From the Earth to the Moon

An extraordinary piece of filmmaking.

Epic in scope, intimate in impact, "From the Earth to the Moon" may rank as one of the best docudrama miniseries of all time.

The results are nothing short of breathtaking. Without relying on the fancy special effects of a film like "Apollo 13," the 12 episodes tell their fascinating real-life sagas patiently, clearly and with reverence for the courage of the astronauts and their support teams. [3 Apr 1998, p.52]

The best thing to hit TV this season. [1 Apr 1998, p.C1]

"From the Earth to the Moon" is television at its finest. A soaring journey to a new level of creative dramatic artistry and TV technology to explore the can-do spirit of ordinary men doing something so extraordinary that it changed our world forever. [5 Apr 1998]

The opener, which Hanks himself directed, bogs down with tedious "Can we do this?" conferences ... Part 2, however, soars.

[The episodes] crackle with all the drama, emotion and intensity that existed during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo years but rarely emerged from NASA's carefully controlled environment. [2 Apr 1998, p. D1]

Every up and down, every inch of the agony and the ecstasy of Apollo is laid out here in an amazing feat of economical writing and direction. [1 Apr 1998]

"From the Earth to the Moon" looks like an exceptional creative achievement, with individual films ranging from very good to flat-out great.

Given the superior production values, sharp direction, convincing acting, exciting visual effects and powerful storytelling displayed so far [through four episodes], I anticipate a miniseries that will deliver its promise of greatness. [3 Apr 1998, p.47]

The biggest rap against Hollywood dramatizations is that they treat history as a series of white-hot personality conflicts when it's really about slowly building waves of collective action. "From the Earth to the Moon" is a rare exception. There are recurring characters and motifs, but none that appear in every episode, and the writers have resisted inventing an audience surrogate to guide us through the maze. [5 Apr 1998]

In this age of TV limits, it's rare to find a program this ambitious. And even rarer to find one that achieves so many of its ambitions. [3 Apr 1998, p.11E]

A very, very long, sometimes absorbing, often boringly detailed and overly technical docudrama. [5 Apr 1998]

The miniseries is occasionally overwhelmed by its own lavish size and sweep. ... But there are compelling moments and strong performances to be enjoyed. [3 Apr 1998, p.1D]

Too often, we are prodded into admiration by shots of ordinary folks gazing skyward and the airy yet portentous soundtrack music. ... From the Earth to the Moon is too long, too prolix, too cable to affect an audience the way Apollo 13 did, but its virtues are real. At a time when it's taken for granted that most movies seek to tear down myths and expose seamy undersides, there is something exhilarating about this miniseries' bright-eyed idealism — even when that idealism occasionally leads to stiff drama.

Unfortunately, "From the Earth to the Moon" seems content with simply telling us that getting to the moon was an amazing feat. It would have worked better if we had been shown why. [4 Apr 1998, p.1D]

Oddly, its realism works better than its imagination. The series suffers greatly from the flaws of so many pet projects: a tunnel vision that assumes, rather than asserts, the fascination of its subject. If you're a space junkie -- automatically drawn to the scientific measurements, the code of personal courage, the final seconds of a countdown -- you may be enthralled. But if all that sounds too familiar, the series has a problem: it fails to generate the sense of wonder its creators take for granted.

From the Earth to the Moon, your 12-hour, Tom Hanks-piloted paean to NASA, goes boldly where we've gone again and again. And again. It's kinda like Mom and Dad surveying the old two-story after the last of their five kids has flown the nest. "Honey, do we really need all this space?" [5 Apr 1998, p.1C]