish. Instead...the actual scenes devoted to 3-D moonscape are rarely longer than 10 seconds each, interspersed with 10 MINUTES of inane filler material...like cute school kids trying to remember the names of the Apollo astronauts. Sheesh...very much 'spell breaking'.

So...you do come away with a few shots to remember. But a virtual 'experience' of being on the surface of the moon?? Not really. More like an MTV experience of being on the moon, for the attention span challenged.

Josh

Can't wait for this to be released -- the latest 3D Space IMAX movie. We heard a sneak preview at the National Space Society conference in Washington DC, and it was awesome. Film is produced by Tom Hanks, and helmed by Mark Cowen. The idea is simple: recreate the authentic experience of the Apollo moon astronauts using the 3D IMAX format. They are pulling out all the stops to give the actual sensation of what the Apollo astronauts saw, heard and felt in their voyage to and on the Moon. Authentic imagery, digitally manipulated for the high res Imax experience. Plus sets which recreate the lunar environment down to the little boulders in the pictures. They've got lots of astronaut participation, which is promising. This is really where IMAX is unrivaled -- transporting audiences to an inaccessible place. Highly appropriate for it to come out now, when NASA is planning to start its new Moon program. Until lunar tourism is a reality, this sounds like our best bet. You are go for liftoff!