the top 5 astronaut movies of all time

7/27/2019 The Top 5 Astronaut Movies of All Time

1/10

SAB KUCH BIKTA HAI

Find used items

Suiting

FROM 500

Sofa

FROM 8,500

Your Email Address


2/10

While I had only just been born when the events of Apollo 13 unfolded in real life,

this movie (courtesy of director Ron Howard, and a star-studded cast of root-for

actors) provides you with great (though at time dramatized) perspectives that

truly showcased what the American Space Program meant back then and how it

should serve as a shining sample of teamwork and problem-solving. The

soundtrack by revered composer James Horner serves as a double helping of

astronaut-based greatness that didnt win the Academy Awards that year, but

surely could have. Its a movie that captures the best of America, of technology

and the can-do spirit which might be why I love all of these human spaceflight

films in general.

SPECIAL MOMENT: When Tom Hanks (as Astronaut Jim Lovell) explains to his

youngest son not only how the LEM (Lunar Excursion Module) will couple with the

Command Module (CM), but also explains how advances have been made to

ensure that another disaster like the one that befell the astronauts of Apollo 1 on a

crisp January morning never happened again. Magical.

.

4.) Magnificent Desolation(2005):

Tom Hanks who has always been a dedicated and zealous human spaceflight

maverick himself provides you with what I can only WISH I had seen in IMAX

format. Magnificent Desolationoffers up a quick, no-holds barred educational

immersion in the efforts of the American space effort that got us literally from The

Earth to The Moon, and conveys just about every aspect youll hear abouttraveling to and from the Moon. With some landmark special effects and brilliant

voiceover work, this program is sure to make any American swell with pride,

understanding and the hope that we will eventually get our collective space-faring

asses back in suits and head to the stars.

SPECIAL MOMENT: One of the children that is a pseudo-host of the program

(and folks, I try DESPERATELY not to get caught in children-based emotional traps)

looks ahead to what awaits us on the Moon of the future. I didnt have a box of

tissue big enough, mostly because I have a 6-year-old daughter that not only

watches all of these great films with me but wants to BE that older child on the

moon when she grows up. Again, magical.

.

XVWLFH / HDJ XH RYLH

$I I OHFN XW DFKRZVNLV

,Q"

DOO RYLH UHYLHZ

,URQ DQ 7UDLOHU

HVFULSWLRQ RUH DUN

QLJ KW 7KDQ DUYHO RYLH

0 267 6+$5(

7KH$YHQJ HUV HOHWHG

6FHQH DSWDLQ $ P HULFD

* HWV 8VHG WR RGHUQ / LI H

RVV KHGRQ7R ULWH &

LUHFW$%V 6+, / 79

LORW

/ HDNHG LQMD 7XUWOHV

6FULSW,V7 7 HHWV

7UDQVIRUP HUV %XW,V,W

/ HJ LW"

%DWP DQ WR EH 5HERRWHGLQ

XVWLFH / HDJ XH RYLH"

408 Request Time-out

Your browser didn't send a complete request in

time.

/ $7( 67 75$,/ ( 56

7KH 7R R / LVW 5HG%DQG

7KH DVWHU LQDO

7DNHQ ,QWHUQDWLRQDO

7UDLOHU


3/10

3.) The Right Stuff(1983):

Every now and then a movie comes along that truly shows you not only how well

great stories hold up, but how GREAT a pool of acting talent we had (and have) in

Hollywood. The Right Stuffprovides you with firey moments: Not only from the

mechanized effort to get the experience and technology ready in order to get to

the moon but from the actors themselves, who convey the often-difficult choices

faced by every astronaut and astronaut family and even the decision makers

that want to get us from the Earth to the Moon. The acting meter is off the charts

for this film and it gives you a decidedly real taste of what it was like to be one of

the 7.

SPECIAL MOMENT:I cant possibly narrow down a single moment from thecachophany of actors in this film, so Im going to go the special effects route. Not

so surprisingly, this film was done before Computer Generator Imagery (CGI) and

the F/X offerings here are some of the best of the time. The breaking the sound

barrier scene alone will provide at least 4-5 pints of brand-new oxygenated blood

instantly.

.

2.) In the Shadow of The Moon(2007):

I am a professional podcaster and have been for 5 years. Im terribly familiar with

the power of first-person perspective storytelling and this film, In the Shadow of

the Moon, offers some of the best ever perspective storytelling from the people

that were actually DOING THE THINGS WE ONLY DREAM OF. Hearing people tell

tales that sound like science fiction that are actually real accomplishments is more

than magical it transports you to a time, a date, and series of events that held

the attention span of everyone on our planet. The perspectives of Michael Collins

and Gene Cernan in particular are moments that will stay with me until I die not

because theyre so important but because they inspire me to be more than I am

and to convey things that are important so others can learn from my efforts,

mistakes and perspective.

SPECIAL MOMENT: You will NOT BELIEVE the visually stunning real-time mission

elements that are used in this presentation. They are one-of-a-kind and could all be

posters that I would like to adorn every single inch of space in my home with. For

those of you that have any interst in space, astronauts, rockets and more, you

have something special that awaits you with this film.

7KH +ROH

MORE TRAILERS

/ $7( 67 0 29,( 5(9,( : 6

/ DZOHVV

+LW& 5 XQ

7KH $SSDULWLRQ

UHP LXP 5XVK

MORE REVIEWS

3ROOV

What did you think of 'The

Expendables 2'?

6WDUV

6WDUV

6WDUV

6WDUV

6WDU

Vote

View Results

ROOV $UFKLYH


4/10


5/10

) ROORZ XV LI \ RX Z DQWWR OLYH

Screen Ranton Facebook

Like 139,984

FollowFollow @screenrant@screenrant 24.2K followers

here at Screen Rant.

Tags: Apollo 13, From The Earth To The Moon

ZergNet

SRVWDFRPPHQW

Previous 1 2 3

jthomas666 3 years ago

Reply

You forgot For All Mankind, a magnificent 1989 documentary by Apollo 13 co-writer Al

Reinert. Definitely better than In the Shadow of the Moon (which is very good, btw).

John "Kahless" Taylor 3 years ago

Reply

I wouldnt worry Vic; Ken doesnt realize that he was the T-800 that went back in time

and stopped himself from making those comments.

Bob Dashman 3 years ago

Reply

If you would like to buy The Right Stuff, Amazon has it on sale in the 2 for $10 DVD

area. If you buy it by itself, it $5.99. I ordered it this morning.

Ken J 3 years ago

Reply

@Vic

I know, I was kidding around, but those messages did post, I even refreshed the page

and they were there, then they were gone, very strange. But I know you wouldnt just

censor someone especially without emailing me telling me what an idiot I was for

post ing something worth deleting, lol. I dont know what happened, but didnt really

think you deleted them.

Gottarhyme 3 years ago

&RPPHQWV


6/10

Reply

I had the same thing happen to me, Ken, on the Indiana Jones 5 thread. I posted, it

appeared, then disappeared, so I thought I made a mistake, posted it again, it did not

appear, saying that I had already posted the comment.

So, I left it, and when I came back the next day, it was there! I thought I must have

said something naughty.

Maybe it was a glitch?

Ken J 3 years ago

Reply

Yah, most likely, except my comment still didnt come back, lol.

Lori Feldman 3 years ago

Reply

I am old enough to remember the space program and the incredible patriotism it

generated for all Americans. The closest Ive seen to that as an adult was in the

aftermath of 9/11. Its a lost generation of unbridled optimism and naivete that nothing

bad could ever happen to us with so much good we were accomplishing. Your post

really resonates that goodwill, Mike. In fact the magical teamwork you keep mentioning

was the essence of that patriotism. Americans were joined in a common vision that was

so profound that we all had to check in with one another nightly on our 3-channel news

or outside at a bbq with our neighbors just to make sure we didnt miss anything.

Engineers (like my dad) were way cool then. (They are today too but in more of a geeky

way- and I mean that affectionately). Thx for sharing your wonder. It makes me want

to go rent them all again and reread Tom Wolfes book, TRS, which I first read the

summer after I graduated college and was riveted. Id never for a moment realized how

much danger these astronauts deliberately inserted themselves into, not only for the

good of the program and b/c they were highly competitive w one another, but because

theylike wejust had to KNOW what was OUT THERE!

Vic Holtreman 3 years ago

Reply

Guys, sorry, I dont know whats happening there with the comments.

Vic

Darren 3 years ago

Reply

Why isnt Armageddon with Bruce Willis here?

Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking 3 years ago

Hi Darren!

Thanks for taking the time to comment on The Top 5 Astronaut Movies of All Time here

at Screen Rant! we really appreciate it!

The reason you dont see Armageddon on the listing, is that we have 5 slots, and for

me and clearly a number of others it doesnt fare any better than the ones I listed in

the top 5 listing.


7/10

Reply

I remember seeing Armageddon in the theaters and wondering why every, single,

meaningless shot have to be moving. Theres something to be said for a dynamic

camera, but every now and again, watching things go by the frame with a static camera

also helps out a film.

Thanks for your question and have a great day!


Reply

Thanks to the many of you that provided listings of other Astronaut films. Im glad that

youve helped me build a new listing of need to gets that include some more great

Astronaut movies.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and keep em coming!

mike 3 years ago

Reply

what? No love for capricorn one, deep impact, space 1999

Jannah 3 years ago

Reply

Great article and comments everyone!

Having grown up during the early space program era, and my dad being a test engineer

for the Titan2, Ive got much love for good space movies and documentaries. Your list

is great! But I do agree that Id put Apollo 13 a bit higher.

I ditto the comments that Dish and Capricorn One are fun also! To add to your list

of future space movie viewing, dont forget Moonshot a fantastic astronauts-eye-

view documentary; and Robert Altmans Countdown a 1968 movie starring James

Caan and Robert Duvall that gets a bit hokey at times (in our space-educated

hindsight), but reflects the psychological aspects o f training, family, health, and

competitiveness in the vein that FTETTM did, but within the actual zeitgeist of the era

(was VHS only, but just released on DVD)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countdown_(film)

Quvmoh 3 years ago

Reply

Chill went down my spine when you mentioned spider as a special moment, this was my

favorite story in the series and am pretty sure i wore out a VHS tape prior to getting

the dvds.

David 3 years ago

Reply

I liked the Spider episode too. It was very touching when they played the lullaby

whenever the engineers were looking at the LEM. Growing up near Grumman there was

a lot of pride that it was one of the greatest vehicles ever made.

Like you I wish I could have been involved in something great in my career.


8/10


Reply

David your post reminds me of a blog post I made now years ago referring to the very

music youre talking about. While you know that there is a From the Earth to the

Moon soundtrack, it includes only the smallest sampling of score from the film. Well,

BEHOLD, and be sure to stop by the Mason Daring website to thank them for posting

them, and HOPE against hope that theyll eventually release the score to From the

Earth to the Moon.

Thanks for chiming in and sharing your thoughts!

http://grabthewheel.blogspot.com/search?q=mason+daring

Steve 3 years ago

Reply

Can someone tell me why 2001: A Space Odyssey is not on this list?

Not only one of the best SPACE movies, but one of the best films of all time!

Vic Holtreman 3 years ago

Reply

@Steve

Look again closely at the list. ALL the movies are about ACTUAL space exploration.

Vic

Joker961 3 years ago

Reply

Suprised Marooned didnt make the list.

Patrick 3 years ago

Reply

Thanks for the list.

I thought October Sky was excellent as well.

The Big Dentist 3 years ago

Reply

Channel 4 just showed In The Shadow Of The Moon in the UK. Amazing stuff lots of

footage Id never seen before. Michael Collins and Charlie Duke came across especially

well I thought.

Peter Reyes 3 years ago

Great list, Mike!


9/10

Reply

to piggy-back onto this one, I found something you might like: a list of the 5 worst sci-

fi-related TV shows. Really funny and maybe the opposite end of the spectrum of your

list!

http://www.tvtango.com/news/detail/id/54


Reply

Fear not, Peter! There are many lists to come and they make for great and interesting

commentary sections for sure! Thanks for taking the time to comment and please look

for more from me and the entire staff here at ScreenRant.Com! Cheers!


Reply

gottarhyme Many thanks to you for submitting a movie that I not only never heard

of, but that accounts a story Ive never heard of either! As a self-professed Apollo

Whore, I am almost ashamed that I hadnt heard the story of Parkes Observatory in

Australia that was used to help provide video and radio connectivity from the Moon

landing and PROVIDED THE FIRST IMAGES AS PRIMARY CREW! I recommend thisfilm also to everyone (and I dont think it would have trumped any in my listing). The

only hiccup I thought was an actor I am devoted to: Sam Neil. Hes from Norther

Ireland/UK and how is it he wasnt able to/encouraged to adopt an Auss ie accent for

this role!?!?! Every other person (other than the people from America, hello?) had that

thick Drawwwwl that weve all come to love yet, Sam Neil provides us an english

representation that showcases that he didnt even TRY one? Stymied but a great

movie for sure. Thanks, gottarhyme!

J. R. 2 years ago

Reply

Granted that this list is about movies, has anyone here seen the series when we left

earth, the nasa missions? probably one of the best documentary series i have ever

seen.

MSol 2 years ago

Reply

This is a great list! The comments on other great movies is helpful too! Loved The

Right Stuff, and though Im late to the game, will catch myself up on the rest of the

movies. Thanks J.R., Im also on my way to rent When We Left Earth.

Irishscribe, I second your mention of, For All Mankind. The footage they took from

several early missions is really breathtaking.

XinXin 1 year ago

Reply

The answers to our problems dont lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories

and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our

entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities

that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history

we still possess in ample measure.


10/10

2003-2012 Screen Rant, LLC: TV, movie news and reviews | ABOUT | CONTACT US | PRIVAC Y POLICY | LINKS | ARCHIVE | IndieClick Film Network

rodken 5 months ago

Reply

Please dont take this the wrong way, but it has been a question that has not ever

been answered ever since it was asked.

I am extremely surprised that the US managed to land on the Moon many times

without conflict over 40 years ago but it is now impossible for them to do it again, even

though they have all the same scientific equipment as they did back then but even

actually far more improved equipment and Research and Development. All the while

spending hundreds of millions more on s imple satellites which take photos of the moon

from far away.Please dont take this the wrong way, instead enlighten me so that I can understand.

Thank you to all who respond!

Previous 1 2

3RVWD&RPPHQW

Want to c hange your avatar?

Go to Gravatar.comand upload your own (we'll wait)!

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

Rules: No profanity or personal attacks.Use a valid email address or risk being banned from commenting.

Submit Comment

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail

If your comment doesn't show up immediately, it may have been flagged for moderation.

Please try refreshing the page first, then drop us a noteand we'll retrieve it.

the top 5 astronaut movies of all time

Documents