MAN ON A MISSION: RICHARD GARRIOTT'S ROAD TO THE STARSMovie Reviews
Story: Documentary about Richard Garriott, a successful video game inventor who fulfilled a dream by traveling to the International Space Station aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Cast:Richard Garriott, Owen Garriott, Sergey Brin, Stephen Colbert, Anousheh Ansari, Greg Olsen, Mike Finke, Greg Chamitoff, Mike Barratt, Russian Cosmonauts, Yuri Lonchakov, Sergey Volkov, Oleg KononenkoDirector:Mike WoolfOpened:January 13, 2012On DVD:May 15, 2012From:First RunLength:1 hr. 34 min.
MAY 15, 2012
Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars, Mixed Reviews (Doc) Limited
Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars played in limited release to mixed reviews. • Alison Willmore wrote for the AV Club, "...disarmingly enthusiastic... summons up the childlike wonder and optimism inherent in space exploration, while examining how it's opening up to self-funded travelers." • And Joseph Jon Lanthier wrote for Slant, "Oh, the things that money can buy." More Reviews Below...
Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars Positive Reviews (11 Reviews, reviews below)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the most expensive home movie ever made.... But Garriott is a personable host throughout, and the images of his father watching him blast off and return lend the proceedings real poignancy."(Read the full review...) 187 words, 01/13/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "It's a bit precious in its narcissistic point of view, but still a kick to watch the hopelessly devoted astronaut wannabe fulfill his wildest dream."(Read the full review...) 538 words, 01/20/12
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: POOR(cg) "Completely lacking in imagination and purpose, this vanity project might suffice as a home movie, but it's hardly worth the expense and bother of seeing it in a theater."(Read the full review...) 119 words, 01/13/12
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "The one possible point of interest is the footage that Garriott brings back from his stellar cruise, but it's certain that enthusiasts of space travel will have seen finer..."(Read the full review...) 235 words, 01/11/12
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
John Hartl, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Garriott's story is unique, a stranger-than-fiction tale that is unlikely to be topped. And the images from space -- crisp, spectacular, haunting -- make it worth the trip."(Read the full review...) 281 words, 02/17/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "The one possible point of interest is the footage that Garriott brings back from his stellar cruise, but it's certain that enthusiasts of space travel will have seen finer..."(Read the full review...) 235 words, 01/11/12
Alison Willmore, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...disarmingly enthusiastic... summons up the childlike wonder and optimism inherent in space exploration, while examining how it's opening up to self-funded travelers."(Read the full review...) 382 words, 01/12/12
Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...winds up looking a bit like a plodding advertisement for a product that no one but you, and a few very select others, can afford.... Oh, the things that money can buy."(Read the full review...) 522 words, 01/10/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the most expensive home movie ever made.... But Garriott is a personable host throughout, and the images of his father watching him blast off and return lend the proceedings real poignancy."(Read the full review...) 187 words, 01/13/12
Mark Jenkins, NPR: MODERATE "...most of this documentary will interest only hard-core space buffs. It's all process, with precious little drama or personality.... the movie takes such a long time to get to the interesting stuff."(Read the full review...) 535 words, 01/13/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "It's a bit precious in its narcissistic point of view, but still a kick to watch the hopelessly devoted astronaut wannabe fulfill his wildest dream."(Read the full review...) 538 words, 01/20/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Ronnie Scheib, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...helmer Mike Woolf records his every step, from months of intensive training at the former Soviet Star City to varied weightless adventures in space, in exhaustive detail."(Read the full review...) 479 words, 01/11/12
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "...plays like the most expensive home movie ever made.... It comes across as a cautionary tale about having too much time and money on your hands."(Read the full review...) 321 words, 01/11/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "It's a bit precious in its narcissistic point of view, but still a kick to watch the hopelessly devoted astronaut wannabe fulfill his wildest dream."(Read the full review...) 538 words, 01/20/12
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the most expensive home movie ever made.... But Garriott is a personable host throughout, and the images of his father watching him blast off and return lend the proceedings real poignancy."(Read the full review...) 187 words, 01/13/12
21.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars's reviews are separated by an average 21.3 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars (11 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars's reviews cover 13.2% of potential readers (average is 68.2%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,834 words involume (average is 19,979 words). Length:The film's reviews average 348 words in length (the norm is 512 words).
Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars Coverage, Volume & Length (11 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 52.5 Hours After Release (Norm is 0.2 Release)
Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars's reviews on average broke 52.5 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 0.2 hours after. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars (11 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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