Apollo 13: Survival

I very much enjoy the way these archival documentaries are compiled and edited. It is just as gripping and has the same impact as the film version and nothing is lost by telling the story using archival footage - and it keeps you hooked.

Some of the comments made by Jack Swigert when out in the loneliness of space are quite moving. With images of the space all around them filled with billions of stars just gives you a sense of the hopelessness that they very likely felt.

The aspect of this documentary that most appeals is the fact that it stays in the period and does not introduce any talking heads that would break the spell. With the archival footage you are immersed in the time, just as they saw and experienced it, and it is that which makes it compelling. Any modern day comments are thankfully just voice overs which don't break the spell.

This is a superb documentary and the makers are to be congratulated.

Definitely worth a watch - We all know the outcome, but I found myself absorbed in the drama nonetheless. I was only 7 years old when this occurred. Having watched the moon landing live on our old black and white TV a short time before this I am surprised I have no recollection of it as it was happening. I only knew of it later through my childhood love of the space program.

At the time of its release Jim Lovell was 96 years old and is the oldest living former astronaut. Sadly, Marilyn Lovell passed away just over one year ago, in August 2023, and Frank Borman died in November of last year.

The unity humanity felt around the whole world during these tense few days is likely never to be felt again! In that regard, Apollo 13 was a great success!

As "Apollo Thirteen: Survival" (2024 release; 98 min) opens, Apollo 13 is on its way to the moon, and then an explosion happens... We go the "Four Months Earlier" as we get to know the crew for this mission, most of all Jim Lovell, who was part of the Apollo 8 mission, and his wife, who reluctantly supports him. At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from documentarian Peter Middleton ("The Reasl Charlie Chaplin"). Here he revisits the seemingly cursed mission (Apollo 13's launch was at 13:13 hrs. Houston time, and the explosion happened on April 13). The question is how to make a documentary worth seeing when we all know the outcome in advance? The answer: dig up yet more archive footage and pictures we have not seen before (including ample home 8mm footage and pictures from the Lovell family). This is what worked so well in the 2019 documentary "Apollo 11" and I dare say that "Apollo Thirteen: Survival" follows the exact same formular, and to great effect. Along the way we are reminded that at one point the crew was given a 10% chance of surviving. And the fate of Apollo 13 brought together the world in a manner that we probably have not seen since then. Please note that, per the film's opening credits, the correct title of this is "Apollo Thirteen: Survival" (and not "Apollo 13: Survival").

"Apollo Thirteen: Survival" is currently streaming on Netflix, where I caught it just the other night. This documentary is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which feels a little too generous to me, but no matter. If you liked the 2019 documentary "Apollo 11" or simply are interested in the NASA space exploration program, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

I absolutely love the story of Apollo 13. What an incredible tribute to the human spirit and to the amazing men and women who overcame this disaster.

However, the documentary is slightly disappointing. While I love vintage footage, my general feeling is that I could have watched free videos on YouTube and gotten roughly the same content that I got here. I still enjoyed it and I'm rating it a 7 which is a quality show, but I felt it slightly underachieved its potential.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

We need more documentaries like this - the pure and inundated story of the true event of Apollo 13 using original footage and original people involved including family members unlike movies that try to depict history. I for one, am someone that lived through this time period and saw the moon landing in 1969 on live TV, got to go to the awesome ticker tape parade in downtown Chicago (an experience never to be forgotten wading through all the ticket tape flying out of high rise windows and people to people crowds), and this event as well. It is a reminder what a great feat was accomplished; I didn't even own a Commodore 64K yet and our upper level math in schools was taught with a manual slide rule and our brains. So it is remarkable that they were able to navigate home and all lived. Some asked if this mission was a failure - no mission is ever a failure because you learn something on every mission. They are true patriots and heros.