Review of First Man (2018) by John M — 31 Oct 2018

I generally enjoyed this movie, but a few things didn't gel. The character of Armstrong didn't ring true to other things I have read and seen about the real man. In particular, Al Bean's recounting of Armstrong's reaction to and demeanour after ejecting from the LLRV in the doco movie "In the Shadow of the Moon" was at considerable variance to the emotional and injured Armstrong depicted in First Man. Also, the scene where Armstrong tosses his daughter's bracelet was more Top Gun than what I understand of the real-life Armstrong.

The other thing that bugged me was the sound-track during space-flight and X-15 scenes. The screeching violin-like sounds were not necessary to heighten the drama, and the sounds of jet engines spooling up and down on a rocket ship in space were inauthentic. The camera shake was over-done at times, although the creaks and groans of the spaceships were probably a good representation. I wouldn't watch it again, but in the end in spite of the annoyances, I don't regret going to see it.