Directed By: Toni Myers
Starring: Tom Cruise, James Arnold, Michael J. Bloomfield
Tag line: "A Select Few Have Been Aboard... Now It's Your Turn!"
Trivia: This movie was the first IMAX 3D production filmed in space
When it comes to capturing the awe-inspiring nature of outer space, nothing can beat a giant IMAX screen, and 2002’s Space Station certainly has its share of striking images. The true focus of this documentary, though, isn’t the vastness of space, but the dedication of a handful of people, representing countries such as the U.S., Russia, Canada, Italy, and Japan, who came together to build one of the most fantastic structures ever conceived: the International Space Station.
Narrated by Tom Cruise (who’s livelier than most), Space Station takes us some 250 miles above the earth, where scientists and engineers alike have built a modern marvel. With footage shot by astronauts, cosmonauts, and a few others, the film brings us aboard a U.S. Space Shuttle, on its way to the station to drop off supplies and personnel; and pays a visit to Kazakhstan, where three men (Russians Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Pavlovich Gidzenko, American William M. Shepherd) prepare themselves for a four-month stay at the International Space Station. Their mission: to “turn on the lights” and make sure everything is in perfect working order. They are the first of several crews that will call the station “home” for an extended period of time, each group doing what it can to ensure the facility is both safe and fully operational.
Originally shown in 3-D, Space Station is, at times, a beautiful motion picture (one scene that stands out in my mind is that of the station, seen from the outside, passing over the continent of Africa), but by centering on the men and women who worked tirelessly to bring the station to life, the movie tells a story every bit as intriguing as anything the universe has to offer.