A rather straight but enjoyable drama with a good cast that could have done with a more human touch

Rating: Null/10 (17 October 2004)

When the Apollo 13 mission took off to go to the moon, the television networks generally tuned out with the attitude that it was more of the same old stuff that the public had seen before and grown tired of. To the crew it represented much more of course, being Jim Lovell's final mission and his chance to finally make it to the moon itself, an aim he intends to see through despite having one of his crew replaced at the last minute by Jack Swigert. However the networks all tune in when a minor malfunction with the electrical system results in an explosion and the loss of oxygen, sending the unit out of control. With the crew retreating into the lunar module, the ground crew scramble to work out how to get them home despite the constantly lengthening odds.
At the time of release this was a fairly massive film that was talked up for all manner of reasons and not all of these are still as applicable today. One thing that wasn't really talked up was the writing and the convincing nature of the plot, not a real surprise considering that these aspects seem to be delivered without a great deal of spark or flair. I know that it is based on a true story but it is hard to fully accept all of the film as some of it seems so far fetched as to be a bit silly. I'm totally open to the idea that this could have been 100% accurate but if that is the case one has to wonder how simplified the material was because at times it feels like Lovell and his crew were just blasting their way to earth. The script is OK but never really gets that involving, instead keeping a consistent stream of memorable gruff barking but nothing that really gets close to realistic dialogue. This is not to say that it isn't engaging, because it is and it does have some degree of involvement and of course historical interest but it is not as good as it could have been.
The direction is good even if the effects are not as impressive as they were a decade ago  even some of the blue screen backdrops don't look that convincing. The decision to shoot some of film in the 'vomit comet' in order to convey the effects of weightlessness is a nice touch and does work pretty well, although naturally none of these shots can last very long and sometimes the editing of these shots with shots in the same scene set on the static set doesn't quite marry up. This is a minor complaint though and it does serve to make the film feel more 'real'. The ensemble cast are mixed and many have little to work with  ironically though those with the least important characters seem to have an easier time just barking out gruff dialogue. It is for this reason that the film's more memorable performances come from the ground, where a lot of the action occurs. Sinise is interesting and a key part of the rescue effort while Harris (who was in space in the much better The Right Stuff) gets the memorable lines. Of course it is Hanks who was the star at the time and he does OK; he has 'the' line but mainly his performance is not helped by the material. He conveys Lovell's longing for the moon but can only do this by staring out the window wistfully every now and again. Paxton and Bacon make up the trio and both are good without ever really having a chance to excel. The ground crew are mainly very good in their minor roles but somebody forgot to give the wives etc characters and Quinlan et al are left to just occasionally look at the TV/sky with either a touch of tears or a look of hopeful resilience  unsurprisingly none of them really made much of an impression with this thankless task.
Overall this is an OK film but not anything that special. It is a glossy historical piece that lurches between convincing telling to some rather extreme moments that feel like they have been over simplified to the point of doing the reality an injustice. The cast are impressive on paper but the lack of a strong script really gives them little to actually work with, although none of them are actually bad it is possible to see that they are reaching without much help. The effects are OK but are a little dated even if the novelty of the weightless scenes is still there, but what I would have given for more of a human touch to what is otherwise an enjoyable technical product.