Review of Apollo 13 (1995) by Elliot T — 06 Nov 2014

Although I had watched it many times before, as it was an excellent depiction of the historical event, Apollo 13 was a film I was eager to see once again.

While the impact of Apollo 13 decreases the more you've seen it, the general spirit of the film is all there regardless.

The two central themes in Apollo 13 seems to be the unprecedented disaster of space travel on the Apollo 13 mission and the patriotic heroism put into the mission by everyone determined to bring the astronauts back to earth safely. There is a lot of talking that goes on throughout the film's 140 minute running time and a slow pace too which may faze some, but it is truly a powerfully realistic film which captures the excellent visual spectacle of a space mission and the humane drama of the disaster that occurred.

Apollo 13 is an interesting change of form for director Ron Howard. The former actor from Happy Days has come such a long way since then and has directed films of very many genres, and Apollo 13 depicts him stepping into a scientific biographical story. The intense accuracy he puts into the story is incredible, both visually and in terms of how he handles the script. His role as director is just perfect because he is able to give the film an atmosphere which is brilliantly intense and touching. But what he does visually is way more impressive.

Apollo 13 is loaded with extensive imagery. The scenery for the film is flawlessly convincing in how it sets up the film from the start, and then from there it just gets better. Once the Apollo 13 mission takes off, viewers get a sight for the incredible visual effects of the film. Everything depicting the space launch is done in extensive detail, and then from there is a plenty of strong scenes which depict the space voyage. The journey is a thoroughly convincing one which looks great and is captured with stellar atmospheric cinematography and edited at a steady pace. The sound effects are also powerfully realistic and edited into the audio plane at a good steady pace. The costumes for the characters are also great, so everything in Apollo 13 is captured with fine visual detail.

William Broyles, Jr. and Al Reinert give the film a really good basis with its script because the dialogue in the film gives a lot for the actors to work with, and it in general uses a lot of historical accuracy to note many of the major and minor technical aspects of the mission. It is explained in a way that viewers are able to understand without degrading it from the sophistication of the real scientific language behind it all which makes the film a learning experience as well.

And as a means of ensuring that Apollo 13 succeeds on a human level, the large cast all manage to deliver truly stellar performances.

Tom Hanks is easily a great casting choice for the lead role. His natural dramatic charisma and general charm make him a good lead in any film, and Apollo 13 is of course no exception. He commands the Apollo 13 ship with ease because he has the spirit of the leader and the ability to interact with the other cast members excellently, whether it be in direct contact with Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon or across a satellite speaker with the flight crew down on earth. Tom Hanks makes a great lead in Apollo 13 due to his natural patriotic heroism, and he leads the mission with gusto.

Kevin Bacon makes a powerful part in the film as well. You can tell that he gets the character deeply because he always has a sense of inner torment, largely based on his character's regret for undergoing the command which compromised the Apollo 13 mission. He adds that his character's determination to truly prove himself as an astronaut. His character's presence is dramatized well with underlying subtext being all there, and Kevin Bacon steps into the role with easy acting talent. You can really expect no less of him, his performance in Apollo 13 is just plain solid.

Bill Paxton always keeps himself tied into the atmosphere in Apollo 13. As the themes of the film become more intense, Bill Paxton works incredibly hard to ensure that the harsh reality of the environment in the Apollo 13 spacecraft is conveyed. He floats around at a fast speed while he delivers his lines with a true sense of fear which can only come from real emotion. Bill Paxton goes into the role and never lets up in a performance which is tense and emotionally strong, so he makes a welcome addition to the Apollo 13 flight crew.

Ed Harris is in top form again. He is one actor who has never let me down in a single film because what he brings to his roles are always impressive. In the case of Apollo 13, Ed Harris works to convey the heroism behind the people working down on earth to ensure the safe return of the Apollo 13. Every actor does their part, but none of them command the role as well as Ed Harris does. He fits the profile because he looks the part perfectly and his intense line delivery is just incredible. Ed Harris is 100% convincing in his role as Flight Director Gene Kranz because he flawlessly delivers every line with a sense that he genuinely understands every word of what he is saying, and so he brings an all new level of realism to the film during his scenes.

Gary Sinise delivers a fine supporting effort. It is easy to sympathise for him because his character Ken Mattingly missed out on a chance to participate in the flight through space which puts him into a melancholic state, only for him to be drastically brought back in as part of an emergency to save the crew on the ship. He is terrific in the part simply because he has a subtle sense of stoic sadness in him which is realistic without being melodramatic, and so his role shows him keeping his emotions in tact very well. Gary Sinise is really a welcome presence in Apollo 13, and it is terrific seeing him working alongside Tom Hanks once again.

The supporting performance of Clint Howard is also great. The actor has made an appearance in 17 of his brother Ron Howard's films to date, but he has never given it a finer performance than his role in Apollo 13. His role is small but pivotal, and he does a fine job in the role.

Kathleen Quinlan is also good. While her role in the story is mainly for its dramatization, she makes a sympathetic effort in the role which turns out effective.

So Apollo 13 is a slowly paced but excellently realistic depiction of the unforgettable historical mission which is well acted, technically excellent and acted with a large cast of great talent.