Accomplished documentarian Paul Devlin (Power Trip) chronicles the efforts of his astronomer brother, Mark, and an international research team to launch an advanced telescope from the polar wastes to the edge of space via hot-air balloon. If successful, the risky initiative promises to revolutionize understanding of the cosmos, but time and again the charmingly zealous researchers come up against spectacular bad luck. Fast, fun, and beautiful to look at, Blast! (2008) communicates the joys and heartbreaks of scientific creativity without unduly taxing viewers who don’t know dark matter from pancake batter. Improbable dramatic twists in the last reel qualify Paul Devlin as a fortunate filmmaker indeed. 78 min.