From the first minute, “First Man” grips the viewer. Gone is the rhythmic polish of director Damien Chazelle’s previous films. Where watching “La La Land” gave a feeling of floating along, some distance away from the main protagonists, “First Man” shoves the viewer right in the cockpit with Neil Armstrong.

The passing of Neil Armstrong should remind us to continue exploring space. The space program was a magical thing in the 1960s. It was a time when nations were trying their hardest to explore and advance...