Interesting, questionable on whether it should have been made, and yet compelling, the movie The Landing is now available on DVD, VOD and Digital HD. It’s totally science fiction and like the movie Apollo 18 is pure Hollywood. That said, I did like the idea of a “What If” and you may like it if you can open your mind to an unpatriotic look at the USA space program, it may provide some entertainment.
The film takes you back to the era where fly boys included the astronauts who were taking trips to the moon. The Apollo
program of sending men to the moon was cranking down with cutbacks being prevalent for the times. With several completed trips there were plenty of rock samples, photos and reports to fill libraries and the USA had more problems than they could handle with the pending resignation of President Nixon.
This is where the story becomes fictional and suggests that “wonder if they just had one more flight to the moon?” Not just any flight, but one where the astronauts returned, but landed in the middle of a China desert? Adding a lot of Hollywood fiction the movie follows the space team of Bo Cunningham (Don Hannah) Ed Lovett (Warren Farina) and Al Borden (Jeff McVey) as they slam down in their unintended location, missing the Pacific Ocean by hundreds of miles.
After a harrowing trip through the stratosphere that took a toll on the craft and crew, the men find themselves again at risk in the middle of a desert with only the water and rations from the command module. What they do not expect is that there are other things besides predators in the barren landscape and a strange bush becomes a factor that will set the men against each other.
This premise during this month of Horror and Terror, should peak some interest and maybe the “what if it really happened” crowd may chime in as well. But, the laborious production with very little action and a trial by government conjecture really didn’t do it for me. The fright factor that they tried to bring into the film really doesn’t scare, not even a cause of dread like most mystery/horror flicks.
The Landing has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains language and violence.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Only if you are a skeptic about the space race. (2 out of 5 Stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Starring: Don Hannah, Warren Farina, Jeff McVey, Cindy Lou Adkins, Page Hannah, Arlene Hughes-Martinez, Robert Pine, Craig Stepp and Joe Santaniello
Directed by: David Dodson and Mark Dodson
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Sci-fi
Running Time: 1 hr. 23 min.
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains violence, language
Original Theatrical Release: August 24, 2018
Video Release Date: October 2, 2018
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Released Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital HD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
