Awesome, true-life story of a failed space mission that set new safety standards!

Rating: 10/10 (5 July 2015)

Ron Howard has come a long way since his days as 'Opie Taylor' and 'Richie Cunningham,' even though those are great performances, too!
This is not only a true story, but, also a spectacular and monumental breakthrough epic space adventure! This movie really is a monumental undertaking with a great story; great actors; great characters; and, great effects. In fact, the effects in this movie are so good that Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (Apollo 11 and second man to walk on the moon after Commander Neil Armstrong) asked Ron Howard if NASA could use the launching footage.
Although this was a 'failed' mission since the crew, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and, John "Jack" Swigert never made it to the moon...they circled the moon and NASA set new safety standards and made monumental and noted achievements with a make-shift carbon dioxide removal system!
This movie ranks among the-best-of-the-best of 'true space' movies right along with "The Right Stuff" (1983); and, right along with 'fictitious space' movies like "Solaris" ("Solyaris" 1972); "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968); and, "Space Cowboys" (2000).
This is an enormous undertaking, and, Ron Howard and his cast and crew made it work...brilliantly!