I'm not a big Heinlein fan, partially because of his politics... and his conservative viewpoints do factor into the film, although thankfully only in the first act. Like THE WOMAN IN THE MOON, this is a speculative look at what it would be like to travel to our satellite. This is a far more realism-based film than Lang's, however, with the advantage of an additional 20 years of knowledge. And it does seem to get a lot of the science right. Unfortunately, it could use a little more imagination, and ends up pretty dull and too concerned with scientific explanation (including a Woody Woodpecker cartoon illustrating the basics of space flight). There are a couple of intriguing/exciting scenarios but even those are undercut by Dick Wesson, playing a "Joe Six Pack" character who comes along as a last minute replacement for one of the crew. Wesson's dumb Brooklynese comments are real groaners. This movie ought to have been a lot more fun.
Review of Destination Moon
