Apollo 13 (1995)

Great movie, great DVD, great price - how can you go wrong?

It seems impossible to think that an Oscar-nominated film (in several major categories) could be considered "under-rated." But this is certainly the case with Apollo 13. Perhaps Ron Howard's best film, it is an exciting, harrowing, and ultimately rewarding film-watching experience that doesn't let you down on repeated viewings. Howard brings out the most in his cast - the casual viewer will be surprised at the depth and nuance the performances of Gary Sinese and Bill Paxton. This is also Kevin Bacon's breakout role (with Mystic River). I would even go so far as to say this might be Tom Hanks greatest performance - yes, even better than "Philadelphia", "Forrest Gump", or "Saving Private Ryan" (it is most similar to the last, perhaps unsurprisingly as his Apollo 13 character is an Air Force officer). But the performances are only part of the puzzle. The filming - much of it in sets built for microgravity filming in a NASA training plane - is a remarkable feat of cinematic sleight of hand, and I am still shocked and dismayed that Howard did not win the "best director" Oscar. There has never been a movie that uses special effects so effectively as this one.

The story is likely well-known to most: the 3rd American mission to the moon suffers a catestrophic failure when a fuel cell blows up, leaving the three astronauts aboard with little power and no hope of rescue. Howard dishes out the drama in stages, as first the oxygen tanks leak out, to the temperature dropping, to erratic course corrections, to gradual poisoning of the atmosphere on the ship by respired carbon dioxide. He does not neglect the peripheral members of the NASA team, and pays special attention to Lovell's wife and family. The IMAX version, some 15 minutes shorter, is also included on this Anniversary Edition. It's instructive to note that the longer version is a more effective film, since he spends more time developing the relationships that allow us to care for the characters.

For those that have seen the movie many times, I would direct them to the making-of features as a reason to buy this bargain-priced DVD. Of most interest to me was the audio commentary by Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell. He is candid about where the film fails to accurately portray either the science or the details of the actual mission, while Ron Howard's commentary explains why these changes were made cinematically (as an example - the film shows Mattingly in the simulator exclusively, while in reality there were three simulators and teams of astronauts working in them all simultaneously). Lovell's wife Marilyn (portrayed by Kathleen Quinlin in the film) is also part of the commentary, and her input is equally valuable. One amusing part is the discussion of miniskirts:

Jim: "Hey, they dressed Kathleen in miniskirts through this whole movie. Did you really wear them that much?"
Marilyn: "Well, it was the style at the time..."

To sum up, this is a 5-star movie on a 5-star DVD. January 5, 2009

"I look up at the moon and wonder: 'When will we be going back, and who will that be?'"

APOLLO 13 is one of those wonderfully crafted films, where the climax carries no surprise, no plot twists, no unexpected revelations, yet is immensely satisfying.

Directed by Ron Howard, the splendid cast led by Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Bill Paxton, Kathleen Quinlan and a host of others, combine in an absorbing, riveting story of the space program's finest hour - the triumph of human ingenuity in the face of overwhelming technical failure.

The crew of Apollo 13 faces certain death, when a catastrophic explosion in the service module threatens to transform the command module into a floating sepulchre. By their wits, and that of the dedicated ground crew, they use the lunar module as a lifeboat, while a cadre of dedicated professionals devises a way to bring the fragile craft back to earth.

The technical aspects of the film are splendid, and Mr. Howard recreates the images and feelings of those heady days of the space program. The widescreen presentation is the only way to go. Special effects complement the story perfectly: they are wholly satisfying without the gratuitous excess so common in more recent movies. The pacing and dialogue are impeccably timed as the NASA team - crew and support - overcome challenge after challenge in the desperate drive to bring Lovell (Hanks), Haise (Paxton) and Swigert (Bacon) home to earth.

The drama succeeds on many levels. First, the actors in large roles and small are thoroughly believable - even when incidents and events are heightened for dramatic effect, they are completely credible. Second, the dialogue (for anyone familiar with engineers, pilots, corporate managers, bureaucrats, etc.) is realistic. Third, the writing is crisp, the timing perfect and the interplay among all levels of characters is exact.

The Special Edition has a number of exceptional features, including Ron Howard's commentary, Jim and Marilyn Lovell's audio, and the intriguing documentary on the making of the film.

APOLLO 13 is, in my opinion, Ron Howard's best work - and given his other films, that is really saying something.
December 30, 2008

Apollo 13

The DVD doesn't work. It's an HD DVD and we tried it on 3 DVD players in our house. I'm very disappointed that it is defective. December 28, 2008

"Houston,we have a problem!"

"Apollo 13" is a cinematic classic. It was one of Ron Howard's first films, and still has resonance today. The Apollo 13 mission was ill-fated from the start. One of the crew was grounded,assumed to be ill. Jim Lovell's (Tom Hanks) wife lost her wedding ring. Yet the mission still went on.

"Apollo 13" shows the gripping adventure on board the spaceship. It was a life and death struggle. Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon skillfully depict the crew's loyalty and squabbling. Their struggle to orbit the Moon- as well as return home alive- captured the world. People united in prayer. It's an inspirational story. Ed Harris is great as the grounded crewmember who famously said,"Failure is not an option!"

"Apollo 13" is powerful and inspiring. It launches the soul. December 14, 2008

Great Movie

This movie is just superb. The story is great, acting is great, and the historical accuracy is perfect. I loved the attention to detail that went into this movie. Definitely a must see even if you're not a space or NASA buff. November 13, 2008

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