Apollo 13 Reviews

Notes:
*I honestly haven't seen this until now.
*It's one of Bill Paxton's biggest films so in honor of him I decided to check it out finally.
*Of course the cast is excellent.
*Ron Howard directs this and the last film I saw of his was In the Heart of the Sea 2 years ago.
*I find it amusing that both of the book writers have cameos in this.
*William Broyles Jr. also wrote Castaway, Jarhead, Polar Express, and Planet of the Apes (2001).
*Al Reinert also wrote Final Fantasy: Spirits Within which I honestly enjoyed.
*Anyways time to honor Bill Paxton and see what this film has to offer.

Pros:
*Bill Paxton and his memorable lines.
*Some excellent acting.
*It has some funny moments here and there.
*The history of this story is pretty neat though.

Cons:
*It really drags and feels very long.
*Bill Paxton should have had more moments.
*A lot of these films are too much alike.

Verdict:
This is considered a classic. For me though I thought it was an average movie. It's really slow even with intense moments. I watched Hidden Figures last month and the whole thing reminded me of that too much. Kevin Costner and Ed Harris had the same hair style. The stuff with the space shuttle was very similar. The only difference is that dealt with the racism of the time. Anyways it was good, but it could have been more interesting. For a one time watch and for Bill Paxton it was fine.

I'm so glad I finally took the time to re-watch this flick. Indeed, if I recall it correctly, I have seen it in the theater when it was released but I never re-watched it since then. Anyway, this flick has definitely created some rather polarizing reactions. Indeed, some think it is a nail-biting historical thriller whereas some others think it was nothing really mind-blowing. To be honest, I first belonged to the second group. I mean, I admired the work done behind, the attention to the details and the strong cast but I seriously had a hard time to care about the story. It is always the risk when you already know the outcome of a thriller as much of the excitement is then gone. The fans would argue that this movie is all about the suspense involved but, frankly, sometimes I had the feeling I was watching a very long and very expensive commercial about the greatness of the USA. However, the second time around, I was actually entertained throughout the whole thing and I really enjoyed it. Sure, the whole thing was still terribly predictable, everyone was just so damnedd heroic and Ron Howard never took any risks at any moment but it was actually quite inspiring and it was very nice that they didn't add up any villain just to spice up the proceedings. Anyway, to conclude, even though I still don't think it is a real masterpiece, it is actually a pretty good flick and it is definitely worth a look.

A downfall to creating a film based off of well known true events is that the conclusion is spoiled, therefore, leaving little in the conclusion that is unexpected. Therefore, these kinds of films tend to rely more on the journey to provide the emotional umph, then the actual conclusion. When the film is made to be suspenseful, this doesn't always work so well. Films like Valkyrie shows us how this can fail. Films like Apollo 13 shows us how it can work.

Three astronauts, named Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise, find themselves in a dangerous predicament when after blasting off into space, begin having extreme rocket malfunctions. Problem after problem occurs, and things are seeming really, really bleak. With just about everything going wrong, it's a frantic survival tale, where the three men are desperately fighting for their lives.

Despite being based off of well known true events, Apollo 13 still provides a suspenseful ride. Though the first half-hour or so is a bit slow, the pace quickly picks up quite a bit, and the film rarely feels long after that. This is quite an accomplishment for a film that's nearly 2 and a half hours long.

Despite being a highly suspenseful and exciting film, Apollo 13 is not what one might consider a "joy ride." The emotional aspect of the film keeps us in pain and sadness for the families waiting to hear whether their husbands and fathers will return from space alive. And of course, worrying families aren't comforted by exaggerating media that are squeezing every last drop of suspense out of the already emotionally taxing situation. By playing a more stressful and tragic game with the family's involvement, Apollo 13 becomes a more intelligent and thoughtful film than it might've been otherwise.

The families aren't the only stressful aspect the film plays from. Back at Mission Control, the entire staff is frantically trying to find a way to guide the astronauts back home. Going with little sleep and lots of coffee, each small victory is a reason for celebration, though there are no rests until the men are safely back.

Solid acting further assists this. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton, as Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise respectively are very good in their roles, as is Ed Harris as the Apollo 13 Flight Director, Gene Kranz. The standout here, however, is Jim's wife, Marilyn, played by Kathleen Quinlan. She portrays a distraught and pained wife in a performance that we truly believe. There's some deceptive depth in this role, and Quinlan nails it.

The visuals are quite nice. While not particularly breathtaking, the effects look good, and they look real. The zero gravity effects specifically are very good. It's certainly a breath of fresh air from the often excessive CGI effects in film today.

The score, by James Horner, is good, but it's an interesting approach to the film. While one might expect a film in space to have a much more grand score, James Horner composes a less loud and brassy score. While there are moments of triumph in the music, they come less often then one might have expected. Also, in moments of high tension (and there are several), Horner takes another interesting approach to the music. Rather than composing pieces at higher tempos, these pieces are usually played at a slower speed, letting the onscreen action carry most of the tension. Whether this is a plus or a minus is up to your own tastes.

Apollo 13 is a well made and well acted film. Told with suspense and precision, this is a fine example of true event films done right. Still, while there's not much here in the way of flaws (though some might argue that it's a bit repetitive), Apollo 13 also just misses being a truly great film. It's certainly an enjoyable one, and making a 2 hour film endurable is an achievement in itself, but I couldn't help but wonder while I was watching Apollo 13, why I wasn't loving it. The funny thing is now that I've seen the film, I still couldn't tell you.

A real-life drama that follows the lives of three astronauts on their attempt to touch the moon. It will have you on your seat along with the many american's who watched in happen in April 1970.

After re-writing my review of "Appaloosa" to include a lengthy philosophical-- which is what classification is, IMO-- discussion of what tags the movie should get, (I eventually settled for historical: drama), I decided to write reviews for all of the movies of Ed Harris which I've seen, which is actually only three-- Appaloosa, A History of Violence, and Apollo 13. Although "Apollo 13" is actually more of a Tom Hanks movie, and, unlike the other two, does not include Viggo Mortensen, thus not opening me up to allegations of Peter Jackson fanboy status.

Although, speaking of being a fanboy, I remember that they showed this to us in school, either in middle school or early high school, I'm sure-- back when the name "Danielle" was imbued with a special meaning for me.... And she was actually sitting, maybe two or three rows in front of me, so....

Anyway.

It's, uh, drama, definitely, and further than that, I guess that I'd have to say-- light drama, which is sorta my 'for lack of a better term', one. (And, let's face it, when we are caught in life's little dramas, for lack of anything either truly joyful or very exciting-- it is for lack of something better!)

But, yeah, it's a Tom Hanks movie. It's dependable. Average, in a dependable kind of way. Just like Tom Cruise is, in my opinion, average in an action-y kind of way, Tom Hanks is average, in a dependable kind of way.... I kinda like him, you know.

And, you know, the plot never gets away from you.... Know what I mean?

(8/10)

I thought that Ron Howard did a great job portraying a truly scary few days in space. At the same time, he showed all the creative thinking and hard work that had to be done back in Houston to bring these men back alive.

Great story. Well acted.

"Houston, we have a problem."

The sci-fi genre has resulted in the release of several absurd space films. You can forget about Hollywood blockbusters like Armageddon, Pitch Black, Deep Impact, Lost in Space, Mission to Mars and several others. Not since Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey has there been a real space movie that captures the wonder of space; that captures how mesmerising and stimulating the experience would be. My prayers were finally answered when Ron Howard was given the green light to make this phenomenal film.

In a nutshell: Ron Howard's Apollo 13 is utterly exceptional. Director Howard has been able to meticulously recreate such an extraordinary scientific occurrence in stunning detail that firmly places the viewer inside the spaceship with the men who are in mortal peril.

Apollo 13 is a film that tells a dramatic account of the true danger that three frail humans faced while in outer space when an explosion on board their vessel cast doubt on them ever reaching it back to Earth. When the explosion occurs and the danger becomes real, the scientists back at NASA would not rest until the crew were brought back home safely.

We follow the three protagonists up in space whose lives are challenged, we follow the NASA scientists back on Earth working to bring the crew home, and we follow those on the home front who are worried sick about their loved ones: three different perspectives of the one heart-stopping event.

Ron Howard's direction is just exceptional; because of the skilful directing I actually forgot it was a movie due to its realism and flawless special effects. It's very hard to believe that this film was made when CGI was still in its youth. Of course Howard's direction was also accompanied by a spectacular cast.

The one thing that struck me about Apollo 13 was its striking realism and believability despite an abundance of well-known actors. Tom Hanks emerged as the principal character here. Hanks is one of the world's greatest actors and he is capable of convincingly pulling off any role that falls into his lap. I couldn't think of anyone better suited to this job. His portrayal is both powerful and moving. Needless to say, each and every other cast member did their job to a high standard. Gary Sinise was a particular surprise as one of those present at NASA during the crisis.

I will admit that the film's opening is fairly slow-paced. It demands patience from its audience. Because when the action moves into space it's extremely hard to drag your eyes away from the screen. In space the film is brimming with realism and an engrossing sequence of events.

I thought one of the most significant things that made this movie so brilliant was its spectacular special effects. I have not seen special effects of this high standard since Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Everything was scrupulously detailed: the space ship (both interior and exterior), as well as the interior of the NASA building. The exterior of the Apollo 13 is particularly well executed and almost impossible to fault. For a film of the 90's this high level of quality is extremely rare.

Apollo 13 scores higher than any space-oriented Hollywood blockbuster fluff, and firmly positions itself amongst the best movies ever made. This filmmaking is tremendously close to perfection. Just think that it was only about 40 years ago when the world held their breath while watching footage of Apollo 13's perilous situation in space. If this film was not a true story, I couldn't have believed it was possible.