A perfect hero movie

Rating: 9/10 (5 April 2018)

Apollo 13 (1995) is the hero movie; family friendly, thrilling, emotional, with an inspiring and pleasant message. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, the movie follows the three astronauts of Apollo 13 trying to get home safely with the help of their ground crew, including a subplot with one of the astronaut's wives waiting for him to get home. The cinematography was gorgeous and the effects hyper-realistic, impressive considering no footage from the actual mission was used. The plot was slow and unengaging at times, especially the beginning and the wife at home subplot, which I felt was bland, but it definitely picked up around the middle, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat from there. The humor from the ground crew was appreciated considering the heavy atmosphere, and nothing felt oddly timed, as comedy sometimes does in serious movies. Overall, it was well-done, and despite the sluggish pacing at some points, immensely satisfying.