Rating: 
Summary: ron howard at his best
Review: Great acting and a suspenseful, action-packed story
Rating:
Summary: Must have for any DVD Collection
Review: Everything about this movie is fantastic. There's a great story, great acting, and extremely realistic special effects. I was amazed at how I was at the edge of my seat throughout the whole movie, even though I knew how it turned out. Ron Howard did an unbelievable job of keeping up the suspense. Enough about the movie though, everyone has seen it.All of the extras on the DVD are fantastic. However, if you're a history buff, and a stickler for historical accuracy, then the commentary with Jim and Marilyn Lovell is what you are looking for. They go through the entire movie and clear up any embellishments made to improve the "story". Most surprisingly you find out that things you thought were made up, are actually true. It was a very interesting addition. Fantastic all around DVD. If I didn't own one DVD, I would consider this a candidate for my first. MUST HAVE!
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Summary: Great Story...
Review: In April of 1970, flights to the moon seemed very ordinary, so no one was excited about the Apollo 13 launch, except for the astronauts and their families... Little signs of bad luck appeared here and there - the unlucky number 13, which was not only included in the spaceship's name but in some time points of their crucial events, an astronaut being bumped off the flight because he might have caught the measles, and the commander's wife losing her ring the morning before the launch. But nothing major, and definitely nothing scientific... Even their broadcast from space was not aired - not interesting enough, probably... Up until a few minutes after the broadcast, that is - when a routine operation on the oxygen tanks caused a loud bang - and pretty soon not only the landing on the moon was cancelled, but also the landing back home seemed in geopardy. Thruogh the heroic efforts of the crew - both on the spaceship, but mainly in mission control - and many not-too-standard improvisations, the space shuttle landed on earth. The quality of picture and sound were great, and the extra material is excellent, especially the commntary of the real Jim Lovell and his wife... Even though not all of the little detail were exact - Jack Swaiggert was a very competent pilot who even wrote the emergency procedures for the CM, and the crew were only worried about his ability to work the ship while they were not on it but on the LEM. Also, an interesting fact I've read in Jim Lovell's book is that using the LEM as a lifeboat is an idea that they got on one of the practice flights they had before the actual lift off... But nevertheless, this is still is a great reproduction of one of the most succesful failures ever...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent DVD with wonderful extras.
Review: This is one of my favorite movies of all time. The DVD transfer is great. There is an extensive and fascinating documentary with Ron Howard, Hanks, other actors and producers, even Jim and Marilyn Lovell! Oh, and don't forget to look for the "easter egg" (a.k.a. "hidden feature") on the disc. When you go to the menu, the soundtrack of the movie will start and play each song, even the "unreleased" tracks that you can't buy in the store! At first I thought that the menu would just play the main title theme over and over but if you keep listening, it goes from one track to the next. Just hit the skip button on your DVD player. Awesome movie.
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Summary: Fantastic movie and DVD
Review: As it seems many other reviews have noted, Apollo 13 is a great film. It captures a gripping story with good detail and technical accuracy. Throughout the film, special effects really bring the scenes to life. From the launch sequence to the final splashdown, all of the effects are very professional and not overdone. While I really enjoyed the movie to begin with, I found the bonus material on the DVD made me enjoy it even more. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the documentary had actual content and wasn't just a bumch of clips from the film. In the documentary you'll learn how the story was woven into scenes in the movie and get a much better idea of how well done the movie is. The documentary also talks about where liberties were taken with the story line and what tidbits of the movie actually weren't added to the script for emotional value. A highly recommended disc.
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Summary: Get the DTS version - True Story, Great Movie
Review: I bought the DTS version of this movie. Like other DTS versions (ie, Saving Private Ryan), you get the movie and NO extras. It comes down to quality versus quantity. DTS requires a lot more info stored on the DVD, leaving little or no room for the extras. But, its worth it - you can rent the lower quality DVD to see the extra "stuff". The movie is a true story, featuring great special effects, brilliant acting, and another great directing effort from Ron Howard. So, when are we going back to the moon!
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Summary: From a hardcore fiction and historical fiction fan......
Review: Now I don't usually give 5-star reviews, but movies this good aren't usually put into theaters. I usually stick to fiction, historical fiction, and sci-fi movies,(like Star Wars, Grease, and Princess Bride)and comedy(like anything by Mel Brooks.)But this movie has elements from all of those, minus the fiction and most of the comedy. It is a serious movie about a serious story from the last century. And not only is it very entertaining, but while you're watching it, you keep saying to yourself "this really happened." The real Jim Lovell(who Tom Hanks played in the movie)saw the movie before it's public debut. He said that it was very accurate, and his wife said that Kathleen Quinlan's (she played Marilyn Lovell) hair in the movie(it was a wig) looked exactly like her hair had at the time. Ken Mattingly(played by Garry Sinise)was my favorite character. While he wasn't the star or the obvious hero, he basically brought them home. He was the one who got into the simulator, and who figured out how to suck every available amp outta that ship to get his pals home.
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Summary: NASA's Finest Hour...
Review: This movie is incredible. What went into the making of this movie is a story in itself. One thing i can not get over is how Ron Howard got ROBBED with no Oscar nomination. The story of Apollo 13 is among the greatest triumphs of NASAs then short history. This movie gives an accurate description of those events. A truely inspiring story. I still get goose bumps at the end...
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Summary: Expressions, Expressions,Expressions!
Review: Tom Hanks has the most expressive eyes, in the business (The Scene where he is staring at the earth). Ed Harris was robbed of the Oscar the year this came out, he deserved it. Bill Paxton once again playing the "we're Doomed" character (Aliens). Kevin Bacon the "Jack of all Trades", Gary Senise the most underrated actor in the industry. Kathleen Quinlan, oustanding. What more can you say? I watch this at least once a month, I couldn't live without it, (and Braveheart) Get Them both at Amazon.com, You CAN'T Beat The Price!!!
Rating:
Summary: "Collector's Version" that actually lives up to the title
Review: There are many good reviews already here of the movie itself, which was already my favorite (There's just not that many movies where engineers in dorky glasses get to be heroes!). I want to tell you about the DVD version. I just got a DVD player, and this was the first one I bought. The movie itself deserves 5 stars, but what really puts this version over the top is the commentary by Jim Lovell and his wife. If you haven't seen the movie before, watch it a few times first, because you won't be able to hear the dialog over the comments. Then, when you know the story, turn on Jim's comments. He and his wife have interesting things to say about every scene in the movie. If you like space, engineering, or if your spouse has ever been in the military, you will be fascinated by their tale that was just as dramatic in real life as the movie version. I was amazed at how many things were actually true and not just made up to improve the story. This is a true collector's item that I will make my kids and grandkids watch.
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