“APOLLO 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood”: They made a Movie about Me

Synopsis

An engaging coming-of-the-space-age story, the way only Richard Linklater could tell it. Inspired by Linklater’s own life, “Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood” takes you to the moon and back. This story is about growing up in the 1960s in suburban Houston, Texas. Starring Jack Black, Glen Powell, and Zachary Levi. Written and Directed by Linklater. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is currently available exclusively on Netflix.

John Smistad’s Review

Richard Linklater is famously fond of fashioning films focused on his formative years, i.e., the mesmeric day in the life chronicle “Slacker”, the ‘70s high school epic “Dazed and Confused” and the rollicking college jock comedy “Everybody Wants Some!!”. Linklater’s latest entry into his personal cum professional mosey down memory lane is the sweet Netflix animated dramedy “Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood”.

Veteran Filmmaker Richard Linklater

Ever wonder what my experience growing up in Clear Lake City, Texas, the son of a NASA engineer and within shouting distance of the Manned Spacecraft Center was like? You can stop imagining now.

This is it.

From a deliciously detailed journey to and through the lamentably late “Wonderful World of Fun”, Astroworld, to a spirited and relentlessly bodily-threatening game of kickball on concrete, to dinnertimes commonly co-starring creamed corn, wonderful recollections of a different, far more adventurous, and humongously less PC, era all came flooding back.

And then back again. And again. And…

While the prevailing premise of a ten-year-old south Houston suburban kid (voiced perfectly by Jack Black) becoming the first “little man” to walk on the moon is patently preposterous, roll with it. It’s a movie, man.

And, man, is it fun.

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