Plot
True story of the moon-bound mission that developed severe trouble and the men that rescued it with skill and dedication.

Release Year: 1995

Rating: 7.5/10 (111,640 voted)

Critic's Score: 77/100

Director: Ron Howard

Stars: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon

Storyline
Based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon. Astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert were scheduled to fly Apollo 14, but are moved up to 13. It's 1970, and America have already achieved their lunar landing goal, so there's little interest in this "routine" flight.. until that is, things go very wrong, and prospects of a safe return fade.

Writers: Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger

Cast:
Tom Hanks - Jim Lovell
Bill Paxton - Fred Haise
Kevin Bacon - Jack Swigert
Gary Sinise - Ken Mattingly
Ed Harris - Gene Kranz
Kathleen Quinlan - Marilyn Lovell
Mary Kate Schellhardt - Barbara Lovell
Emily Ann Lloyd - Susan Lovell
Miko Hughes - Jeffrey Lovell
Max Elliott Slade - Jay Lovell
Jean Speegle Howard - Blanch Lovell
Tracy Reiner - Mary Haise
David Andrews - Pete Conrad
Michele Little - Jane Conrad (as Michelle Little)
Chris Ellis - Deke Slayton

Taglines: Houston, we have a problem.

Release Date: 30 June 1995

Filming Locations: Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $62,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $200,645 (USA) (22 September 2002) (18 Screens)

Gross: $334,100,000 (Worldwide)

Runtime: 140 min

Trivia:
Cameo: [Marilyn Lovell] an extra in the grandstands at the launch.

Goofs:
Continuity: Shortly before re-entry, a NASA worker says, " Velocity now reading 34,802 feet per second, range to go 26,025 nautical miles," and Gene Kranz has his top button done up and his tie pulled up. Before and after this shot, Kranz's shirt and tie are undone.

Quotes:
CAPCOM 2: 13, we just got another request from the Flight Surgeon for you to get some sleep. Don't like these readings down here.
Jim Lovell: [Tearing off his biomeds] Let's see how he likes this. I am sick and tired of the entire western world knowing how my kidneys are functioning!
Dr. Chuck: [after Lovell's heartrate flatlines] Flight, we just lost Lovell!
CAPCOM 2: 13, Houston. Jim, we just had a bottoming out on your biomeds.
Jim Lovell: I'm not wearing my biomeds.
CAPCOM 2: [after Gene Kranz shrugs it off] Ok, Jim. Copy that.
[Jack and Fred now tear away their own biomeds]
[...]

Forget Armageddon and the laughable Pitch Black. Never mind Lost In Space and Mission to Mars. Even the great Men In Black is dismissable here. THIS is a space movie.

Rating: 10/10

Probably one of the most significant things about Apollo 13 is the fact that it managed to be such a strikingly realistic film despite the abundance of well-known Hollywood actors. Tom Hanks, of course, can convincingly act any part in the world, and his role in Apollo 13 is no exception. All of the actors involved seemed to have been given parts that they were born to play, because they were so successful in the roles. The true events of the historic Apollo 13 mission are amazingly re-created here, and the results are spectacular.

Not only is this film wonderfully acted, it also presents a nearly flawless portrayal of the time period, even down to the slide rulers that were used to do calculations. The audience is literally taken back in time to the 1960's, and all of these universally exciting events are brought back to life, and this is one of the things that makes this movie so special. So many films try to do this, and the vast majority of them fail miserably, so it just feels so good to occasionally see it done right.

Another thing that was used in the perfect amount in Apollo 13 was the special effects. I am entirely against excessive special effects, because if they aren't justified in being in the film, they can sometimes ruin the film by themselves (remember The Perfect Storm?). The special effects in Apollo 13, however, served the film very well. Of course, the most significant special effect in the film, aside from the space scenes, was the zero gravity, which was done flawlessly. I'm just glad that they decided to go up in one of those Zero-G planes for these scenes, rather than have the actors drift lazily around and act as if they are in zero gravity, because that would have taken a lot away from the film.

Apollo 13 has an excellent story made even better by the fact that it is true, it has great acting, skillful direction, and plenty of tasteful humor. It is not only a highly entertaining film, but is also educational, which should please parents (as if they need any more pleasing than seeing their younger years brought back to life on the silver screen). Definite must-see, Apollo 13 is a contemporary classic.

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