An engaging, realistic and emotional ride into outer space

Rating: 9/10 (5 March 2008)

Houston might have had a problem, but Hollywood has a gem. "Apollo 13" out-rivals any space film in its believability and quality. Nothing about space in this film seems like science-fiction and for all the technical jargon, it's really easy to follow, resulting an a deeply moving film.
It might be like "Titanic," where you know that the ship is going to sink in the end, but still, "Apollo 13" moves you through its characters and the way the story is told. It might also be a near 2.5 hour drama, but it keeps things rolling as well and you don't ever get bored. The premise surrounds the historic "successful failure" of the Apollo 13 shuttle's attempt to land on the moon, a mission lead by Jim Lovell, played by Tom Hanks, whose patience and poise make him a fascinating character. The bulk of the film is Houston and the crew working together to do whatever they can to get these men back home alive.
Simply put, the acting here conveys the danger of the return mission and just how serious it all is. Ed Harris, for example, as NASA flight director Gene Kranz is other-worldly commanding on the screen. These actors suck you in to the last detail of what's going on, the great screenplay pads that with actual media coverage of the event to convey a sense of how the world is feeling, and then Ron Howard steps in to make the transitions flawless (with the help his Oscar-winning editors) There are times where a scene will show in the shuttle, in Houston, inside Lovell's family's home, at the nursing home where his mother lives, etc. all within minutes of each other and it's not confusing at all. No single thread seems overdone, they all work cohesively.
Since the focus is on the characters and problem-solving, space does not become an integral part of the storytelling. It is contextual and is used to help convey the astronauts drive and motivation. For example, at first when things on the shuttle go wrong, it's not "oh, I hope we survive" but "damnit, we can't go to the moon now." Especially for Lovell, the missed opportunity for space is something that nags at him despite just being glad he survived. That is what makes this film a great space film: space is simply a new place for disaster drama to play out and make us wonder about the implications of being in danger so far from home.
"Apollo 13" doesn't have all the suspense that a film with a lesser publicly known outcome has, but it certainly gets you riding its emotional train to triumph. It's not glitzy, it doesn't over-glorify space and while it might have taken a hit on the entertainment value one might expect from a space movie, it more than makes up for with great, engaging storytelling.