Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022, Richard Linklater's New Animated Film)

[Small Man Big Horse]

This latest rotoscoped animation from Richard Linklater opens with two NASA agents secretly recruiting our lead Stanley to travel in the titular space craft as they've supposedly accidentally made it too small for adult astronauts, but anyone expecting space based hijinks will probably be disappointed as then it's just a look at what life was like in 1969 from a child's perspective, so while there's occasional references to politics or societal issues mostly these are just short anecdotes about the games he and his family played, what school was like, the tv shows and films they watched, and days out at a theme park, etc, before it ends with the actual Apollo 11 landing and mad old Stan pretending it was him out in space. I'm not quite sure what the fantastical element adds to the movie, and if anything this just feels like an animated podcast as some old guy (voiced by Jack Black, but oddly not annoying) rambles on, and sure, he's pleasant company to spend time with but this ultimately feels a little flimsy and I'm surprised it has received some rave 5 star reviews. 7.1/10

Quick Edit: Here's Peter Bradshaw gushing about it: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/30/apollo-10-half-review-netflix-richard-linkater so others may enjoy it more than I did.

[zomgmouse]

Watched this yesterday. Found it enjoyable, a very gentle memory exercise, but didn't feel much on top of that. I liked those moments where it blended the real with the fantastical, but the rest was so-so.

[Inspector Norse]

Watched this yesterday. Found it enjoyable, a very gentle memory exercise

That's pretty much his comfort zone - I loved Everybody Wants Some, but accept I'm very likely in a small minority there - and this sounds appealing... but am I alone in finding that his rotoscoping gives me a migraine?

[zomgmouse]

That's pretty much his comfort zone - I loved Everybody Wants Some, but accept I'm very likely in a small minority there - and this sounds appealing... but am I alone in finding that his rotoscoping gives me a migraine?

I found EWS some to be eminently average but I am a big fan of Dazed and Confused which manages to infuse the whole thing with a crispness and an understanding that maybe these weren't the best years. This one is detached even more with almost no trace of narrative, just reminisces and details. Which I have to say I did appreciate - but it didn't do much else for me.

Never heard of the rotoscoping giving a headache but this isn't as trippy as his previous two.

[Replies From View]

I'm surprised it has received some rave 5 star reviews. 7.1/10

Mate you just gave it a 7 star review.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Mate you just gave it a 7 star review.

I think you'll find my reviews are seven horses out of ten small men.

[Replies From View]

I think you'll find my reviews are seven horses out of ten small men.

Fourteen over ten, then.  Equals seven fifths.

[Armed Traffic Warden]

Watched this with my family on the back of some recommendations here on CAB. Wholly inoffensive and gently engaging. Once you accept it for what it is you can't be too upset by it. A slight shame that the fantasy elements didn't lead to anything more impactful; felt either wasted or unnecessary. Otherwise a nice snapshot of a time soon to pass from living memory. 6/10