Customer Reviews

Race to Space [VHS]

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

 

 

The movie Race to Space is a wonderful, heart touching movie, starring Alex D. Linz and James Woods. Now these two actors are so extremly good, that no matter what the movie was if they were in it, it would be entertaining. These movie was extremly entertaining and I will give it 5 STARS! Watch it!

See, the thing is...I am a huge Alex Linz fan. I watch all of his movies and I think he is an awsome actor. This movie is just excellent. The movies he is in are just so good (im not saying this just because i am in love with him lol) and i think this is one of his best. The plot is realistica and reasonable, yet a great kiddie movie (i would know cuz im 13). I went to see this at the movie theater and after the movie was over, i stood up and applauded, and that was the first time i felt that it was neccesary to do so. Everyone else did the same and, enough babbling, there is just one thing to say, THIS MOVIE IS AWSOME! Hope you enjoy it!!!

Sorry, but this varies from the truth of the time greatly in regards to the community and behavior of the community, painfully so. It is a fairly good whimsical tale, but the gross false painting of the time is actually insulting to the reality of what happened, and why-- and how things were done. ONLY if you view it as total fiction from an alternate universe is it acceptable; and that's a shame.

Okay, so this is one of those A-Boy-And-His-Dog/Cat/Horse/Space Alien type movies. (In this case, the mammal in question is Mac the chimp, the first US critter to make it up in space.) So, some of the plot details are gonna be a given: the boy, Billy, and Mac form a deep bond almost instantaneously; the boy's father, a German scientist now working for NASA, is distant and removed from him; the bad guy government agent is willing to do anything to stop the rocket launch from succeeding, even if it will hurt Mac.

So, okay. A few overly-used plot conventions. But what movie _doesn't_ have overly-used plot conventions? And this remains one of the very, very few family movies I've seen done _right_. The boy, Billy, gets to help both the training of Mac and will later "save the day" - but we have no annoying, attempting-to-be-humorous scenes of Billy brillantly thwarting the sunglasses-wearing evil agents of Doom. Nor does he get free reign around NASA to do whatever he wants. His father - brillantly portrayed by James Woods, who does a surprisingly excellent German accent - is not a horrible father who cares more about his work than his son; he's a normal enough guy who still misses his wife who died three years ago and is trying, _really_ trying, to do the right thing by his son. The movie is moved along with decent speed, having more than its fair share of amusing moments ("Why do you people continually try to kill my son?") without losing the realism tone.

And best of all: the ending. *WARNING: SPOILER ALERT AHEAD!* Billy's father does _not_ fall madly in love with the beautiful doctor and trainer of Mac, to be followed by marriage and a once-again perfectly nuclear family for Billy. Nope. Billy finds a mother figure again in Mac's vet, but Billy's father ain't over his wife yet, and there is no corny, unrealistic romance between the two good doctors. Real life doesn't _work_ that way all the time; and it was nice to be reminded that you can have a happy ending without Daddy getting re-married. It would have totally ruined the mood of the film, not to mention Woods' character, to do something so artifical. And they didn't, and it worked. *END SPOILER ALERT*.

This was a really well-done family movie that I recommend to any James Woods fan; but also to anyone looking for well-done, well-written entertainment the _whole_ family can enjoy. Rarely corny and always down-to-earth, this is a good movie. If you get a chance to see it in your area - see it. You won't be disappointed.

"Race To Space" sat in my movie closet for close to 3 years before I ever even had thoughts about watching it. It seemed to take low-Joe-on-da-totem-pole priority next to other stuff I wanted to see. After watching the first five minutes, I realized what a terrible mistake I had made letting it sit there. Based on the true story of the United States' part in the Space Race, it retells the story of Ham, the first chimpanzee (or living creature for that matter) that the U.S. ever put in to space. This movie is not herky-jerky and while remaining historically accurate, tells this captivating and suspenseful story in a very entertaining way. I definitely recommend this for anyone wanting a good and entertaining film.

This is a great, feel good movie!!! A solid story that adds some suspense to the development of the Mercury rockets. (Redstone.) A good movie for family and kids. Positive message and a good job by James Woods. As always, his acting adds to the quality of the movie.
This is a must see for any family!!

I caught this movie on WGN afternoon movie a few weeks ago. I have been to Cocoa Beach and took the NASA then and now tour featuring many of the sites in this movie.

This movie moves along pretty fast and is entertaining as well as informitive for kids about early NASA history even though it really is just a hollywood movie.

Not to be missed, a great family film.

This is a movie ripe for MST3K treatment (Mike Nelson,where are you???)It's unintentionally funny when it's supposed to be earnest.Paired with "Deep Impact",you could have Annoying Boy Geniuses And Outer Space Film Festival.Be prepared to laugh.

The movie's best bits-
1)James Woods' attempt at a German accent.He's trying to be Werner Van Braun as Poor Single Dad--and he ends up sounding like he's doing tryouts for a movie version of 'Hogan's Heroes.'
2)The annoying boy's bond with his chimp.Boy loses mother,boys finds companionship with chimpanzee?Huh?At first,I thought I was watching "Gorillas in the Mist"--but then I realized it wasn't "Chimpanzees in the Mist."
3)Annabel Gish looks so much like Sigourney Weaver I seriously thought this movie was "Gorillas in the Mist." Boy was I wrong...
4)"Race to Space",making a movie title rhyme is a crime!
5)Speaking of crimes,it IS a crime to threaten a champanzee.even if he doesn't get a word you're saying.The Touching Final Scene ends with the Bad Guy getting arrested for this.
6)Mark Moses,from "Desperate Housewives" (who's the Creepy Neighbor with a Secret,widower of Mary Alice)is Alan Shepherd.I expected to hear Danny Elfman's "Desperate Housewives" theme.Everybody overacts in this campy movie;you expect it to be on Wisteria Lane.

If you enjoy cheesy acting,a supposedly suspenseful final sequence (which consists of the boy whining to his beloved chimp&repeatedly getting upset)&REALLY bad German accents,zis eez the film for you!