25 years after the 1970 American lunar mission "Apollo 13", comes the film dramatisation of the same name starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Clint Howard and Ed Harris.
Directed by Ron Howard and adapted from Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger's book "Lost Moon", Apollo 13 received raving reviews from the critics and was nominated for a myriad of awards, including nine Oscar nominations at the 68th Academy Awards - it won Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
The story takes place a year after Neil Armstrong took the first... steps on the moon. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert have been chosen for a third lunar-landing mission to investigate space. However, because the American goal of landing on the moon had already taken place, there was no public interest and so, no Television airtime...that is until the harrowing words "Houston, we have a problem" rung out in space.
205,000 miles from home, a minor fault occurs inside the service module, which causes a devastating explosion that tests the skill and determination of all onboard. They are losing oxygen, have run out of power and are exposed to dangerous amounts of Carbon Dioxide. Suddenly all dreams of setting foot on the moon's surface go up in smoke and the mission becomes a desperate battle for survival. At Mission Control, astronaut Ken Mattingly and flight director Gene Kranz must work together to beat the odds and guide them home!
This film beautifully illustrates the astronauts' ordeal and the raw emotion felt by the crew, mission control, and families waiting for them at home.
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The best thing about Ron Howard's Apollo 13 masterpiece is that it really happened, making it even more nail-biting and inspiring. This true NASA tragedy tells the tale of averted disaster and heroism and is a stunning testament to the crew and scientists who showed great skill and bravery in the face of disaster.
What works beautifully in this film is its restraint, it's not a movie about bravado or fake heroics, but is honest and celebrates real courage. Tom Hanks isn't afraid of showing the gripping-fear resonating throughout the tale, but on the other hand the believable characters also lift the tone, giving a very realistic human element.
What's more, Howard doesn't get hung up on the hi-tech terminology, but manages to pull everything together and create suspense and drama when it all goes wrong. He uses news footage to give the movie urgency and despite a generous helping of cheesy one liners "We've never lost an American in space and we're sure not going to lose one on my watch", you can't deny that this film is a well-crafted recreation of the epic space journey.
Verdict
Packed full of American pride, this slick and polished blockbuster will have you by the throat with its tension and spellbinding story - one of the finest feel-good films ever made!
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Ron Howard's Oscar-winning take on the Apollo 13 story. The mission, manned by astronauts Lovell (Tom Hanks), Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Haise (Bill Paxton), starts out as a routine spaceflight which generates little media interest. But all that changes when an oxygen tank explosion cripples the ship and prompts the immortal line, 'Houston ... we have a problem'. Now Lovell and his crew have to struggle to keep going, while at Mission Control their colleagues Kranz (Ed Harris) and Mattingly (Gary Sinise) do everything they can to bring them home.
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