Rating: 
Summary: A harrowing and true film!
Review: "Apollo 13" is told in a textbook fashion that makes it all the more believable, chronicling the harrowing saga of three men trapped in space on their way to the moon, and the courage and heroism of the people back on Earth who struggle to bring them home. Everything from the storytelling and directing, to the special effects and score, make this movie an epic that rises to heights of fame because the story it tells is a true one, done equal justice by the filmmakers. I stood up and cheered for this movie, which is one of the most accurate historical accounts I've ever seen. We're first introduced to each of the astronauts who will take the fateful trip: Jim Lovell, the project leader, and his partners Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise. Originally scheduled to take a later space flight, the crew of the Apollo 13 mission is unable to take on the task, which bumps our three astronauts to the mission. No one thinks too much of the mission, it being just another in a long line of space explorations, while Jim's wife, Marilyn, has her own superstitions about the number "13." Another glitch hits once Mattingly is grounded with a supposed case of the measles, forcing Jim to place Jack Swagert into the pilot's seat. Nonetheless, the launch goes off without a glitch, but things go from hopeful to disastrous once a powerful explosion cripples the spacecraft and leaves the astronauts stranded in space, without any apparent hope of return. But the astronauts and the ground crew refuse to believe that this is the end, and their efforts become a thrilling race against time as they devise a plan to bring them home, while their families pray for their safe return and the world watches in sheer wonderment at the events at hand. The movie rides to success on many things, but the most important of the elements is the impeccable acting from a terrific cast. Jim Lovell is played by Tom Hanks, who is optimistic and a leader once the going gets tough. Together with Bill Paxton as Fred Haise and Kevin Bacon as Jack Swagert, their scenes together are some of the best of the film, as they refuse to play their characters as one sole person. They must be strong and defiant of the possibility of death, while at the same time realize the danger of the situation they're in, and the three bring out these emotions wonderfully. Supporting actors also add to the movie, the best of these being Ed Harris in his performance as Gene Kranz, the flight director stationed in Houston, Texas. His sternness and unrelenting attitude towards his crew and the new mission objectives prove to be effective, inspiring a sense of heroism in his character. Kathleen Quinlan portrays Marilyn Lovell, playing her as a woman who refuses to break down or entertain the notion that they astronauts will die. She comes off as strong and forceful, which is most evident in her refusal to allow a news crew into her house. Gary Sinise is Ken Mattingly, who proves he is intelligent and noteworthy as an actor by providing his minimum onscreen time with a performance that plays a big role in the story advancement. While the acting is intrical, the setting for the majority of the movie is also very important, and the special effects do a tremendous job in bringing space to life. The technical effects for the spaceship are meticulous, while space itself is seen as a vast black expanse that requires no gooey aliens or monsters to be truly frightening. These effects are seamless, creating an ominous atmosphere that surrounds the characters as well as the audience with an overbearing sense of lifelessness and possible death. The musical score also adds greatly to the overall effect the story has on us as an audience. Composer James Horner employs the vocals of Annie Lennox to bring a mournful and melancholy tone to slower scenes, while a vocal ensemble, strings and percussion combine to add intensity to faster sequences; most noteworthy is his piece for the spacecraft's re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. The music has a patriotic feel to it that keeps in sync with the movie's historical feel. Director Ron Howard treats the story with a passion for accuracy, taking us on a journey into history to look at one of the most well-known events in our history. There is immense attention paid to the sequence of events as well as the obstacles that stand in their way. There is a nice flow to the story that never stops moving nor bends from its storytelling standards, which keeps the movie entertaining and enjoyable while never becoming boring or tiresome. "Apollo 13" is definitely a modern epic which stands out as an impressive achievement in filmmaking. The story is a true one made believable by the efforts of the director and the cast, and made excellent by the seamless special effects and the musical score. For me, it's a feel-good adrenaline-pumping movie which tells a brilliant story of heroes and a race against time.
Rating: 
Summary: The best "real science fiction"ovie out there
Review: This movie gets better with each viewing. It gets a lot better after visiting the Kennedy Space Center. A truly gripping movie!
Rating: 
Summary: Like Watching Paint Dry
Review: I could not fault the acting, special effects or indeed any of the technical aspects of this film. However I can't help feeling that whilst virtually any occurance in history has lead to a movie - perhaps this one should have been left to the 'made for tv' genre. The way I see it, certain historic events - regardless of importance - just do not translate well into film. I have Apollo 13 on my shelf, yet I can't bring myself to wade through the tedious 'hurry up and wait' plot again. It reminds me of 'Contact (Jodie Foster)' - you are not kept on the edge of your seat, rather the film seems to spend too much time lulling one into a sense of security, and too little time recovering from the next drawback.
Rating:
Summary: History, pure and simple
Review: In 1970 my elementary school prinicpal had all of us sixth graders gathered into the auditorium to view Apollo 13's descent to earth. At the time none of us realized the significant of the event. But I did remember the parachutes opening and seeing some of our teachers weeping. It was a powerful moment. This movie allowed me to relive that time, in my mind I could see Mr. Zucker telling us this was an epoch in space history. How right he was. My hat goes off to Mr. Howard. This is how a accurate historic film is made...right down to the parachutes!!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant
Review: Few movies have the ability to captivate me and take me into the story. This is one of them. From the heartwrenching first scene of the fire of Apollo 1 to the final 4 minutes, I was held by the surperb acting of all the actors and the storyline. What made the movie even better was the fact that it was true and stayed fairly accurate to the actual storyline. This is one of the best movies I have seen.
Rating:
Summary: THRILLING! BREATHTAKING! HEART-WRENCHING!
Review: This is the greatest SPACE movie of all time, without any reasonable doubt. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan ALL give superb performances. I really like the way they were able to make an old story exciting without taking much dramatic license. This movie actually makes you FEEL as if you're with Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert in their desperate battle to stay alive in their crippled space craft 200,000 miles from safety, or with Lovell's wife and family as they sit by and hope for the best, or with Gene Kranz and other mission control ground crew members struggle to bring them home. This is still Ron Howard's best film as a director. Anyone who wishes to see an historical adventure movie should look no further than APOLLO 13. It'll make you feel great, trust me! Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: IT'S KINDA OF BORING, BUT IT'S EXCELLENT!
Review: I love this movie, but it's kinda of boring, but with DTS, there's more excictment.
Rating: 
Summary: Houston , we have a problem!
Review: There are few movies that end and one feels as if one wasted time watching it. Apollo 13 VHS ~ Tom Hanks is unfortunately one of them. This movie has a strong sedative quality to it and one feels a strong urge to press the fast forward button several times just to get to the point of the movie. Tom Hanks sleepwalks in his performance and Kevin Bacon is even worst; this guy, i.e., Mr. Bacon does not even seem interested to be in this movie and has the appearance of pure apathy. The special effects in this movie were horrible and the accident was not that dramatic. If you have trouble sleeping and you suddenly realize that you are out of Tylenol Pm; then this, i.e., Apollo 13 VHS ~ Tom Hanks will work 10 times faster.
Rating:
Summary: Our Finest Hour!
Review: Since the U.S. had landed on the moon in 1969, most of the world was not that excited about the Apollo 13 mission. But in 1970 when three astronauts going to the moon suddenly experience a malfunction in the equipment. They are in the race of there lives. The race is them against time. Tom Hanks (Lovell), Bill Paxton (Haise), and Kevin Bacon (Swiegert) use only what they have to survive. Hope, each other and there ability to work through a problem. Gary Sinese plays Ken Mattingly who was suppost to go but didn't because he was to get the measles. It is Ken who helps find the way to get the men home. Ed Harris is head of the groud crew. Who gives his best performance here. The supporting actors help round out this movie into a great story. A true one by that. One of the best films of 1995. Great acting, directing, editing, special-effects, script and a great score by James Horner. Oh by the way, Mattingly never got the measles. Grade:A
Rating:
Summary: Let Me Swing Upon The Stars
Review: Tense as the best murder mysteries and as kinetic as the most exciting action films, this space adventure is as thrilling as movies get. Even though Apollo 13 is based on real events and the ending is thus a foregone conclusion, imaginative directing by Ron Howard and extraordinary acting make for a combined barn burner, flag-waver, tearjerker and edge-of-the-seater. Hanksplays Jim Lovell, the astronaut in command when Apollo 13 blasted off on April 11, 1970, aiming for a moon landing. His crew was Jack Swigert (Bacon), a last-minute replacement for the measles-exposed Ken Mattingly (Sinise), and Fred Haise (Paxton). Harris plays the NASA-based mission controller, Gene Kranz, and Quinlan is Lovell's devoted wife, Marilyn. Howard displays a stalwart respect for the courage and resourcefulness of the astronauts and their earthbound support team as the mission is stymied by a capsule explosion that prevents a moon landing and threatens the lives of the crew. Using camera angles that accent the claustrophobic confines of the space capsule and the closeness inside the Houston control room, Howard absorbs the audience into the drama. Quinlan, as a wife who respects her husband's daring and explorer's spirit even as she fears their possible consequences, helps ground the film too, as do the young actors playing the Lovells' children, Miko Hughes, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Emily Ann Lloyd and Max Elliott Slade. Even Jean Speegle Howard, director Ron's real-life mom, humanizes the story as Lovell's aging mother, frustrated because her nursing home's TV set is broken and she can't watch coverage of the mission. As the Apollo 13 astronauts face first the danger of freezing in space, then the danger of incineration on reentry to Earth's atmosphere, Howard builds the tension, intercutting actual news footage of the event as anchored by such commentators as Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, Frank Reynolds and Jules Bergman. Those familiar faces add to both the nostalgia and the movie's ulterior motive. Not only is Apollo 13 great entertainment; it is a magnificent brief for reinvigorating the space program.
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