Apollo 11

Spoiler alert: The three astronauts aboard Apollo 11 launched successfully into orbit, navigated and walked on the moon, and returned safely to Earth.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the new documentary Apollo 11 is that such basic advanced knowledge about the outcome of the mission doesn’t diminish its resonance.

Fifty years later, the 1969 moon landing remains one of the most iconic moments in American pop culture. And this latest cinematic tribute is remarkably vivid and intimate, eliciting chills and conveying suspense both for those who remember the events firsthand, and for youngsters discovering the details for the first time.

The film is assembled almost exclusively from archival footage taken in July 1969 and since remastered, transporting us back in time, but also to a different world. The varied perspectives include those from the crowds gathered in Florida to witness the launch, to the astronauts filming from the cockpit, to the coordinators at NASA’s mission control in Houston.

We watch as the three-man crew of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins remain calm in the face of unprecedented risk, and even inject humor into their banter. The sequences on the moon itself are visually dazzling and emotionally powerful.

Along the way, there’s plenty of new insight, including trivial tidbits such as the astronauts’ heart rate at liftoff — Armstrong was the highest, and Aldrin the lowest. Plus, the film helps to illustrate the meaning of complex scientific concepts such as orbital trajectory or trans-Earth injection maneuvers.

Every angle surrounding the mission was documented, presumably providing abundant footage to work with. Yet although the pacing is sometimes awkward, director Todd Douglas Miller (Dinosaur 13) assembles a compelling and thorough package without frills or gimmicks.

Instead, he smartly lets the story unfold before our eyes, which should provide a nostalgic kick or an eye-opening history lesson, depending on the age of moviegoers. The film also serves as an indirect reminder of how stagnant the American space program has become in recent years.

Either way, audiences will gain a greater appreciation for the people responsible for the success of the Apollo 11 mission — their courage and vision that resulted in one giant leap for mankind.

Rated G, 93 minutes.