I find this mission truly inspirational and I think that the bad reviews are based on a misunderstanding. If you think that everything is about money and clout, what does that say about your worldview and your values?
JARED
I gotta say, I was impressed by the guy. He's rich and he still strives for excellence in areas that doesn't directly benefit him, at least not financially. I admire that. He's a good pilot and no matter how rich you are, you can't buy that, it's plain hard work. I think that anyone who is testing his limits and puts in real effort in an area can recognize that in Jared.
There are a lot of athletes, for example, who do races or attempt records while doing fundraisers. Is everyone doing it for clout or are they not rich enough to qualify? 'Cause people here seem to dismiss the money Jared has raised/is raising. People seem to forget that money and fame don't make you happy, but having meaning in your life does. So, you can be a cynic and say he is doing it for clout or simply understand that meaning comes from doing something bigger than yourself, something that benefits others too.
His suggestion about going higher than the ISS if possible made sense. Props to Jeff Bezos, but that was underwhelming. To be inspiring, you need to test the limits.
The guy financed the mission himself. Those were his seats. He chose to do something meaningful and spend a ton of money.
SPACEX
It made humanity excited about going to space again. It's the frontier of innovation and creativity, it's profitable, effective and gets stuff done. That's priceless. Sure, you can see the Moon landing too as a big PR campaign for USA, but it was so much more. This documentary is so much more. Sure, it looks like a bit cheesy and old SF movie, EXCEPT that it's real. We are starting catching up with the fiction.
THE CREW
These are real people with great stories given an amazing opportunity. I've read the accusation of them being used by SpaceX to be discarded afterwards. Again, this is a very cynical view. Firstly, it's their choice. Secondly, what about soldiers and volunteers? What motivates them? I doubt it's money.
Is SpaceX taking advantage of them? I don't see how. It was Jared's mission anyway. They get the opportunity of a lifetime. I would say that that's priceless. Not everything is about money, guys. It's meaning that makes your life worth living.
All in all, it's a documentary worth seeing if you are not full of resentment or think that billionaires are by definition bad people that steal money.
