Parents Television Council Reviews

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This year marks the 40^th anniversary of man’s first landing on the Moon. The magnificent 1989 documentary For All Mankind tells the story of the twenty-four men who traveled to the Moon, in their own words and their own voices. Assembled from over six million feet of film taken by NASA – much of it shot by the astronauts themselves -- For All Mankind is not a traditional documentary concerned with names, dates and precise events. Rather, the film focuses on the feeling of being in outer space, by editing the most spectacular and exciting images from various Gemini and Apollo missions into one seamless story, from the excitement of launch and the beauty of Earth and lunar orbit, to the historic moment of astronauts landing on the Moon, to the joy of lunar exploration. Now reissued in a remastered digital transfer available on both high-definition DVD and Blu-Ray and supervised by producer-director Al Reinert, this rerelease is a feast for the eyes and mind. Backed by an eerie musical soundtrack and showing off the incredible photography of Earth and the Moon captured on manned space missions, the movie will be ideal for HD television. Nominated for an Academy Award as Best Documentary, For All Mankind remains the definitive cinematic portrayal of the awe and majesty of man’s exploration of space.

For All Mankind contains no content to worry parents. On one occasion an astronaut, tasked to remain in orbit while others descend to the Moon’s surface in the lunar lander, wishes that “the damn thing would hold three people;” and various scenes at mission control show NASA men (as was typical of the 1960s) smoking as they work.

The new release is packed with special features, including a commentary track with director Al Reinert and Apollo 17 mission commander Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon; “An Accidental Gift: The Making of For All Mankind,” a new documentary featuring interviews with Reinert, Apollo 12 and Skylab astronaut Alan Bean, and NASA film archive specialists; “On Camera,” a collection of documentary interviews with fifteen of the Apollo astronauts; a program about Apollo 12 astronaut/artist Alan Bean’s lunar-themed artwork, accompanied by a gallery of his paintings; additional NASA audio highlights and lift-off footage; an optional on-screen identification of astronauts and mission control specialists; and a booklet featuring essays by Reinert and film critic Terrence Rafferty.

For its historical importance, tremendous educational value, spectacular photography, and ability to allow the viewer to feel what it is like to go into space, the PTC is proud to award For All Mankind with the PTC Seal of Approval^TM. This film is appropriate for viewers over age five. 

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