Shoot for the Moon: Apollo 10 1/2
Apollo 10 1/2, A Review
Apollo 10 1/2 is a coming of age movie that explores a young boy’s imagination as he grows up during the bustling time of the space race.
Should You Watch:
Apollo 10 ½ is an endearing movie about growing up. This movie also features historical facts about the time period and the space race. If that’s a subject that you enjoy, then this would be a fun movie to watch. The animation style and the narration were also unique, which may pique your interest.
What’s Apollo 10 1/2 About?
Apollo 10 ½ follows the story of Stan, the youngest of 6 children. Born during the time of the space race and the Vietnam war, Stan’s life is filled with both hope and dread. As an adult Stan reminisces over his childhood, he recounts his tale of his secret mission of Apollo 10 ½, the mission before the successful Apollo 11.
Who’s in Apollo 10 1/2?
Stan is the youngest of 6 children. In his town, where most of the adults work for NASA, Stan is a bit disappointed that his father doesn’t work as a high ranking person, such as an astronaut. As a result, Stan has a vivid imagination and tells many tall tales. All throughout school, he was also a troublemaker.
Review
Apollo 10 ½ was an alright movie. I think the thing that really set this movie apart for me was the art style and narration. Most of the movies I’ve watched lately didn’t do what Apollo 10 ½ did, so it was a breath of fresh air. When it comes to animation, it reminded me a lot of old cartoons, which is probably the style the directors of the movie wanted. It gave the movie a homely feel, which I wasn’t totally opposed to. What also helped the movie was the way the story was told. Being narrated by an older Stan made it feel like it was story time, kind of like a bedtime story. It has all the makings of a good children’s story too; characterization, exaggeration, and it was mostly captivating. I also enjoyed that the movie mixed in some facts from history. Stan’s perspective of the space race and the time period was an interesting point of view. It really felt like someone recounting their life story, which made the movie engaging.
Besides that, the movie did lose my interest a bit. There were a few moments near the middle where the movie seemed to stall, and it was painful to keep watching. Also, after a while, the magic of the movie started to wear off. Like a real story, there was a lot of rambling, which I didn’t enjoy all that much.
Overall, Apollo 10 ½ is an interesting take on the space race time period. Having it narrated in this style, combined with the animation style was entertaining, but soon the magic is lost and I got bored. If you enjoyed learning about the Apollo missions, or anything space related, give this one a shot.
