Cinematic Wonder Used To Explain Pivotal Point In Aerospace History

Rating: 9/10 (27 April 2018)

This was an fantastic movie. As a person who missed out on the actual Apollo 13 mission, this film was an excellent way to gain insight into the time, effort, and life-threatening situations that went into this mission. This film is constantly using cinematic elements to help support the story of this risky mission. Three of NASA's best astronauts, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert, begin the mission with everything going as planned, a surprise after the many failed attempts shown in training. It is not until an oxygen tank fails to work and later explodes that send the audience's heart rate sky high.
This movie helped the viewers greatly to gain understanding of the risks involved with being an astronaut at this time in history. A certain scene really grabbed my attention. Jim is in his son's room playing with his children and talking about the mission. The mood becomes much more serious when Jim's son mentions the possibility that he might die. With instances like this being hidden from public attention when the mission first took flight, this scene helped the audience to understand what the astronauts and their families were going through.
In short, this movie is an excellent insight into the dangerous space exploration of the 1960's and 1970's. Every camera shot, beat of music, and speaking line was perfectly executed to engage the audience and tell an interesting story. It is no wonder this film won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing. This film is entirely worthwhile to watch.