Comment Okay, not great. Missed Opportunity. (Score 1) 16
I saw the film with the family yesterday. It was okay, but not great. If you are fan of space, you should enjoy the indirect behind the scenes footage in addition to the large scale "Deep sky" images. My daughter, 12, found it awe inspiring as she already naturally has an interest in space. The 9 year old was entertained for the short 40 minutes, but not much else. We paid $8 each.
While there was nothing that I didn't enjoy, there was far to little actual science in the film for my liking. This film is very accessible to audiences, but I feel at the cost of making the magnitude of the accomplishment and implications truly understood. This lack of substance is why I suggest the film to be just "okay". While I'm happy to see something of science carried in wide distribution (if only for a week), it is disappointing that more of an effort into explaining the science was not made. Simple things like finding ways to visualize the scale of the universe were omitted and instead addressed with a voice-over explaining "there are a lot of planets". Lack of effort in visualizing something like this pass on a chance to land a observable truth with audiences that would leave a lasting impression, etc.
The film comprises of many interviews of various participants in the project, a voice over from Michelle Williams, earth-side footage in addition to space based CGI and of course JWST images. Very little history is provided on the project's background and challenging execution. No history on James Webb. Film appears to be largely funded by Northrop Grumman.
While there was nothing that I didn't enjoy, there was far to little actual science in the film for my liking. This film is very accessible to audiences, but I feel at the cost of making the magnitude of the accomplishment and implications truly understood. This lack of substance is why I suggest the film to be just "okay". While I'm happy to see something of science carried in wide distribution (if only for a week), it is disappointing that more of an effort into explaining the science was not made. Simple things like finding ways to visualize the scale of the universe were omitted and instead addressed with a voice-over explaining "there are a lot of planets". Lack of effort in visualizing something like this pass on a chance to land a observable truth with audiences that would leave a lasting impression, etc.
The film comprises of many interviews of various participants in the project, a voice over from Michelle Williams, earth-side footage in addition to space based CGI and of course JWST images. Very little history is provided on the project's background and challenging execution. No history on James Webb. Film appears to be largely funded by Northrop Grumman.