A rousing, flag-waving paean to American skill and courage, Howard's polished film panders to its target audience perfectly.
Apollo 13 (1995)
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Reviews Counted: 48
Fresh: 46
Rotten:2
Average Rating: 8/10
Runtime: 4 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: The true story of the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission. On April 11, 1970, gung-ho astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and last-minute, less experienced replacement Jack Swigert blast-off towards... The true story of the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission. On April 11, 1970, gung-ho astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and last-minute, less experienced replacement Jack Swigert blast-off towards the moon. But while in space, an oxygen tank explodes, putting the trio in peril: they quickly lose oxygen, run out of power, and get exposed to dangerously high amounts of carbon dioxide. Unbeknownst to them, there are more problems to come, including emotional friction when Jack is (wrongly) blamed for the explosion. Intensifying the situation is the fact that these mishaps catch the scientists and technicians at Mission Control by surprise, and they're not sure how to remedy the situation. Everyone must work together to come up with the right answer -- if the astronauts are to survive... [More]
Starring: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise
Starring: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, Clint Howard, Chris Ellis
Director: Ron Howard
Director: Ron Howard
Screenwriter: William Broyles, Al Reinert
Producer: Brian Grazer
Composer: James Horner
Reviews for Apollo 13
For a 'space movie', both the special effects and photography are surprisingly pedestrian. Where it scores is in subtly restating traditional notions of male heroism.
Truly a director for the '90s, Ron Howard has mastered the art of spinning big, old-fashioned yarns without any discernible point of view, and his movie is curiously empty and instantly forgettable.
Apollo 13 remains Howard's masterpiece... It is, quite simply, one of the finest movies ever produced.
The movie is terrific on nuts-and-bolts stuff, but nuts and bolts aren't the same as drama.
Overnight, Howard seems to have turned into a combination of the best aspects of Oliver Stone and Robert Altman.
In an age when we rely on computerized directions and GPS devices to drive to the next town, it seems an almost mythic scenario.
Well-crafted and well-acted recreation of the famous missile journey, marred by Ron Howard's white POV that disregards the broader political context
...both fair history and a edge-of-your-seat popcorn thriller, a good example of the best work of which Hollywood is capable.
If you don’t remember the gripping events of April 1970 before seeing this film, you likely will remember them for a long time afterward.
... tells a gripping true story efficiently. ... And yet, it still feels too packaged, too neat, too clean.
Playing the tough, commanding Jim Lovell is a substantial stretch for Mr. Hanks, but as usual his seeming ingenuousness overshadows all else about the role. There's not a false move to anything he does on screen.
It seems strange now, a quarter of a century later, than mankind, with vastly superior technology, lacks the will to venture to the other planets or even to go back to the moon. What a world of wimps we have become!
Just like the mission itself, APOLLO 13 leaves the impression of being both a success and a failure.
Latest News for Apollo 13
July 19, 2006:
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Make a movie about 9/11 and you're bound to get people talking. Release two high-profile movies in the same year, and you're bound to get lots of comparisons. A handful of sites... More...
May 16, 2006:
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Michael Bay already owns his own production company (Platinum Dunes), so obviously he has to own his own FX house! This explains why the "Transformers" director and a... More...
June 16, 2005:
Stanford, Levine & Several Others Head for the "Hills"
The Hollywood Reporter brings us the full cast list for the upcoming remake of Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes." Filming begins rather soon, and director Alexandre... More...
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