The movie, First Man, is based on the accomplishments of Neil Armstrong leading up to his famous landing on the moon. The movie was released on October 12, 2018, and after watching it, I am perplexed on how little money it made. First Man grossed $37.8 million domestically, and $75 million worldwide. For me, these numbers do not show how good this movie truly is. I believe the movie did a good job of portraying the struggles that Armstrong dealt with, before landing on the moon.

The movie goes in full depth description and accurately explains all the hardships Armstrong went through to achieve his goal of landing on the moon. Although the movie is very interesting and keeps you on the edge of your seat, it’s easy to see what comes next, due to his massive popularity around the world. But, don’t let this stop you from seeing the movie. First Man was intended to teach you more about Armstrong and his fascinating life. It shows what he went through on a day to day basis, the major setbacks he encountered, and how he overcame these setbacks through hope and determination.

Also, the movie did a good job of incorporating special effects and music throughout the film, which ultimately contributed to creating a better viewing experience. The special effects used added a realistic touch to the movie, and made it feel like you were in space with Armstrong. Multiple times throughout the movie I felt like I was the one being launched into space, and that it was my mission which I had to complete. Also, the music added to the movie contributed to the suspenseful mood that certain scenes had. The music made everything seem more real and made everything scarier. The music also kept me right at the edge of my seat, eager to know what was going to happen next.

The movie’s sound design played a key role in improving the movie. At certain times in the movie, where the sound was at full blast,  I found myself to be nervous/scared to keep watching. I partially credit this nervous/scared sensation to the sound design.

In the end, I found the movie to be a masterpiece. It taught me so many things I didn’t know about Armstrong, and actually changed my view on him as a person. The movie showed me that if you work hard toward your dreams you will eventually reach them. I feel like Armstrong really fits that “never give up” motto because he never did give up. He went through emotional, mental, and physical pain to do what he loves, and in the end, his perseverance paid off. He took the first step on the moon which marked a massive landmark in mankind. In the end, his name went down in history books and everyone around the world knows of Neil Armstrong, the first human to ever walk on the moon.

I found the 88% rating from rotten tomatoes to be an accurate representation of the film. On the other hand, the 63% rating given from the audience is quite harsh, considering the fact that the movie was quite captivating and interesting. In the end, the movie was phenomenal and I give it a 9 out of 10.