The Dish
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Movie Reviews of The Dish
Movie Review: Pleasantly Surprised!
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently saw this movie on cable and didn't expect much from it. The caption listed the movie as a comedy and I found this unusual especially since Sam Neill was playing the lead role. So I took it with a grain of salt and plopped myself down one evening to watch it.
While I was expecting a slap-stick cheesy comedy, I found instead a light hearted drama based on a different side of a famous historical event that I and perhaps many don't know about.
In a nutshell, the movie centers around the going on events at the Parkes Observatory in Australia during the events of the July 1969 moon walk. The movie gives and excellent perspective of those events, seen from the people that actually captured the transmission via Parkes' enormous 200' diameter radio receiver. What more is what effect this world riveting event had on the small town of Parkes.
The movie does take a light hearted side to this roll and it does remind us that these people who ran the Parkes installation were human and capable of error. While the events may not be all factual, it does heighten the interest in the movie.
While the movie is less of a comedy than stated, there are instances that did get a chuckle out of me. The movie did start out by showing that the Parkes installation is in the midst of a sheep paddock and that did give me a good laugh because of the irony that Parkes is located in South Wales and back in England's Wales, there is a roller coaster (Megaphobia) also built in a farm animal paddock where there is no amusement park in sight. So as they said in the movie as well as in real life, it makes one wonder...why build such a large radio antenna in that location.
There are other humorous moments as well but I will not delve into details here as to give away spoilers. But I will say that the movie is more drama than comedy.
The movie did go to great lengths to feature its main attraction in glorious detail, which is the Parkes Observatory Dish itself. The camera angles do justice in exemplifying the shear size of the antenna dish.
Finally is the coverage of the moon landing and moon walk itself, which is excellently put together towards the end of the movie.
After seeing the movie, I was amazed to find out that much of it is very true. There are several levels of poetic license thrown in for good measure as the story IS fiction but centers around true events. There are some historical inaccuracies in minor events (which again I will not give away due to the fact that it may be considered a spoiler). But those inaccuracies would only be given away by those that really know their history.
The soundtrack for the movie is also excellent. They picked out a good selection of songs that you don't hear often today, but were popular back then. So kudos to the producer for that move instead of hammering out songs that are constantly played on the radio (from that era).
All in all, the movie is a must see and is an enjoyable experience.
Movie Review: Delightful Drama About Little-Known History Behind Apollo11
Summary: 5 Stars
"Charming" is the word that describes best this little-seen film. "The Dish" is about a small town Parkes, of which greatest pride, a big parabola (= "The Dish"), actually biggest in the southern hemisphere, was selected in 1969 by NASA as the place to receive the signal from Apollo 11, the first spaceship that reaches the moon, and to transmit this epoch-making moment all over the world! "The Dish" follows the behaviors of the people of the town (population about 7,000) where this honourable (but very responsible) task is allotted, and the scientists who work at the anntena station that (still now) stands in the middle of a sheep paddock.What makes this film very heart-warming and pleasing is the characters it gives; Sam Neil plays the chief of the institute, Cliff, always with a pipe in hand, providing much better and amusing turn than in "Jurassic Park" and other Hollywood films, and beside him, Patrick Warburton, as an American scientist sent from NASA, plays Al (who looks like Dan Ackroyd with Buddy Holly glasses), whose presence at first is disliked by the original stuff, but gradually turns out a good guy. The town's major is busy; his wife (in lemon-colored dress) chatting; and his son always watching TV. An US Ambasssador comes (at the most awkward moment); and then Prime Minister is also coming! The film gives each of these colorful characters a good, funny line or two to speak, and even love interest.
Besides this great merit, to me, the film are interesting in two respects; one is the slight cultural difference between Down Under and America, which is most vividly expressed in some foul words hurled at poor Al. And more interesting is perhaps the reference to culture of the late 1960s, which is twisted with Australian humor (so I thought). One certain guitarist is introduced as "James Hendrix," and one famous TV theme song is mistaken for natinal anthem.
It is almost certain that many of the events in the script are made for the dramatic purpose by the creating team behind the film (though Rob Sitch takes the credit of director, it is rather those five members of popular "Working Dog" team which include Michael Hirsh, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauto, and Stich that really should be regarded as the real genius behind the film). Still, they manage the whole drama with a pace, not too fast, not too slow, always engaging.
Probably, the reality of the event was not as dramatic as the way the film shows. But "The Dish" is so delightful that no one would complain of that. And really, it is hard not to love this film, and the charming town and its people in Parkes.
Movie Review: A classy Australian movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a beautifully made movie.
It's humble, and it's triumphant.
Loosely based on the goings on at The Parkes Radio Telescope in NSW's Central West during the days leading up to the launch of Apollo 11, and man's first steps on the moon.
It stars Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Dirty Deeds) as the director of operations at the telescope, and Patrick Warburton (TV's Seinfeld & The Tick, Men in Black II) as the last guy from NASA left to overview Australia's part of the radio transmissions.
There are a bunch of other characters in key roles played by actors familiar to Australians, but no one really as notable as the previous two mentioned.
This is directed by Rob Sitch who also directed "The Castle" which is another classic Australian movie, but nowhere near as classy as this one.
If you are looking for other great Australian titles, check out THE CASTLE (recommended by Rob Schneider & Adam Sandler! - Michael Caton was in "The Animal), LANTANA & DIRTY DEEDS.
Anyway, back to this one.
The actors do an excellent job making each character believable, the story is well written and well paced, and the photography is beautiful.
The soundtrack by Edmund Choi, and performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is wonderfully in synch with the images, as well as a collection of 60's rock music that puts you right in the "time frame" of mind, including 2 songs by 60's Australian artist Russell Morris featured in the opening montage ("The Real Thing") and in the closing credits ("On the Wings of an Eagle").
I think the soundtrack is available on Amazon.com too, so if you enjoy the movie, you might want to have a look at that as well.
The Parkes Radio Telescope is located in the middle of some beautiful scenery, and it just looks fantastic on the screen.
I've been out to "The Dish" several times as I have family that now live in Parkes, and it is as beautiful out there in real life, as it looks on screen.
It's worth a visit too, but unlike they mention in the movie, you can't go for guided tours through the turrent, and walk on the Dish's surface.
I can't say enough about this movie, you will love it, click the button to place your order now!!!...
Movie Review: Science's chance to be daring...A Brilliant Movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
I cannot tell you how much I love this movie. There have been so many other wonderful reviews that give the synopsis of the movie that I will not add more in this one. I am from another Australian county town called Mudgee, about 2 hours drive from Parkes and the people, the area and the attitudes as shown in the movie were just the same in my home town in 1969, as I am sure they were in country towns in the US, Canada and Great Britain. I was 5 when men first walked on the moon and was as avid a space nut as Billy is in the movie, glued to the TV and remembering all the details from the newspapers of the day and further days of the space program. What I don't actually remember from the day, I remember from reruns but my partner was 12 at the time and remembers that day like it was yesterday. A group of us sat down last night to watch The Dish again to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing and were struck, yet again, by what a brilliant movie it is. I am so proud of it as an Australian, and pleased to see that it is appreciated all around the world. Parkes is now a larger country city (in fact so much so that the filmmakers had to use the smaller nearby town of Forbes for some of the scenes in the towns streets during the film) and no where near "the Outback". I noticed a few of the US reviews mentioning Parkes as being in the Outback but I'm afraid you would have to travel another 5 or so hours from Parkes to get close. To drive from Sydney to Parkes would take about 4 hours. Australia is a BIG country. Have a look at Google Maps for a bit of an idea. But I digress..If you want to see a great movie do yourself a favour and watch The Dish. If you love it and enjoy the dry Australian sense of humour try some other projects from the same team that bought you The Dish. There is The Castle (movie), Hollowmen (Comedy TV Series set in a fictional Australian Prime Ministers department), Kath & Kim (Satirical TV Series featuring the lives of an Australian domestic goddess and her gaudy daughter) and Thank God You're Here (improvised comedy TV Series - similar to Whose Line is it Anyway?).Movie Review: A Surprising Delight
Summary: 5 Stars
When this movie came to Houston, I didn't even know it existed. Then, two Aussie friends convinced me to see it with them. I think I was the only American in an audience of perhaps twenty Aussies, in the only theater in Houston showing the movie.The movie begins with news footage from the 60s and the days of the Apollo moon missions, and as an Apollo buff, I was hooked immediately. The fundamental, factual story line concerns the use of the Parkes Radiotelescope in New South Wales, Australia, as the primary receiving station for Apollo 11's broadcast of Armstrong and Aldrin walking on the moon.
There's much more to this movie than a sidebar on Apollo 11, however. The primary characters are the people who run the telescope, and they're a very human, if not subtly quirky lot. The movie has several story angles including Aussie pride, Aussie politics, Aussie humor, and a little bit of innocent romance. Throughout the movie, the team manning Parkes grapples with technical problems, both self-inflicted and from Mother Nature, leaving you wondering if they'll actually pull off their small but not insignificant contribution to history. More importantly, the movie brings back memories of the awe the world felt as we watched two brave men become the first to set foot on another world.
Sam Neill is just right as Cliff, the fatherly radioastronomer who is the Parkes director. Since I saw the movie with Aussies, I learned that many of the bit parts are played by classic Aussie character actors. Everytime one of them appeared in a cameo role, the audience cooed with delight.
The cinematography is great and shows the rural New South Wales countryside at its best. The soundtrack contains numerous hits from the 60s and fits into the story well.
The movie is great for children, though I think it does contain a small amount of strong language (generally uttered in a classic, low-key, Aussie fashion).
Recently, I watched the movie again in high definition on HBO and was just as enthralled the second time as I was the first. I strongly recommend it.