Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood

I’ve yet to encounter a Richard Linklater film that’s outright bad or lacking in creativity. It's that creativity that elevates his work, and this animated gem is no exception. The fact that it’s animated already sets it apart in terms of originality, and the animation itself is stunning. But what really shines is the story — a semi-autobiographical tale of Linklater’s childhood in the late 60s near Houston, deeply influenced by NASA, JFK, and the race to the moon. The film beautifully captures the spirit of that era, where kids had heroes worth looking up to, unlike today’s often questionable role models. Linklater’s storytelling feels warm and nostalgic, with one vivid detail after another, showcasing the idyllic childhood of American kids back then. Watching it is pure joy, and if the film had maintained that tone throughout, it might have earned five stars from me. To add an extra layer, Linklater weaves in a fictional story of his alter ego embarking on a mission to the moon — an adventure every boy of that time probably dreamed of. However, this part feels a bit forced and doesn’t blend seamlessly with the nostalgic narrative. The storytelling on its own was strong enough, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this film eventually becomes a nostalgic reference for future generations, much like today’s classics. (04/04/2022)

Two separate "projects" forcibly grafted over the knee into one rotoscoped feature film that for this reason is divided into two halves. One is an earnestly deadpan nostalgic-autobiographical account (it's a nonstop monologue) of what it was like growing up in the Houston suburbs near NASA in the late 60s; the times, the family, the neighbors, the products, the TV shows, the food, the music, Vietnam… And for dozens and dozens of minutes during which the plot doesn't move, the themes and characters don't develop, and it's not about anything other than introducing the circumstances. It is the author's podcast essay "à la The Wonder Years" with superfluous, albeit stylish, imagery. But then there's Linklater's boyish alter ego with a vivid imagination who, during the Apollo 11 flight, indulges in a "what if the lunar module had been accidentally designed and manufactured a little smaller, that only I can save NASA from international embarrassment by flying into space to prepare the ground for Apollo 11" fantasy. Each of these parts is good in its own right, but in mood, genre and what it is about, it feels more like two short stories; one "How Life Was" and the other "How Children's Memory (Doesn't) Work". Excellent, but inconsistent. (01/04/2022)

Linklater’s highly autobiographical memories of childhood, mixed with dreams of traveling to the Moon. Nineteen-sixties Huston, where one of the most important acts of human kind began, seems like a great place to live. Jabbering, games and dreams of an amazing future. With the war raging on TV as a backdrop. The visual side of this project makes it a great watch where we get to see glimpses of the realities of the age, like the theme parks of the era, but also fragments of 2001: A Space Odyssey and other cult movies. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Adventure is cutely naive and entertaining, even though it lack catharsis... makes landing look simple. This is mainly a story from an era that offered hope. (03/04/2022)

For me personally, this is one of the most enjoyable films in recent years, one that works equally well as a commentary on the times and as a dreamy coming of age story. The descriptive exposition, stretched over fifty minutes, doesn't lack for great ideas and creative staging, helping to portray the utopia people lived in at the time around the futuristically oriented NASA, when, to the sounds of Zager and Evans and Canned Heat, they looked up to the distant moon, where, along with Armstrong and others, they could see all those teenage boys. Entertaining, smart and informative – this is how I ideally imagine Netflix's offerings. 90 % (22/04/2022)