Summary
Good Night Oppy is a great adventure film for families because of its educational themes and ability to capture the human spirit’s appetite for unlimited possibilities.
We review the Amazon Prime Video documentary film Good Night Oppy, which was released on November 23rd, 2022.
Rarely can a historic documentary conjure up the wonder, imagination, and grand adventure experienced by the ones who lived it. The sheer spectacle of space travel gives way to timeless tales. Ones such as Treasure Island, Moby Dick, Into the Wild, and The Odyssey. These stories give credence to the human spirit that we were always meant to explore. That is where Good Night Oppy lends a helping hand. It shines a spotlight on the innate courage, grit, resolution, and tenacity of those men and women of NASA. And, of course, the world will never be the same once you have seen it through the eyes of Oppy and Spirit. And no, this is not Forrest Gump.
Written and directed by Ryan White (Netflix’s The Keepers and The Case Against 8), Good Night Oppy tells the story of Mars Rover’s Operation (or “Oppy”) and Spirit, MER-B (Mars Exploration Rover – B). Robots that landed on Mars in 2003 were supposed to give out after 90 sols. (When converted, this is about 92 days). However, the rover survived and explored the red planet for almost fifteen years. White and editor Helen Kearns wrote the story. She worked with the outstanding visual effects work of Industrial Light & Magic to recreate the utter majestic scope of the rover’s trek of unadulterated discovery.
Where the documentary film shines is not just the respect for the technological achievement but the program’s ability to tap their own self-discovery. Particularly when it comes to intuition and creativity to think on their feet and outside the box. There is a terrific scene that leads to Oppy being unable to move, primarily because of an unexpected density to the ground, the equivalent of quicksand. The ability of the group to produce solutions at every turn is as jaw-dropping as it is inspiring. There are multiple scenes like this that make the viewing perfect for students developing life skills like teamwork and ingenuity.
Good Night Oppy is narrated by Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), which brings a bit of resultant gravitas to the story. White brings an embarrassment of riches when it comes to archival footage. Provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA, the experience takes you to another place, spurring and capturing the imagination of kids (and adults) of any age—combined with Industrial Light and Magic’s beautiful recreations of Oppy and Spirit’s treks over the red Martian landscapes in search of the elusive water over miles and miles of dry valleys.
Good Night Oppy is a great adventure film for families because of its educational themes of teamwork, positive attitudes, and how looking up at the sky truly offers limitless possibilities. An enduring adventure film, enhanced by Blake Neely’s evocative score that awakens the most cynical of souls and captures the essence of what it means to be human.
Punch your tickets and take the ride of a lifetime (or fifteen years’ worth).
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