Welcome to KIWIreviews - product reviews
•  click here to return to the homepage  •
Welcome visitor.Join us or log in

Product reviews on kiwireviews.nz : Friday 29th March 2024 - 06:22:48

QuickSearch for:    What is QuickSearch?
QuickJump to:    What is QuickJump?
logon name: p/w:  

I want to:

You Are Here...

Home > Categories > Movies > Drama > First Man review

« If Beale Street Could Talk reviewIf Beale Street Could TalkMcKellen: Playing the Part reviewMcKellen: Playing the Part »

Score: 8.0/10  [1 review]
3 out of 5
ProdID: 8159 - First Man
Directed by Damien Chazelle

First Man
Price:
$24.95
Sample/s Supplied by:
Click to search for all products supplied by Universal Pictures NZ

Disclosure StatementFULL DISCLOSURE: A number of units of this product have, at some time, been provided to KIWIreviews by Universal Pictures NZ or their agents for the sole purposes of unbiased, independent reviews. No fee was requested, offered nor accepted by KIWIreviews or the reviewers themselves - these are genuine, unpaid consumer reviews.
Available:
in stores January 2019

First Man product reviews

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures' First Man, the riveting story of NASA's mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost- on Armstrong and on the nation -of one of the most dangerous missions in history. Written by Academy Award winner Josh Singer (Spotlight), the drama is produced by Wyck Godfrey & Marty Bowen (The Twilight Saga, The Fault in Our Stars) through their Temple Hill Entertainment banner, alongside Chazelle and Gosling. Isaac Klausner (The Fault in Our Stars) executive produces. DreamWorks Pictures co-finances the film.

Check out Universal Pictures NZ onlineClick here to see all the listings for Universal Pictures NZ Visit their website They do not have a Twitter account Check them out on Facebook They do not have a YouTube Channel They do not have a Pinterest board They do not have an Instagram channel They do not have a TikTok channel



Tags:
apollo   buzz aldrin   claire foy   jason clarke   moon   nasa   neil armstrong   ryan gosling   space
Other listings you may be interested in:
Into the WildInto the Wild
Rating: 9.3
Invention of LyingInvention of Lying
Rating: 8.5
Arthur ChristmasArthur Christmas
Rating: 9.9
A.I. Artificial IntelligenceA.I. Artificial Intelligence
Rating: 7.4
Liar LiarLiar Liar
Rating: 9.6
Veronica Mars (the movie) Veronica Mars (the movie) 
Rating: 9.0
The Maze RunnerThe Maze Runner
Rating: 7.1
The Big ShortThe Big Short
Rating: 10.0
Wind RiverWind River
Rating: 8.0
Tulip FeverTulip Fever
Rating: 8.0
Richard JewellRichard Jewell
Rating: 9.5
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Rating: 7.8
Cosmic SinCosmic Sin
Rating: 4.0

Product reviews...

Everyone is welcome to post a review. You will need to Join up or log in to post yours.

Click here to read the profile of alexmoulton

Review by: alexmoulton (Alex)
Dated: 22nd of January, 2019

Link to this review Report this review

 

This Review: 8.0/10
Pay to see it again:
Score 7 out of 10
Attention Span:
Score 8 out of 10
Believeability:
Score 10 out of 10
Personal Choice:
Score 7 out of 10

First Man is out on DVD today. The film focuses on Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon (unless you believe Stanley Kubrick was involved in faking the whole thing). First Man is not the action-packed film like predecessors Apollo 13 or Gravity, neither does it highlight the civil rights movement like 2016's runaway hit, Hidden Figures. First Man focuses on Neil Armstrong and the effects that the space race had on his friends and family and ultimately his own mental health.

As such, the film doesn't necessarily focus too much on NASA itself or the mission (while it is always there in the background); First Man is more interested in the costs and sacrifices, the toll that it all took on Armstrong. Almost set up like a war movie, the film opens with the loss of Armstrong's daughter, an event that effects Armstrong's temperament for the remainder of the film, as this meticulous, calculating man, retreats emotionally into an introverted, stoic character. The film spans eight years, as NASA attempts to get ahead in the space race. each experiment or training scenario becomes a battle, where the astronauts don't know whether they will come out alive.

But while the action and tension increase as the film progresses, the Gosling's emotional connection with the characters withdraws further and further with every loss. As a result of something that could look to be comparable to a form of PTSD, all of the emotional acting comes not from Gosling's Armstrong, but from his wife (portrayed by Claire Foy).

Detached. Grounded. Stoic. Passive. These are all words that could be used to describe the film's portrayal of Armstrong in the lead-up to the successful Apollo mission.

Visually, the film has been shot in an interesting fashion with a variety of different formats. Some of the flashback shots done with a grainier low-tech format (or 60's look, you could call it), others are in higher detail (more likely 70mm), but most importantly, if you pay attention to the aspect ratio, you will notice the later space shots expand the scope, filling the whole screen with maximum glorious detail in a modern IMAX format.

First Man is no big action film. It is a slow building family drama that just happens to include an astronaut. It is refreshing to see a more balanced look at the time, showing the presence of protesters that opposed such high expenditures on NASA (not dissimilar to current disagreements in the US to a certain wall). The film, while still very "America is great", does look more at the personal cost. It glosses over the planting of the flag, to instead remind the viewers of the losses and struggles that it took to get to that point.

One of the advantages that this DVD has over the theatrical release, is the special features. It has finally happened that a DVD actually has some reasonable special features. Probably the most interesting piece comes in the form of the audio commentary. First Man does come with its own fair share of controversy about how things are depicted, or about the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the film, and these things are talked about at length during the commentary. Whether it be the timing of events, or what Armstrong does on the moon, every decision is discussed.

It's often forgotten, the true cost of such endeavours. And while First Man, is undoubtedly a slow film that tries to minimise the usual "exciting" tropes for a space film, it creates some breathtaking visuals and provides a more balanced look at the space race (even if it only scratches the surface).

Random listing from 'Movies'...

Score: 2.0
Product reviews for listing 5217: The Hangover Part 3
Directed by Todd Phillips

Product image for The Hangover Part 3In the aftermath of the death of Alan's father, the wolfpack decide to take Alan to get treated for his mental issues. But things start to go wrong on the way to the hospital as the wolfpack is assaulted and Doug is kidnapped. Now they must find Mr. Chow again in order to surrender him to the gangster who kidnapped Doug in order to save him.

Go to the listing

General Disclaimer...

Protected by Copyscape Plagiarism Checker - Do not copy content from this page. Creative Commons Licence All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.

"Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?"
unattributed