L´Etoffe des héros

I was very worried about how long the film was, but it's just so well made that it won me over and I just stared at how good it was and how much I enjoyed it. There are great scenes for relaxation here, but there are also absolutely captivating aerial scenes. It doesn't need a strong action-packed climax; it's just good in how skillfully it's filmed and captured. The special effects were great. (16/12/2015)

A little-known, yet absolutely essential film about the USAF experimental pilots and the struggle to conquer space in the 1960s. 200 minutes of heroic dudes, odes to the USA, some healthy humour and self-parody in places, and dramatic scenes brilliantly shot for their time, with an emphasis on realism and historical accuracy. Until Apollo 13, probably the best space conquest film with a legendary ensemble cast that you can only get in the Avengers movies these days. (07/10/2021)

Maybe this didn’t have to be so romantic and airy, but then it would have lost that special aura that makes the length of the movie more than bearable. In any case, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that these are two separate movies (one about Yaeger and the other about seven space pioneers - and both excellent!) that don’t really fit together, forcibly combined. (30/09/2014)