merelyaninnuendo Apollo 13It takes too much of the time to set the plots and the characters (almost the first hour is spent on it) but when it hits, it hits hard and fast with gripping screenplay that keeps the audience engaged until the curtain drops (its second act is thrilling). Ron Howard makes it look like easy and effortless through his brilliant execution skills but unfortunately isn't supported well enough on the editing department. Tom Hanks leads the way with another stellar performance from his side and is supported by a great cast like Ed Harris and Kevin Bacon. Apollo 13 isn't as important or nail biting as the makers think but it surely is witty and thought provoking that was just piled upon by the undercooked emotions like it was essential to install.

Matt Greene This is easily Ron Howard's best film, and his direction shines here. His hand, his eye, and his focus are so steady, it makes it difficult to find any real faults in it. An exciting and fully entertaining history ride.

jimbo-53-186511 Apollo 13 follows the ill-fated mission back in 1970 of three astronauts attempting to land on the moon. When an explosion on the space shuttle forces the astronauts to abort their mission (which initially causes disappointment, but ultimately sets off a chain reaction of problems for the astronauts) flight director Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) and his team of NASA boffins must try to navigate the pilots back to Earth using several risky and untried methods....My summary above does give a basic foundation for this film, but unfortunately a lot of what I describe above occurs in the second half of the film (which I'm prepared to admit was pretty engrossing). It's a shame really that the first half of the film isn't anywhere near as strong as the second half as it could have been a truly great film rather than being merely a good film. The build-up to the space mission was dull and padded; Howard feels the need to show some syrupy family dynamics and topical references such as Lovell's daughters being upset about the Beatles breaking up (which seemed to have just been thrown in there to remind folks that it was set in 1970 and to give the film some soapy slush). The training aspect before the space mission was dull and I've got to be honest that I did find the film a bit tough going in the first hour.... but then....Howard must have had a big kick up the backside because the second half of the film was great. It has drama, tension and I really liked the way that everyone all chipped in together to try and get 3 of their best astronauts safely back to Earth. There is so much intricate planning in the second half that it becomes hard to keep up (and all of the geeky space talk will go over most people's heads), but the second half does contain everything that makes a good action/drama film and therefore for this portion of the film it gets two thumbs up. However....This is a narrative problem so I'm unsure who to blame here, but throughout the space mission we're led to believe that Swigert is the one who is responsible for the explosion on the shuttle and he is generally deemed as the 'bad guy' - also due to the fact that he took Mattingley's place on the shuttle. Swigert is never really painted in a positive light and I was fully ready to hate him at the end, but then I found that the rug was pulled from under me when I learned that the explosion was caused due to a defect with the shuttle rather than being caused by human error. Huh?? So Swigert did nothing wrong?? Then why make him out to be the villain all along? I've not read Lovell's book so maybe this is explained there - was there beef between Lovell and Swigert or was this Ron Howard putting in a curveball twist? Either way it didn't sit well with me and I would have preferred to have been behind all 3 of the astronauts rather than 2 of them. The energy that the film offers in the second half and the impressive cast and photography make this worth a look, but in my book this is far from being a perfect film.

calliebartlett Apollo 13 captured the absolute courage and strength of not just the families involving the men, the mission control room and America but also the unbelievable bravery of the three on board to try and recover from the explosion and return home from the dark side of the moon alive. Tom Hanks, once again, playing astronaut Jim Lovell, once again took a character and filled the shoes perfectly to make a jaw-dropping and powerfully intense film. He appears to be the clear and commander of not just the capsule but also the movie. The mission was intended to hold Lovell, Mattingly and Haise but the crew hits their first roadblock to walk on the moon when Mattingly was sadly forced off the mission. He was said to have contracted the measles (who, in the end, never ended up getting it). Mattingly was then replaced by Swigert. The excitement in Lovell to walk on the moon was apparent throughout the movie before the launch. So when the oxygen tank in their capsule exploded and the men were forced to end their mission and return home, the heartbreak was felt through the screen and into the audience. The harrowing mission around the dark side of the moon and back home left everyone on the edge of their seats, fearing for the lives of Lovell, Swigert and Haise. The emotion trying to get the three back safely was felt throughout the film and it was as if the audience was in that control room, trying to figure out a way to safely land the men. At the end of the movie, when the three land the capsule in the ocean and are rescued, it was hard not to sigh with relief along with the rest of America. Apollo 13 was told with clear detail that informed but also kept the attention of its audience through adventure and dramatics.