Michael Cockerham For 50 years all the people that have left the bonds of earth to float in the microgravity of low earth orbit (and the handful that have broken even those bonds and ventured to the moon) have been civil servants. Only recently have private individuals - albeit with colossal amounts of cash - been able to join them. But the fact that they can at all is largely due to the determination of Richard Garriott. But for a few commercial difficulties he would have been the first private individual in space, as it happens he was the sixth. Man on a Mission is the documentary that follows him on the training and through the flight. If you are interested in space exploration and the life of the astronaut, then this is very mush a film not to be missed. Marred only by poor sound in some places (but hey, they couldn't take a full production crew up to the ISS!), it is well structured, inspiring and entertaining. I can't wait for his next mission.

Greg The story of Richard Garriott is an inspirational one. It's a story about realizing a dream. A story about fulfilling a childhood fantasy. It's a story about persistence, adventure, and man's desire to explore the outer reaches of space. It is Man on a Mission.Richard Garriott is the son of scientist and NASA astronaut Owen K. Garriott. Growing up in an environment where your father has actually gone into space only fuels the desire to follow in his footsteps. If nothing else, it helps promote the reality of most young boy's dreams of becoming an astronaut.Richard himself was a little bit of ad oddball. He was a computer geek who in his late teens created a game called Ultima – a 3D adventure game – that sold 30,000 copies. Richard would parlay the financial success of the game into various ventures and adventures, not the least was in an organization that looked to develop a transportation method to bring civilians on space travel missions. Putting himself through college, Richard continued to create video games and the increased success of each game in the Ultima franchise would soon net him tens of millions of dollars.Richard's dream of ever following his father into space was hampered by his near-sightedness. His sight deficiency would not allow NASA to consider him as a potential candidate to ever venture on their crafts towards the heavens. And as he grew older, he continually met resistance in fulfilling his dream no matter how much money he was willing to throw at potential space programs.Then in 2008, Richard Garriott got his break. Already having successful laser eye surgery in Canada, Richard was able to use his influence and money to pioneer a private space travel journey from a facility in Russia. He would undergo vigorous training – everything from experiencing the pressure forces of 8G's of force to learning Russian so that he could communicate with his fellow Kosmonaut.Man on a Mission follows Richard through his childhood dream, his training and to the launch of the Russian craft The Soyuz which launched in October 2008 and docked with the International Space Station before returning to earth some 10 days later. It is a fascinating and engrossing adventure of a persistent man with a dream and the funds to help realize them. Some of the training scenes that Richard has had filmed are some of the more interesting and detailed seen in any educational film about space travel preparation. We get a chance to watch everything from Richard being outfitted for a chair (did you know that your spinal cord expands in space) to the continuous training for emergency landings that might happen at sea or on land.Director Mike Woolf has the privilege of bringing to a wider audience an interesting story focusing on an even more interesting character (thank The King of Kong's Steve Wiebe in space). Richard is weird and extravagant in ideas but not showboating or flamboyant that might be expected by a computer geek with his financial means.Much of the story details his relationship with his father. Richard and Owen Garriott would become the first American generational family to fly into space and his father provides the necessary support to Richard's ambition and is in Russia for both the launch and the capsule's return.Man on a Mission has played on the festival circuit including the SXSW where it was the Audience Award winner in 2010. It is finally getting a theatrical release starting with a limited run in New York in January 2012 and should be considered as valued entertainment despite its documentary genre and educational status.www.killerreviews.com

radiokate Since I share Richard's dream of space travel it was a truly thrilling piece of cinema. I've have the fortune of watching shuttle launches up close, but it was a real treat to get a glimpse of things at Star City in Russia.Beautifully put together, lovely camera work and a real 'stuff that dreams are made of' story. You can't fail to get swept along by the excitement, and indeed the danger of Richard's mission.I've heard Richard tell his personal story before, it really is an incredible tale of determination and passion. The only thing that would have improved this film would be a little more about how this journey came about. He speaks eloquently about his childhood and the lengths he went to to follow in his father's footsteps, yet in the film, I felt they rushed over this slightly to get to the unmistakeably awesome footage of him getting ready for the trip itself. I can understand why they did this, but a little more about the personal side of this at the start would have earned it that 10th star from me.Don't get me wrong, I utterly loved it, would highly recommend it to anyone and it gave me such an excellent taste of what a Soyuz mission would be like that I'll be straight out working out how I can get up there myself!

Nikki Qiao Saw this film last night and found it to be an extraordinary story and journey captured on film. Richard was very articulate, and specific about space traveling through out the film. The film is inspiring, informative, and full on full hearted humor. The film was educational but never dry. I have also enjoyed the amazing story about two generations that share the same interests and pride in pursuing their dreams and goals. Richard's determination and persistence captured my imagination.Overall, this is an amazing film that you can watch with your children. It's educational, inspiring, and heartwarming. Great job. I cannot wait to watch it again on the second screening and meet Richard in person.