the audience applauded

Pretty Good

Excellent adaptation.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy. Director Ron Howard recruits Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris and Gary Sinise for a spectacular and above else dramatically epic adventure. The special effects are dazzling, the perfomances are top notch and the direction from Howard just terrific and definitely a movie that deserves way more recognation from movie critics and viewers alike and if you love Tom Hanks you definitely don't wanna miss it. (A+)

Even knowing the outcome, the strength of the movie is in putting you right in the space capsule along side Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) in what was one of the best nail-biters in history. The world was transfixed at the time wondering how and if these brave astronauts would ever make it back to Earth. What one never thinks about are all the behind the scenes decisions that go with selecting who goes on a particular mission, how their families feel about it, and how important it is to the men themselves to be a part of history. The other element that amazes is how many integrated parts come together to enable such a space mission. One sees the booster rockets fall away shortly after launch and figure that's it, the men are on their way to the moon. But then they have to dock with the lunar module and carry it along for the voyage. When the astronauts suffered their cascading set of problems, the ingenuity required by both the men on the ground and the pilots in the space craft demonstrated just how much teamwork was necessary to bring them back home safely.What's baffling to me is how Ron Howard was overlooked for a best Director nod for this picture. Though the film itself got an Oscar nomination, Howard was eked out by the guy who directed "Babe"??? That's just a travesty, even if one doesn't care much for Howard as an actor or director. I'm not saying he should have won it, but gee, what were they thinking?

On the 21st of July 1969 man first walked on the moon; that was the Apollo 11 mission, a few months later NASA is preparing for the third mission to the moon; Apollo 13. That mission is to be flown by Apollo 8 veteran Jim Lovell, Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise, who were originally due to fly the Apollo 14 mission. They train for the flight then, a matter of days before the launch, Mattingly is grounded because he may have the measles. He is replaced by standby astronaut Jack Swigert. This isn't the last of their problems by a long way. There is a problem with a rocket shortly after launch but that doesn't threaten the mission. Three days later when all appears to be going well Mission Control orders Swigert to stir the oxygen tanks; something goes wrong and there is an explosion. It soon becomes clear that they will not be landing on the moon; success will just be getting back to Earth. Everything from now on is far from routine as the crew, and those on the ground must solve problems that had never been envisaged.Given that this film is based on real events and I knew how it ultimately ended it is surprisingly gripping. The depiction of the events in space are particularly good; we get a real feel of what the crew are going through as conditions in their cramped living quarters deteriorates. Even those who know how the story ends are likely to learn new details such as the way everybody on the ground worked to find solutions to the various unforeseen problems and Mattingly tries out various ideas on a simulator. The biggest revelation for me was the fact that until things went wrong the American public seemed so indifferent to the mission so much so that the crew's broadcast from space wasn't aired by the TV networks. The cast does a fine job; Tom Hanks is great as Lovell and is ably supported by Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon as crewmates Haise and Swigert. Those 'on the ground' impress to; most notably Ed Harris as mission controller Gene Kranz and Gary Sinise as Mattingly. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody interested in the Apollo 13 story or gripping tales of men struggling to overcome adversity in general.

Apollo 13 captured the absolute courage and strength of not just the families involving the men, the mission control room and America but also the unbelievable bravery of the three on board to try and recover from the explosion and return home from the dark side of the moon alive. Tom Hanks, once again, playing astronaut Jim Lovell, once again took a character and filled the shoes perfectly to make a jaw-dropping and powerfully intense film. He appears to be the clear and commander of not just the capsule but also the movie. The mission was intended to hold Lovell, Mattingly and Haise but the crew hits their first roadblock to walk on the moon when Mattingly was sadly forced off the mission. He was said to have contracted the measles (who, in the end, never ended up getting it). Mattingly was then replaced by Swigert. The excitement in Lovell to walk on the moon was apparent throughout the movie before the launch. So when the oxygen tank in their capsule exploded and the men were forced to end their mission and return home, the heartbreak was felt through the screen and into the audience. The harrowing mission around the dark side of the moon and back home left everyone on the edge of their seats, fearing for the lives of Lovell, Swigert and Haise. The emotion trying to get the three back safely was felt throughout the film and it was as if the audience was in that control room, trying to figure out a way to safely land the men. At the end of the movie, when the three land the capsule in the ocean and are rescued, it was hard not to sigh with relief along with the rest of America. Apollo 13 was told with clear detail that informed but also kept the attention of its audience through adventure and dramatics.