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Movies / On DVD / Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D

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Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005)

88%
77%
75%
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88 %
Reviews Counted: 32 Fresh: 28  Rotten:4 Average Rating: 7.2/10
 
Consensus: This inspirational 3D IMAX film approximates for audiences what it is like to set steps on the moon.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 40 mins

Theatrical Release: Sep 23, 2005 Limited

Box Office: $25,088,907

Synopsis: This 3-D IMAX presentation cuts no corners when it comes to its mission, recreating--down to the most precise detail--the experience of landing on the moon. An educational extravaganza, the unique film allows viewers, behind their enormous 3-D glasses and comfortably seated in front of an... This 3-D IMAX presentation cuts no corners when it comes to its mission, recreating--down to the most precise detail--the experience of landing on the moon. An educational extravaganza, the unique film allows viewers, behind their enormous 3-D glasses and comfortably seated in front of an enormous screen, to experience a moonwalk in its closest approximation. The film begins by noting the fascination that the moon has held for people over the centuries, and looking at their fantasies about what they might find there. Proceeding on to the astronauts who made the trip and the years of preparation that made it possible, the film shows what the lunar landings looked like, using sets that recreate the moon's surface with painstaking fidelity. The film provides a brief overview of some of the experiments the astronauts were sent to perform, capturing the gravity of the venture as well as the joy they experienced. As they explore the surface of the moon both by foot and by car, the perspective of the audience becomes that of the astronauts, creating a giddy sensation not unlike the optical illusions the space explorers themselves describe. MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION also posits some hypothetical situations, documenting conspiracy theories that claim the moonwalks never happened and creating a harrowing enactment of an emergency that, thankfully, never took place. The presentation is very kid-friendly but, paired with the spectacular effects, it will appeal to viewers of all ages. In addition to narrator Tom Hanks, who also produced the film, the star-studded cast of voices includes Mathew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Morgan Freeman, Paul Newman, Matt Damon, John Travolta, and Donnie Wahlberg. [More]

Genre: Education/General Interest

Starring: Neil Armstrong, Alan Bean, Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman

Director: Mark Cowen
Producer: Mark Cowen

DVD Info

Release:

Nov 6, 2007

[DVD Details]

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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Ratings Image
3.5/4

This is a mesmerizing film that serves as a reminder of just how amazing our country's space exploration has been.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/10/07
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat
Ratings Image
4/5

It’s a stirring and persuasive plug for resuming in-person space exploration -- and it’s a lot of fun besides.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/12/06
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
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2.5/4

Overall, the production successfully maneuvers through 2D and 3D nearby-space with a playful spirit of curiosity, experiment and wonder.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/27/06
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card
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3.5/4

Go see Magnificent Desolation on the giant IMAX screen and Tom Hanks will moon-rock your world.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/19/06
Larry Ratliff
San Antonio Express-News
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3.5/4

"Magnificent," indeed.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/23/05
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
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3.5/5

In a cinematic era in which seemingly any feat or place can be generated for the screen, it's what these men said -- in mundane exchanges and insightful retrospection -- that stirs one most.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/29/05
Annlee Ellingson
Boxoffice Magazine
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3.5/5

condensing the moon program into roughly 60 minutes is a pretty impressive feat. Giving you the feeling of actually being part of it is even more impressive

Full Review | comment Comment
10/28/05
Norm Schrager
Filmcritic.com
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N/A

Tom Hanks' folksy narration could be intended to bury as much as praise the space program: Apollo missions belonged to an era of American optimism unlikely to be revisited.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/14/05
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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N/A

As contrived as its title, Magnificent Desolation has the look and feel of a NASA fundraiser.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/10/05
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International
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N/A

Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon is an earnest but insubstantial Imax 3-D spectacle that, even at 40 minutes, seems unduly padded.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/06/05
Joe Leydon
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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3/5

The illusion is impressive but incomplete, and therefore mildly disappointing. But I cannot deny having felt a little nervous when 'we' were standing too close to the edge at the Grand Canyon-like Hadley Rille. So clearly I am a liar.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
Anita Gates
New York Times
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2/4

One of the astronauts describes his excitement during the lunar mission as 'like a kid playing in a sandbox.' Unfortunately, that could also sum up the film's visual content.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
David Hiltbrand
Philadelphia Inquirer
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3.5/4

Adults will be more than passably entertained by this short, patriotic feature, and kids will be entranced.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
Kyle Smith
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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3/4

Playful, inspirational.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News
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3/4

Offers the most realistic approximation of a moon visit that Earthbound mortals have ever seen.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
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10/10

The movie's very realistic 3-D simulations and cleverly collated archival footage give filmgoers the best idea yet of what it's like to set foot on gray lunar soil.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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N/A

The film is fascinating history and unabashedly inspirational.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star
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N/A

Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D promises to put viewers on the lunar surface, and through previously unreleased photos and footage from NASA's archives, along with CGI and re-enactments, it pulls off the illusion.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
Sheri Linden
Hollywood Reporter
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3/4

It cleverly re-creates what it must have felt like to walk in the astronauts' weighted boots.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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3.5/4

The whole package is as entertaining as it is educational.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/23/05
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
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