Review of Apollo 13 (1995) by Daniel R — 11 May 2011

Personal Score: 10/10.

Much like Titanic, if you know your history then you already knew how this movie was gonna turn out. So one may think going in that simply knowing the outcome makes the film somewhat anti-climactic, but I'm glad to say that this is simply not the case. Ron Howard does a fantastic job directing one of his finest films, and the tension he builds from start to finish is absolutely amazing.

Apollo 13 is about astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert and their near fatal mission to the moon, but the film also focuses on the effect this has on the people back on Earth.

After an explosion causes the ship to rapidly lose power, mission control in Houston has to devise a way to keep the 3 men alive long enough for re-entry and hope they survive it, as well as several days on a cold ship with limited resources. Much skill and improvisation is required in this task, and the way we watch how taxing it is on the men below is riveting. This is especially true with Ed Harris' character, Gene Krantz. I have to say that despite acting alongside talents like Tom Hanks, Gary Senise, Bill Paxton, and many others, I believe Harris' performance to be the best of the film. His unforgettable line "We've never lost an American in space. We're sure as hell not gonna lose one on my watch. Failure is not an option!" is filled with such determination and desperation, and it really is a great example of how he plays the role. His reaction at the end is that he is overwhelmed, and one can't help but feel it for him too.

The film also focuses on the families at home, waiting, praying and hoping that their men come back alive. Kathleen Quinlan does an excellent job as Jim Lovell's wife, and her determination to hope against the odds is well played.

A film like this wouldn't work well unless the payoff at the end was good. Like I mentioned before, anyone who knows the history of the flight knows the men returned home safely, but how well this moment was filmed would be crucial to its overall impact. Thankfully, it isn't just good, it's perfect. Howard keeps us waiting and waiting, watching as the hope begins to drain from the faces of those who love and/or care for the men. But then the image of the heat shield falling and the parachutes opening makes our hearts leap, until those wonderful words "Hello, Houston. This is Odyssey. It's good to see you again." sound out and emotions erupt with joy. The scene is beautiful, and it brings me to tears every single time I watch it.

If you haven't seen this film yet, I urge you to do so. It is a masterful tale of perserverance despite enormous obstacles, and one of the most emotionally satisfying films I've had the pleasure to see. Wonderfully filmed and wonderfully acted, Apollo 13 is a masterpiece.