Review of Apollo 13 (1995) by Jonathan B — 19 Apr 2015

An absolutely superb cast coupled with the flawless direction by Ron Howard make for a tense and absorbing movie telling the story of the troubled Apollo 13 mission. I can just about remember seeing the news footage of the return of crew Earth after their ill-fated mission when I was a child and this film does so much to show the bravery and inventiveness of the people involved.

Tom Hanks leads the cast giving one of his stand-out performances. Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris are all equally good in their various roles, with Harris in particular putting in a commanding performance.

The effects in this film are terrific, bringing vividly to life the drama of a rocket launch and the journey into space. I find the shots of the capsule drifting through space particularly impressive as they seem to bring home just how far away and isolated the men actually were.

This mission that went so wrong, could have ended in tragedy. Instead, the tenacity and ingenuity of a dedicated team turned it into something of a triumph. What Ron Howard did with this movie was dramatise these events with great care and attention to detail.

I have watched this film many times and always find it both inspiring and gripping. It has everything that you could ask for in a drama and was been brought to the screen by a team who clearly cared a great deal about what they were doing.

It is indeed a fitting tribute to the brave men who flew on Apollo 13, the ground crew who supported them and the families that waited for their safe return.