Customer Reviews

For All Mankind (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Without a doubt, this is one of the finest Blu Ray discs I own, not just for the fascinating and well done documentary, but for the total immersion in the Apollo Experience that new transfer (both video and audio) provides. It is STUNNING; there is no other way to describe 80 minutes of pure perfection.

The film that was brought back from the moon, original film elements, were used in the creation of this documentary to begin with when it was first compiled into an intriguing film some 20 years ago. With the advent of the new digital remaster, the film looks COMPLETELY different; so much so that my 12 year old daughter thought that the scenes shot on the Rover were special effects! Imagine her surprise when I told her that was actual moon mission footage, and it was as real and as untouched as if she herself were to take it using a camera. I don't think she ever grasped that fully. In any case, the video is INCREDIBLE.

The audio of this wonderful film is provided by the voices of the astronauts and their machinery as well as an ambient soundtrack by Brian Eno. The music fully immerses you in its wondrous and enveloping score. The new transfer of the Eno audio soundtrack really cannot be adequately described...it is truly a masterpiece, because it becomes part of the film; it IS the film...it literally feels like part of the missions represented in this documentary. You are surrounded by these voices and machines and this incredible, incredible score by Eno...and it is truly an experience.

I've had the film on DVD for a number of years and it has always been one of my favorites (these guys were all my heroes growing up in the 60s and 70s and I'm a NASA buff). With the new Blu Ray presentation, Criterion has pulled out all the stops. As I watched, I was just shaking my head at just how phenomenal a disc this is; that it could be SO much better than my original DVD copy (which was no slouch either, and I have an upscaling DVD player too that made it look great...but NOTHING like THIS!)

With the 40th Anniversary of our first steps in the playground of the Universe upon us, this Blu Ray makes you realize just how much more there is so see out there and why we need to return to the stars...and how much we need to take care of this fragile world (and each other) as well. Highly recommended...and highly inspirational.

This is a re-issue of a previous release by the Criterion Collection but features a brand new transfer of the film, which looks fantastic. All of the previous extra material has been carried over.

There is an audio commentary by filmmaker Al Reinert and astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to set foot on the Moon. Reinert provides some insight into how the film came together. He went through thousands of hours of footage and managed to put together an 80-minute film. Cernan shares some of his experiences about what it was like to be an astronaut at that time.

New to this edition is "An Accidental Gift: The Making of For All Mankind," a 30-minute retrospective documentary. Reinert always wanted to see this outer space/Moon footage on the big screen and this was the impetus for the film. He got his start as a journalist covering NASA in the early 1980s. Through his contacts he got access to their film archives and found footage that had never been shown. This is an excellent look at how For All Mankind came together.

Also new is "On Camera," a compilation of on-camera interviews Reinert conducted with 15 of the Apollo astronauts. In the film itself only the audio is used and it is nice to put a face to the voice.

"Painting from the Moon" is an updating of an extra on the original edition. After retiring from NASA, astronaut Alan Bean became a painter and this is a gallery of his work with commentary.

"NASA Audio Highlights" is a collection of 21 soundbites from the first ten years of the American space program. Some of the most famous words have spoken during this time, including Neil Armstrong's immortal words.

Finally, there is "3, 2, 1 . . . Blast Off!" a collection of launch footage of various rockets taking off for outer space.

Containing eighty minutes of amazing footage from Apollo missions to the moon, this newly restored high-definition digital transfer, from producer -director Al Reinert, takes an already amazing product, and makes it look and sound better. From Criterion Collection, this new release hit shelves on July 14th, and is sure to wow those interested in the footage of trips to the moon.

Reinert has done a remarkable job of gathering often never before seen footage of the adventures of the twenty-four astronauts who travelled to the moon. Combining said footage with an enchanting sound track by Brian Eno makes for an interesting look at some exciting footage.

Though Reinert may be a fine documentarian, he fails as a storyteller in this outing. By combining all the footage into a single trip to the moon, he confuses the audience as they try to determine whose voice is being heard, and why the faces continue to change. Once the film has ended, and some of the bonus material is viewed, you get a better idea of the goal, and the optional on-screen identifications do help, but it is not the combining of footage into one story that is the true tragedy in storytelling here. The omission of information regarding the return from the moon, re-entry, splash down, and simple questions such as; what is it like when that hatch is opened for the first time back on earth, or what is it like to step foot on earth again? It's somewhat laughable that in the bonus feature "An Accidental Gift: The Making of: For All Mankind" Reinert explains his reasoning for not telling the entire story, as he states that he felt the return was anti-climactic. Actually, it is the definition of climactic, and completely necessary to this tale.

Other bonus features include: Audio commentary featuring Reinert and Apollo 17 commander Eugene A. Cernan, the last man to set foot on the Moon, On Camera, a collection of excerpted, on-screen interviews with fifteen of the Apollo astronauts, A short piece on astronaut Alan Bean and his artwork, NASA audio highlights and liftoff footage, and A booklet featuring essays by film critic Terrence Rafferty and Reinert. In many cases the bonus material helps to round out the feature.

There is no question that the footage in this release is spectacular, but combining the footage with the interviews found in the bonus material, and allowing the footage to stand on its own rather than trying to combine it into one trip to the moon, would have made for a better viewing experience. The addition of the experiences of the astronauts on the return from the moon, are crucial to rounding out this project.

Recommendation: Great piece of history that makes for an educational and entertaining viewing experience, especially for those too young to remember the events. Could have and should have been a more complete piece of storytelling.

The presentation is impeccible, but the soundtrack by Brian Eno nails it.

During the Apollo flights (1968 - 1972), we all felt part of the space age. When this documentary was released in 1989, Apollo still felt like it was just yesterday. Now in 2009, with Eno's ethereal music in the background, a feeling of the surreal overtakes me as I look back half a lifetime ago.

Buy this documentary for the interviews as well as the expected accompanying NASA pictures and movies - you won't be disappointed. It complements other more recent offerings, such as "In the Shadow of the Moon" and "The Wonder of It All". But only this film captures the feeling of what it is like to have lived through it and now look back.

It was an age, and now we shake our heads in wonder.

This is a comprehensive review to help you get the most out of this blu ray. In summary, this movie contains compilation clips (NASA footages) of past Apollo journeys placed in chronologic order resembling a single mission to the moon (and back). Hence one may even call it, "the best of" hand picked, or in CD audio terms, "greatest hits." It's not a science program, nor a documentary, as there is no narration. However, there are 2 must do's in this film: 1) The commentary on the 2nd audio channel is just as pertinent in this presentation, as both Reinert and astronaut Eugene Cernan speak. 2) For the primary audio, you should turn on the closed captioned since the "walkie-talkie" like original staticky transmission sounds preserved may be difficult to discern and at times barely comprehensible. Also to note, there's a 2nd CC that displays the name of the person talking: very helpful, thank goodness the producers included this.

As far as the video/audio quality, I'm very impressed w/ the blu ray and music (score) 5.1 DTS-HD transfer. Considering the footage is nearly 4 decades old, and is an improvement from dvd. Also, since all clips are NASA raw footages (not Hollywood), no make up, it does give a realistic sense you as the audience are part of it, and hence like any successful moon/space program, this film did make me mesmerized. The main feature is 1.33:1, while most of the extras are widescreen and high def 1080.

As far as the extra bonus material, you get 2 more in this BD than the dvd. However, the menu for the bonus sound clips were not displayed the same way (not interactive) as the dvd's version (click on the many icons on the moon). That was my only disappointment. There's a booklet enclosed, but it's not a big deal. I flipped thru it only once.

As far as the packaging, this blu ray is cased in a non-conventional clear case; I believe this is the mode of the Criterion collection marketing attempt to be unique, or independent. Also, the front cover is completely black and white (as opposed to the older original dvd cover). At first this was a disappointment to me because I thought I was getting sub par recycled bootleg, but don't worry, it's straight from the factory. It's still a blu ray disc, and high def transfer.

In summary, this is not a Hollywood movie, nor is it a documentary. These are just raw footage clips and raw sound transmissions, masterfully crafted in chronologic order to display a flavorful 1 mission journey to the moon and back, as it truly is, from NASA. The multiple audio tracks and CC become o so more important in its enjoyment.

I rate this blu ray 5 stars, but the film 4 stars, for the reason that this is not an ideal stand alone one and only moon program of ownership on your shelf. But it is a superb, and I recommend as an additional necessary supplemental accompaniment to: In the Shadow of the Moon, HBO's From the Earth to the Moon Signature Series, and Apollo 13 movie. Enjoy your collection. No pun intended Criterion.

This was super cool. I really had a gut feeling I went to the moon after watching this movie. It contains footage before and during the moonshot (including the astronauts' 1st person video of the event) and really brings it to life. If you are looking for the best storytelling, go watch Braveheart or something. But, if you want something the whole family can watch, that recalls the greatness of American Exceptionalism - watch it. As an aside, look at the NASA folks - this was America's best and brightest. Solid, smart and serious about 'The Mission.' Picture mission control as a Wall Street boiler room now. We lost our will to make REAL science a priority. Now, we import people who can do calculus. Pretty sad. But, I digress... get this video.

If you are an Apollo collector, you do not want to miss this addition to your experience. The narrative by Eugene Cernan is alone worth the price of admission. Having read Cernan's book, "The Last Man On The Moon," I was expecting a polite appraisal of some old stock footage, by a tough old fighter pilot, who had previously confessed that he actually regretted having not flown combat in Vietnam - in spite of his place in the Apollo program~!. Instead, we are introduced to a contemplative , soulful and truly insightful gentleman who expresses the universal importance and positively spiritual significance of that entire period of history. As he states, it was impossible, period. There is no way, in retrospect, that we could have gone from missiles blowing-up on the launch pad in 1960, to putting men in orbit around the moon in 1968. Mankind has never before or since put together such a mind-boggling project, let alone in eight years. What Gene touches on - lightly- is the sacrifices of all those involved. The divorce rate was 80% for the Cape Canaveral area in those days. Ron Howard tried to capture that aspect of the Space Race in the two hour segment, Part 11, "The Original Wives Club," of the HBO movie, "From The Earth To The Moon." It was not just the astronauts that gave it their all.
The engineers and technicians from that era tell stories that 14 hour days were just common, because no one wanted to leave their job. There was a spirit of teamwork and comradery that has left a hole in their psyche that has never since been filled. As Gene says, "It's as though we went into the future and stole a time segment."
Gene needs to write another book.

The title of the MOVIE quotes a plaque left on the moon by the Apollo astronauts, but it also describes what this film does for anyone who watches it. FOR ALL MANKIND gives us the experience of being an astronaut; what they felt, thought, and saw. Not with computer graphics, but entirely with real film and video shot by NASA, pulled out of liquid nitrogen deep freeze just for this film.

This film was restored to the highest VIDEO quality ever achieved for these motion pictures and the result is breathtaking! Footage I've seen before now has awesome life-like quality and is only a small part of this extraordinary collection of footage. Perhaps the most amazing film ever shot, it is simultaneously real and unreal. The footage of Kennedy's stirring 1962 speech, that started it all, is an example of how the video quality occasionally varies since it is low quality at the beginning and high quality for his closing remarks. Each rare instance of grain or blur is probably due to the original media and is overshadowed by the miraculous beauty of the video throughout the film.

The AUDIO consists of interviews with the Apollo astronauts, accompanied by an evocative and skillful ambient soundtrack by Brian Eno (with Daniel Lanois). The sound effects and sound stage are good, not Ben Burtt quality, but good enough.

EXTRAS. An audio commentary track featuring the director, Al Reinert, and astronaut Eugene Cernan, consists mostly of Cernan's philosophical thoughts about space travel, so don't expect a typical movie commentary. Cernan was the last man to walk on the moon and an experienced astronaut so it's worth listening to even if it doesn't relate scene by scene to the film. I would have enjoyed a little more behind the scenes commentary from Reinert, but that is made up for in the "Making of" documentary and the collection of astronaut interviews (including some of the rarely seen Neil Armstrong). The gallery of astronaut Alan Bean's paintings provides unique artistic insight into the experience of living on the moon. The Criterion delivery and interactivity is excellent, with a beautiful menu, a timeline that allows the viewer to bookmark scenes, and a well executed booklet with stunning photographs, essays, and information on Apollo, the film, and the transfer.

I am grateful that Reinert was able to work with NASA to assemble their uniquely beautiful achievements in one "best of Apollo" film. NASA seems to err on the side of science and engineering, almost forgetting the inspiring sights they could share. This film is a rewarding experience for anyone that doesn't know about, doesn't understand, or has forgotten the wonder of space-flight and of exploration in general, and what that shows us about the potential of the human race, what we can achieve FOR ALL MANKIND.

This documentary is pretty unique among documentaries about the Apollo program. It features solely original footage and voices from the Apollo flights. I would never even have guessed there was so much high-quality footage from the Apollo fights. For the most part, it looks modern, as if filmed much more recently that 40 years ago - and it looks wonderful on blu-ray. The later flights are stunning and in vivid color.

The documentary does become a bit confusing because it mixes footage from all of the Apollo flights to talk about the sense of being on the moon more generally. Thus, there is black & white footage from Apollo 11 mixed with color film from Apoll 17. Unfortunately, the beginning of the documentary doesn't make this clear and it can become confusing if you don't realize that you're not just watching one mission. I would warn viewers to make sure that the subtitles are on - the subtitles will indicate the Apollo mission number and speaker when they change, so you can keep track that way.

This is a must for space fans. This footage is of great historical value and you'll probably want to show your kids and grandkids.

Director Al Reinert came up with a brilliant idea. He took the footage shot by NASA of all the Apollo moon missions and spliced parts of them together in such a way as to create a film documenting what a single mission to the moon was like. This may sound odd but it does work. (NOTE: He does splice in a Gemini space walk for dramatic effect which is simply spectacular to look at).

The voiceover narration (no talking heads) is done by the astronauts themselves but we never know who the astronaut is that is talking and whether than correlates to the astronaut we see on screen let alone the mission. You'd think that would matter. It doesn't.

The only part I found dragged was the footage on the moon. After you've seen one crater or moon walk you pretty much have seen them all.

The extras are really good with now some talking heads interview outtakes with 15 of the astronauts. Other extras are on Astronaut Alan Bean's moon artwork, a collection of classic NASA audio clips ("Houston, the Eagle has landed," etc.), a series of video on various NASA rocket launches plus you get a nice glossy booklet with the whole thing.

Now, if you are looking for a DVD that covers each Apollo mission chronologically, this is not it. This is an actual feature film type presentation.