Movies centered on individuals overcoming obstacles and achieving remarkable things have grown quite common lately, particularly when they're rooted in real events. This new film from Amazon Prime Video fits squarely within that trend. Alejandra Márquez Abella directs and writes this biographical account of José Hernández (played by Michael Peña), the first person to rise from a migrant farm worker’s family to become a NASA astronaut. The movie follows his extraordinary path, taking viewers from California's farmlands to the cockpit of the Space Shuttle Discovery. It offers an extensive look at the life of this improbable hero, covering everything from a childhood marked by interruptions to his work as an engineer at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and his determined pursuit of space exploration—a difficult endeavor where he frequently faced adversity, both in his career and as a husband, father, and son. The film is genuinely touching; it’s the kind of movie that would be suitable for younger viewers with aspirations of their own. Nevertheless, its storytelling feels very conventional, adhering strictly to all the expected emotional peaks and valleys in precisely measured doses. This predictability can be detrimental, making even the specifics of Hernández's story feel apparent, which diminishes any real effort at originality. The film’s length is also a bit excessive; in striving for completeness, it occasionally includes so many details that less important scenes begin to slow down the narrative. Despite these issues, there are some genuinely funny and unexpected moments, and the cast delivers strong performances, even though the script they were given sometimes seems uninspired, considering the inherently heroic nature of the story. “A Million Miles Away” is a perfectly acceptable film to watch, but don’t expect it to be an exhilarating experience by the time the credits roll.

Source on TMDB