Apollo 13
- 1995
- Tous publics
- 2h 20m
NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 31 wins & 59 nominations total
Michele Little
- Jane Conrad
- (as Michelle Little)
Summary
Reviewers say 'Apollo 13' is lauded for its accurate mission depiction, strong performances, especially Tom Hanks, and its portrayal of teamwork and ingenuity. Key themes include mission tension, technical accuracy, and overcoming adversity. Criticisms focus on pacing, lack of tension due to the known outcome, and inaccuracies in character portrayals and events. Some find it less engaging and dramatic with underdeveloped characters. Despite these issues, many consider it a compelling and worthwhile watch.
Featured reviews
I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, i was simply compelled to watch it until the end. I already knew how it ended so i was surprised it commanded my attention so intensely.
The fact is the characters were all so realistically portrayed and the film was so expertly directed that it was almost as if the Apollo 13 disaster was filmed and that is what i was watching.
Now this film is certainly not to everyone's taste, it is quite slow in the build up and the film relies almost entirely on the script and ability of the cast.
If you like your disaster films loud and in your face then this is probably not for you, but if you like them realistic (slightly dramatised) then watch it and be astounded.
9/10
The fact is the characters were all so realistically portrayed and the film was so expertly directed that it was almost as if the Apollo 13 disaster was filmed and that is what i was watching.
Now this film is certainly not to everyone's taste, it is quite slow in the build up and the film relies almost entirely on the script and ability of the cast.
If you like your disaster films loud and in your face then this is probably not for you, but if you like them realistic (slightly dramatised) then watch it and be astounded.
9/10
I'm honestly a little blown away by how much I liked this film. I have heard nothing but good things, and I went in expecting it to be good, but I never would've expected to be so captivated by it. Apollo 13 is probably the best space movie I have ever seen, at least as far as ones based on actual events go.
While movies like First Man, Interstellar, or even Gravity, have certain moments that are extremely tense, this film keeps that tension going throughout. Apart from the very beginning, I was on the edge of my seat for the entire 140-minute runtime. Especially once the, now infamous line, 'Houston we have a problem' is said, the tension just keeps on ramping up and never eases until the final credits start rolling. Tension, and especially high tension, is what's crucial for these types of movies to be successful. Space is, after all, uncharted territory for most of us watching and having that tension present, adds to the anxiety of the unknown. Another thing that is very much explored in this film is the idea that once you are in space, no one will come to the rescue. Add all these things together, and you will have a tense environment. Something that this movie captures incredibly well.
Something else that I found fascinating, was the way that the situation in this film was solved. The whole mission was done with basically less computing power than we now have in our pockets. To not only be able to undertake such a mission, but to solve the biggest problem that NASA had ever faced with nothing but human ingenuity, is quite astonishing, especially for someone like me who has lived most of his life used to having computers everywhere. In many ways, this movie celebrates how capable we humans are and how far we can stretch ourselves when needed.
What Apollo 13 is, is an incredible story told very well. It captured me and my attention from the very get-go and held onto it until the very end. It's emotional when it needs to be, and the ending can only be described as spectacularly triumphant. As mentioned, I was surprised by how much I ended up liking this film. It had been on my watchlist for forever, and now I'm wondering why it took me so long to watch it.
While movies like First Man, Interstellar, or even Gravity, have certain moments that are extremely tense, this film keeps that tension going throughout. Apart from the very beginning, I was on the edge of my seat for the entire 140-minute runtime. Especially once the, now infamous line, 'Houston we have a problem' is said, the tension just keeps on ramping up and never eases until the final credits start rolling. Tension, and especially high tension, is what's crucial for these types of movies to be successful. Space is, after all, uncharted territory for most of us watching and having that tension present, adds to the anxiety of the unknown. Another thing that is very much explored in this film is the idea that once you are in space, no one will come to the rescue. Add all these things together, and you will have a tense environment. Something that this movie captures incredibly well.
Something else that I found fascinating, was the way that the situation in this film was solved. The whole mission was done with basically less computing power than we now have in our pockets. To not only be able to undertake such a mission, but to solve the biggest problem that NASA had ever faced with nothing but human ingenuity, is quite astonishing, especially for someone like me who has lived most of his life used to having computers everywhere. In many ways, this movie celebrates how capable we humans are and how far we can stretch ourselves when needed.
What Apollo 13 is, is an incredible story told very well. It captured me and my attention from the very get-go and held onto it until the very end. It's emotional when it needs to be, and the ending can only be described as spectacularly triumphant. As mentioned, I was surprised by how much I ended up liking this film. It had been on my watchlist for forever, and now I'm wondering why it took me so long to watch it.
Astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert are on Apollo 13. People aren't worried about this expedition because the people already made it to the moon safely and had came back alive. That's not the point when things go very wrong and the hopes of coming back alive starts to fade.
This is a very good film. It shows human dedication and perseverance that they won't give up, even though hopes from other people seems to increase.
The acting by Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, and Kathleen Quinlan are all great. This film also delivers some of the best lines in movie history.
This is a true story and has turned into a great movie and has great acting. Although I wouldn't say it's the best film, it's still one of the best films.
This is a very good film. It shows human dedication and perseverance that they won't give up, even though hopes from other people seems to increase.
The acting by Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, and Kathleen Quinlan are all great. This film also delivers some of the best lines in movie history.
This is a true story and has turned into a great movie and has great acting. Although I wouldn't say it's the best film, it's still one of the best films.
APOLLO 13 (1995) ***1/2 Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan, Ed Harris, Loren Dean, Clint Howard. Exhilarating and absorbing true life account of the 1970 mishap of the American space program's Apollo 13 that nearly became a tragic catastrophe based on astronaut and team leader Jim Lovell's novel "Lost Moon". Hanks is excellent as Lovell, grace under pressure realized, as is the rest of the fine ensemble and perfect visual effects of space travel and ingenuity. Harris won a nomination for Best Supporting Actor as Mission control's chief. Noteworthy: that's director Ron Howard's real life mother as Lovell's mom and look sharp for Lovell himself at the film's conclusion. Oscar winner for Best Editing and Best Sound.
I honestly will recommend anyone to check this film out, it is long but of course you can't rush such an event, make sure you have a good free afternoon or weekend, get some popcorn and enjoy. On technically side this film has aged well, doesn't feel dated .
Did you know
- TriviaIn a commentary track, Marilyn Lovell comments that Tom Hanks exactly portrays Jim Lovell's mannerisms and style of movement.
- GoofsBefore re-entry, the crew were informed that their course was shallowing because they did not have the lunar samples that would have been gathered if they had landed on the Moon. This is incorrect. Just as Galileo (and the Apollo 15 astronauts) showed that objects of different mass fall at the same rate in a vacuum, Apollo 13's trajectory wasn't affected by its mass. The actual cause was the lunar module cooling system that evaporated water into space, creating an unintended and small but significant thrust. Ballast WAS transferred to the CM to shift its center of gravity for proper aerodynamic lift and steering during the actual re-entry.
- Quotes
NASA Director: This could be the worst disaster NASA's ever experienced.
Gene Kranz: With all due respect, sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour.
- Alternate versionsA digitally remastered IMAX-format version was released in September 2002. It is about 20 minutes shorter in running time than the original theatrical version. Some of the missing scenes are the dinner that the astronauts have aboard the ship that results in Fred Haise being sick into a plastic bag, and Marilyn Lovell telling the off the press.
- ConnectionsEdited into Austin Powers : L'Espion qui m'a tirée (1999)
- SoundtracksWaiting
Written by Carlos Santana, David Brown, Gregg Rolie, Michael Shrieve (as Mike Shrieve), Jose Chepito Areas (as Jose Areas), and Mike Carabello
Performed by Santana
Courtesy of Columbia Records
by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
- How long is Apollo 13?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $52,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $173,837,933
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $25,353,380
- Jul 2, 1995
- Gross worldwide
- $355,237,933
- Runtime2 hours 20 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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