Kaka

An interesting reconstruction of KAL007. A solid political plot and excellently restored original footage, which, with the use of great visual effects, also serves superbly as a means of telling a contemporary – alternative – story. Perhaps the only thing that doesn’t quite work is the outline of Russian ideology and cold-bloodedness like in Chernobyl; it lacks that chilling tension and danger, but For All Mankind doesn’t take itself so seriously, so it’s bearable. Hopefully, the pace is slowly picking up and the finale could propel this back to the stars.

A funny interaction between the US and Russian astronauts (cosmonauts), with all the strange ways, opinions and ideologies that abound in Mother Russia. In this case, at least, they hit the mark. The rest is basically an endless dissection of relationships, meetings and break-ups, and thus a search for oneself. There’s hardly any space.

Nothing of substance happens and what happens has little to do with the main plot lines. A pointless escapade in Jamestown, Gordo looking for himself and lesbianism. I could have done without all of it. I want more adventures on the Moon, or a spaceshipt sent to Mars.

The preparation of the Pathfinder project is quite tedious and will probably be a highlight of later episodes. Meanwhile, not much is happening on Earth. So, in addition the routine exchange of opinions, the only thing worth noting is the racism issue. So far, we can forget about the level of the first season.

The same problem as in the previous episode. Too much room is given to the characters on Earth and dealing with their traumas and problems, while space is kept to a bare minimum, or at most, it’s talked about and perhaps prepared for future episodes. The crown jewel is the calling up of retired astronauts out of the blue for lunar missions. Physical fitness? Mental fitness? They don’t bother with that yet. In the third episode, NASA looks like a bunch of mates, who are spotting missions as they please. It's losing a semblance of realism.

Old sore spots, current sore spots, possible future sore spots and where the hell is the space conquest?

A similarly awkward opening as the first season. It is not clear and defined whether it will be a relationship drama or space conquest. Whether it will be taken seriously, or whether it will smile through its fingers at the viewer. The first episode of the second season takes on a clear outline towards the end, when an impressively crafted solar storm arrives.

Growing up the English way. No big stars, no dynamics, but there’s a brother-sister line. At times quite bold and open, at others just a "childish" teen conversational drama supplemented by minimalist production design and economical direction. As a portrayal of adolescent experimentation in all its naivety, fragility and innocence, it’s OK.

It is a slightly over-sensitive film that tries to capture the clash of two cultures, the British that rules the world and the Siamese, which is of course completely different in philosophy of life, habits and customs. Nothing against it, the effort is worth it, and back in the day Anna and the King was quite popular with middle-of-the-road audiences because it's actually a light, pleasant film for a Sunday afternoon. However, upon closer analysis, we come to the conclusion that the clash of opinions between two different cultures and visions of the world is presented in a very half-hearted and lightweight way, and even The Last Samurai, which has a completely different concept and dynamics, has this aspect portrayed much more faithfully. And when you realize after 150 minutes that the most interesting moment of the film is a bridge being blown up, something is probably not quite right. Jodie Foster's fake tears need no comment. And Chow Yun Fat? You just wait for him to get pissed off and pull out the two 9 mm he must be secretly carrying behind his waist.

A great mix of self-aware popcorn, solid performances, with a strong emotional level and factual elements. For All Mankind offers a compelling version of an alternate history that subtly mines the facts of what was and adds a reasonable amount of upgrades and alternations to what could have been, but never pushes the envelope too hard and serves up a deliberate and subtle ride for family entertainment where every viewer will find something to enjoy. For fans of space travel and space in general, this is an absolute must.