Movie Review: Magnificent Desolation - Walking on the Moon 3D

Earlier this year, I had my first experience with an IMAX theater. I had gone and seen Batman Begins and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both of those experiences were amazing experiences, besides both being good movies, seeing them on this enormous screen with such clarity was mind blowing. Ever since then, I wanted to see a film that was made specifically for the IMAX experience. This past week I had that opportunity, as an added bonus, it is IMAX 3D.

The film was Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D. It is a wonderful, but brief exploration of the history that he have with walking on the moon. It pays tribute to the twelve astronauts who have set foot on the faraway landscapes, while contemplating what it means to go there, and what it could possibly be like to think about going there.

The film has a short runtime at less than 45 minutes, so the information that it can impart and the depths to which the information can mine is brief. That is not to say that it isn't informative it is, it just doesn't get as deep as it may have wanted to. We learn that through history there have been many theories as to what the moon was and what it was made of, but it wasn't until we landed there in 1969 that definite answers began to arise.

We learn that the astronauts went through years of training, have to learn how to operate the equipment, plus having to work within an extremely tight schedule. Having only the air you brought with you will definitely have an impact on the amount of time you can spend there and the distance that you can travel from the lander. In the end, the best thing about the movie is that time is given to the names of the brave astronauts who went up there. Most of us only know Neil Armstrong, a few will know the names of Buzz Aldrin or James Irwin. It is a shame, I count myself among the masses who do not know their names.

It is narrated by Tom Hanks, who also filled the Producer's shoes. Hanks has a very personable voice, and very easy way of speaking. His narration is conversational in nature and works well with the pacing. There are also a number of celebrities who lend their voices as stand ins for the astronauts. Celebrities such as Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Bryan Cranston, Scott Glenn, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, and John Travolta.

The thing that I loved the most about Magnificent Desolation was the 3D. It uses the polarized process, not the red/blue shift style with the little paper glasses. I have seen this process before on short attractions at Universal Studios, but never have I experienced anything like this. We really get the feeling that we are there on the moon. Inside the lander, roving the surface, watching the astronauts work in the recreations. Plus the magnificent use of the 3D format. There were other screens that would come into frame and overlay a moonscape or some other background image. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to position the images and get everything to do what it should.

Bottomline. This was an amazing experience. It looks great, it sounds great, and it has spectacular 3D. I salute Tom Hanks and director Mark Cowen for bringing this to the screen. If you have the opportunity to see it, do so.

Recommended.