Do you believe that it hasn't even been four decades since we landed on the moon? Most of the ghosts of the '60s and '70s (civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate, the Kennedy assassinations, etc.) feel more vital today than the one thing that once held the entire world captive - the space race. Is it for the better? Doesn't it seem like we're a little worse off for not having a common aspiration to achieve something once-considered impossible? The space program that once brought national icons to tears now barely merits an end-of-newscast mention and it's usually when something goes wrong. In the Shadow of the Moon serves as a window back to a time when nothing mattered more than getting to the moon. It's a narrow-focused and too good-natured documentary, but it features several captivating interviews and some amazing footage that will enthrall any fan of space travel (you NEED to see an 'Earthrise' at least once in your life). Maybe this could be the first step in reminding people why the new frontier is so important.

Although In the Shadow of the Moon doesn't feel like director David Sington has such lofty goals in mind, which makes some of the film feel somewhat unnecessary. In the Shadow of the Moon is a very simple series of interviews with the courageous men who boldly ventured into outer space. There's no narration and very few subtitles, which allows the national heroes, including such once-household names as Buzz Aldrin and Jim Lovell, to tell their stories in their own words, intercut with clips and news footage from the day. Naturally, the format leads to a few teary eyes and reverential memories of seeing the shadow of the moon, but the film loses its power by staying so one-sided and focused.

In fact, much of In the Shadow of the Moon is specifically focused on the Apollo 11 landing, the first one that made it to the moon. How this event impacted the world both politically and socially is left to the people who were there to define, and they naturally have heavy and mostly emotional reactions. It's great to hear their insight but it makes for a film that is often repetitive and sometimes too slow paced. No offense to the incredibly important international heroes, but it seems like a bit too much repetition to hear them talk about the awe they felt as we're watching footage of an 'Earthrise.' The awe is obvious. Why did the space program lose its impact? What was life like for the heroes when it did? A less-reverential documentary into the life of the astronaut and much more information about these select few and their lives outside the shuttle would have made for a more well-rounded experience. Even just a movie that didn't spend half its running time on the most well-documented event of the space program would have been more rewarding.

Luckily, ThinkFilm has given fans of both the movie and space travel more of the well-rounded look with an incredibly detailed series of special features, including nearly an hour of extended interviews and stories. Ron Howard also helps out with an introduction to the film and fans will also find a solid film commentary and a short feature with composer Philip Sheppard. The extras hint at the more complete film that In the Shadow of the Moon could have been and help to illuminate a time not far from our memory but what feels like a world away.