Over the moon
It was inevitable that a documentary about the first moon landing would be released in 2019, the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's trip to the lunar surface. But "Apollo 11" (⋆⋆⋆ out of four stars, rated G) is no by-the-numbers obligatory salute. Rather, it is a more visceral trip than any moviegoer has ever taken. Director and editor Todd Douglas Miller has assembled a wealth of fresh images, including never-developed film from the mission unearthed at the National Archives. While it's not as crisp as contemporary digital imagery, the film has an immediacy that today's CGI-dependent tales of cosmic fantasy never achieve. The movie includes an odd paradox: The astronauts' sojourn on the moon — the most exciting part of the journey — is the least riveting part because it's told with still photographs seen hundreds of times before. But things heat up again as the crew heads home. (Now playing at Southdale and Rosedale. )Mark Jenkins, Washington Post
