People are voting emotionally.

Did you people see the same film I saw?

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

When George Pál began to produce features in the 1950s he alternated his successful plain fantasy productions with lowbrow "realistic" films about space travel or the mechanics of magic. For every «War of the World», «tom thumb» or «The Time Machine», Pál indulged in one or two films dealing with scientific research that have not aged well, as "Destination Moon". Many of the seriously-treated facts and scenes today seem funny or verbose. On the other hand, the film tries hard to convince us of the importance of investing in the conquest of space, for nothing more than imperialist purposes, as seen in an undisguised propaganda sequence in which investors watch a Woody Woodpecker cartoon about space travel: if you distance yourself a bit from the "drama" being told, the sequence reveals disturbing cultural features, dealing with competitiveness, an obsession with "being first", world control and readiness to resolve many things through dominance and war. Once the moguls are convinced that they have a messianic mission to fulfill and open their checkbooks, a private program to travel to the Moon is launched, free from government interference, although in the end the objective for State or Capital is the same: supremacy. I guess one can pass that, waiting for the excitement of the trip ahead. But alas, no, there is nothing exciting about it, and not because the characters do not stop talking, but for the decision to omit many spectacular moments, as the launching seen from the Earth or the Moon. I give it 5 points for the effort, and some illustrations by Chesley Bonestell, but if you want to enjoy a fantasy trip to the Moon (because in the end «Destination Moon» is nothing but a fantasy), switch to George Méliès' «Le voyage dans la Lune» or Fritz Lang's «Frau im Mond», which are far superior.

Destination Moon (1950): Dir: Irving Pichel / Cast: John Archer, Warner Anderson, Tom Powers, Dick Wesson, Erin O'Brien-Moore: Landmark science fiction film where three men decide to trek to the moon despite overbearing odds of them taking off. There is much media coverage as these men prepare for a journey that was deemed unimaginable. They awake from hyper-sleep and from there everything goes wrong. Directed by Irving Pichel who breaks new ground in special effects and production. It also features a few seconds of Woody Woodpecker giving voice during a seminar. This is not to render the film to children, although its content is clearly family oriented. This is adult storytelling with a cast that includes John Archer, Warner Anderson, Tom Powers, and Dick Wesson and they employ complete familiarity without a hint outside stereotypical realms. Despite the stereotypes, the cast are introduced to the opportunity to travel to the moon and despite complications they render a successful landing. It is getting home that becomes a problem. They are under threat of leaving someone behind until they decide to lighten the spacecraft. The cast survive wooden dialogue by aiding the suspense. The special effects and production fare okay for the time of release. The result is a thought-provoking theme of space travel and its impact on science fiction filmmaking. Score: 8 / 10

Historically Important in the History of Film. Also, NASA, for Obvious Reasons, Loved this Movie and to this Day give it Credit for Influencing the Government and the Public. It was Prescient and did Prognosticate the Space Race and America's Need to get with the Program.For Hollywood it was the First Movie with a Few Odd Exceptions like Metropolis (1927), and Things to Come (1936), to Utilize Science-Fiction as a Theme in a Big-Budget, Production that wasn't a Serial Aimed at the Kids. This was a Gallant Effort and not at all a Safe Venture, both Financially and Artistically.Released in 1950 it Virtually Created the Sci-Fi Genre in Films as we Know it Today. It Strived for Accuracy Foremost and its Imagination was in the Concept more than the Execution. if it wasn't Scientifically Feasible, or at Least Theoretical it wasn't Shown. The Result was a Strain on Entertainment Value, but it made up for it with a Grandiose Vision Firmly Grounded in Political Reality and the Emergence, mostly because of the War, in the Acceleration of Industrial and Scientific Technology. Producer George Pal's Vision, Robert Heinlein's Literary Skills, and Chesley Bonestell's Paintings (influenced by His Sci-Fi Pulp Cover Creations), with Help from a Fine Musical Score and some Hollywood Trickery, make this a Seminal Creation. A Must See for those Interested in Hollywood History along with its Influence on Public Perceptions. Woody Woodpecker Adds some Cartoon Flare along with the Movie's Greatest Shortcoming, the Ever Present Skirt Chaser, Joe Six-Pack. "Wow, look at that, can you see Brooklyn?...I wonder who's Pitching."

"Destination moon" is a serious movie,made with care,with a small budget compared to today's ones;there is no female part,no love interest ,and it sometimes looks like documentary style" .Only the ending is story like ,stealing the "drawing sorts" trick from Fritz Lang 's 'Frau Im Mond "(th woman on the moon).I'M almost sure that Hergé ,who wrote the adventures of Tintin,saw this movie :he began his "Objectif lune/On A Marché Sur La Lune" circa 1950 and there are many similarities:the landing of the rocket,the rescue of the man floating in space ,the lack of oxygen,etc.The cover of the reissue is a model of taste,looking like the covers of the old comic books of the time