Apollo 13 is a 1995 historical drama about a spacecraft that undergoes massive internal damage on its way to the moon, putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.
Sometimes a classic just hits the spot, even if you’ve seen it plenty of times before. Such is the case for director Ron Howard‘s breathlessly good Apollo 13, a mostly accurate account of the mission that had the world on edge. Starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon as the astronauts trapped in space, the film features a host of great performances, including Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan. The story sees a scheduled, now routine flight to the moon go haywire when an explosion renders half the vessel inoperable and the men now cut short of oxygen and time. It’s as much about the incredible rescue effort on the ground as it is a survival story in space. If you haven’t seen this, now’s your chance, and if you’ve already, then do it again. It’s every bit as good as you remember. Read more here.
THE LAST WORD
Aside from its strong performances and production, the direction and music are both exceptional in educating as well entertaining, using old news clips mixed with visually stunning effects.
Hardly a thing. If you’re an avid history buff, some tweaks to the story might offer some irks but otherwise, this is a great storytelling.