Anyone with an even superficial knowledge of history knows that the First Man on the Moon was Neil Armstrong.  For those who know no more than his name, this 60-minute documentary from the PBS show Nova will certainly give you some insights into the background of the man.  However, those familiar with the space race and the flight of Apollo 11, hoping for further revelations, will be sorely disappointed.  The summary on the cover of the DVD describes it as “groundbreaking” and “an intimate portrait”.  Unfortunately it is hardly that.  They do interview Armstrong’s family, friends, and crew mates, but what those people have to say amounts to little more than a few charming anecdotes.

The ultimate irony of this documentary is the picture they have chosen for the cover of the DVD.  Again those who know the story of Apollo 11 will realize that the astronaut saluting the American flag in this picture is not of the first man on the moon, but the second, Buzz Aldrin.  In fact, the most iconic picture from that moonwalk is not of Armstrong, but of Aldrin.  Armstrong appears as only a tiny, distorted reflection in the gold face plate of Aldrin’s helmet.