The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks

Starring: Tom Hanks (narrator)
Directed by: Nick Corrigan, Lysander Ashton
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Documentary
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Tells the story of the incredible Apollo missions, to reach the Moon, as well as the Artemis mission to once again return to our nearest neighbor in space.

Review:

Tim: On a recent trip to Houston, Texas, I was able to visit the incredible NASA Space Center there. Among the amazing experiences I had was an immersive film experience, The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks. My favorite actor brilliantly narrated a 50-minute film exploring the courageous and stunning achievement of the Apollo missions to put a man on the moon (and return him safely home), as well as interviewing the astronauts training for the future Artemis missions and the plan to return to the moon after 50 years. I'm a massive fan of space and humankind's exploration of the cosmos, so this was right up my alley.

The film itself is fascinating. It shows so much footage of the Apollo program and their time on the moon that I'd never seen before. It was spellbinding and the 50 minutes of the film absolutely flew by. Hanks does a great job narrating it, at times stoic, at times his voice crackles with awe. He tells several humorous personal anecdotes, connecting this exploration to his own life. I've read some complaints that the film feels like a science class film, and that's not completely wrong. This movie wouldn't ever play in regular theaters. It was first released in London, and only recently made its way to Houston. That feels like the perfect place for it- a break from seeing the other artifacts and exhibits at the Houston Space Center. There's a lot of value in documentaries like this.

Here's what I loved about this- the film is inspiring. To really sit and consider what the astronauts, scientists, engineers accomplished in the 1960s is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements in human history. I cannot fathom how they were able to pull off Apollo 11, and then return to the moon multiple times. Even fifty years later, it seems like an overwhelming achievement. To be able to consider what humanity can do when rallied around a common cause, it sends a chill down your spine. The scenes talking about Artemis were equally as inspiring. We need to go back to the moon, this time as a stepping stone to even greater adventures into the cosmos. This kind of movie is so important in 2025, when so much of our planetary world (especially in the United States) is uninspiring. It's discouraging, soul-crushing. To have to combat fascism, to have to fight against oligarchy, to have to push back against moronic billionaires, to remind people of the evil of Nazis, it's enough to make you want to crawl into a hole. We need movies like this to remind us of the best of humanity. Hanks has always been a huge proponent of our space-faring focus, and I love that he wrote and ensured this movie would be made.

The Moonwalkers definitely feels like a science class film, but I'm not sure why that's a bad thing. I learned a great deal by watching it. My kids, 10 and 6 years old loved it, too. The film is presented in such clarity, on such a large screen, you become immersed in the spectacle. The film looks backwards, yes, but it also looks forward. It informs, it entertains, it reminds us of who we are as a species. I felt very fortunate I was able to randomly be at this place right after the film opened. It inspired me, and I had a lot of fun watching it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: From the Earth to the Moon