Apollo 13 (1995) Rank 5 Reviews

Palo Alto Weekly (Susan Tavernetti)

...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Susan Tavernetti)

The Digital Bits

On April 11, 1970, astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert rocketed from the Earth on what would have been mankind's third mission to the moon. It's hard to believe now, some twenty-eight years later, that walking on the moon was, by then, ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at The Digital Bits

DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)

Great re-telling of one of the landmark events of the 20th century. Ron Howard directs an all star cast led by Tom Hanks (Jim Lovell), Bill Paxton (Fred Haise) and Gary Sinise (Ken Mattingly). It's 1970, we had already walked on the moon, and it was ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)

Jam! Movies

Years after my first IMAX joyride, I still get a childish shiver watching the intro with holographic laser-glyphs spin on the mega-screen to a cheesy dance-pop soundtrack -- as if my brain "knows" I'll soon be flying through canyons or through space. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Jam! Movies

Chad Polenz

"Apollo 13" seems more like an experiment in suspense rather than a movie, because it is so well crafted in every way that we care about everything that happens.This film is based on a true story, and although Hollywood has the tendency to exaggerate, ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Chad Polenz

Melissa Martin

The story, guided by the tremendous directing talent of Ron Howard, becomes a touching story of humanity alone against the two greatest unknowns: death and the universe. The movie, while being an intelligent and well thought out thriller, also becomes a ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Melissa Martin

Bullz-Eye.com

Ron Howard may have won his Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind," but "Apollo 13" was and is his finest hour. He got the right cast (we should thank Brad Pitt and John Cusack for turning the movie down) and the right group of people to help him make ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Bullz-Eye.com

The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)

This movie should be called "Smart and Smarter." In addition to the thrilling story, masterful performances, and impeccable technical authenticity, it is a heartening story of the triumph of smart guys with slide rules, a relief in this era of movies ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)

Cinescape

Opening on a documentary piece recalling the disastrous fire that killed three astronauts aboard Apollo1, the film builds tension from its first scene. As much as any horror film, APOLLO 13 is entertainment based on tension, fear and anxiety. We know ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Cinescape

Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)

In summary, Apollo 13 is both a classic film and score. Like Glory and Legends of the Fall before it, Apollo 13 captured the attention of many casual movie-goers at the time of the film's release, and I can never show ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)

Empire Magazine [UK]

It may not be the best film of the year, but it's certainly made of the right stuff, and even though the tension dissipates ever so slightly towards the end, this is an exhilarating and believable journey to the dark side of the moon and (thankfully) ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]

digitallyOBSESSED.com (Dan Heaton)

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon and offered a wonderful climax to America's race to beat the Russians. People around the world rejoiced at this grand accomplishment, and NASA scored a great victory. It ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at digitallyOBSESSED.com (Dan Heaton)

Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

Based on a true story, "Apollo 13" is a great movie about The 1970 Apollo accident in space that almost killed the three astronauts when their oxygen system exploded and crippled their life-support system and power. They spent four days up in space, ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

Teen Movie Critic (Vivian Rose)

But problems arise. A malfunction occurs in the ship and their lives hang in the balance (hence the famous line "Houston, we have a problem,"). Now they must forego their visit to the moon and just concentrate on making it back to earth alive in an ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Vivian Rose)

Ben Hoffman

The film is based on the true story of the almost fatal accident in 1969 when the U.S. attempted to land the first humans on the moon since Armstrong. Much of the information in the film is revealed for the first time as NASA does not always tell us ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Ben Hoffman

UpcomingDiscs.com (Gino Sassani)

Synopsis The crew of Apollo 13 (Hanks, Bacon, Paxton) are on their way to a historic landing on the moon when a short in an oxygen tank causes a near catastrophic explosion. The damaged craft, no longer able to complete its mission, must now make ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at UpcomingDiscs.com (Gino Sassani)

eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)

After Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, this was Tom Hanks' next project. He chose wisely. Based on the actual events of the Apollo 13 mission, Hanks was playing Jim Lovell, one of three astronuats on a routine moon mission that no one on earth really cared ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)

Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)

In an age when we rely on computerized directions and GPS devices to drive to the next town, it seems an almost mythic scenario. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)

Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

Vividly chronicles the most dramatic space flight in ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

Cinema Blend - DVD Review

Iâ��m old enough to remember when school would come to a grinding halt and we would sit in our classrooms watching the space shuttle launch. Those were always my favorite days, not because school was on hold (although that was nice) but because these ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Cinema Blend - DVD Review

eFilmCritic

Apollo 13 is a glory on any screen. Director Ron Howard took a true-life event and constructed a film molded with claustrophobic suspense, the outerworld beauty of the space program and the do-or-die spirit in the face of catastrophe. When we were first ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at eFilmCritic

Classicscifi.com (John D'Amico)

On July 16 of 1969, a young Ohioan named Neil tromped across the surface of the moon, and the footprints he left were both literally and symbolically indelible. Instantly transported into the same hallowed scientific halls as Columbus, the Wrights, ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Classicscifi.com (John D'Amico)

Washington Post (Desson Howe)

Ron Howard's movie, with an all-star cast that includes Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton and Gary Sinise, is about Apollo 13's ill-fated voyage in 1970. What began as humankind's third flight to the moon became a white-knuckle rescue ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Washington Post (Desson Howe)

Box Office Magazine

Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan. Directed by Ron Howard. Written by Willliam Broyles, Jr. & Al Reinert based on the book "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell & Jeffrey Kluger. Produced by Brian Grazer. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Box Office Magazine

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

Looks bold and crisp on the big screen, and the sound has never sounded better -- perhaps couldn't have ever sounded better, because IMAX uses some 70 speakers. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

ReelViews (James Berardinelli)

The villain here is the vastness of space -- an antagonist that refuses direct confrontation. There isn't a traditional bad guy to be found, but Apollo 13 needs no such useless embellishment. The basic human drama of the situation raises ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)

The Cinema Source (Faetra Petillo)

You know those movies that you know one day you must see but never quite get around to it? Well until the release of the special anniversary edition, Apollo 13 was one of those movies for me. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at The Cinema Source (Faetra Petillo)

Time Out

Two hundred thousand miles from home, the Apollo 13 astronauts, Jim Lovell (Hanks, highly effective), Fred Haise (Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Bacon, great fun), find that a leaking fuel tank has made a moon landing impossible. Worse, the power drops so ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Time Out

Reel Movie Critic (Cathy Edsey Collins)

The level of suspense that is maintained throughout this true story is continually amazing, when in fact we know the final outcome of the astronauts' predicament. The crew has nearly reached the moon when an explosion endangers the oxygen, power and ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Reel Movie Critic (Cathy Edsey Collins)

Christian Spotlight on the Movies

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him?" The Psalmist's thoughts came to mind after watching the amazing story of Apollo 13, and seeing how God ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies

ReelViews (James Berardinelli)

For those too young to recall the tragic events of November 22, 1963, one of the most stark and enduring images of a lifetime came on a frigid afternoon in January 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up while skyrocketing heavenward. By that ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)

The Movie Chicks

What do you get when you take an Academy-Award ® winning movie and blow it up to the IMAX format - an amazing experience. This 1995 classic is the first live-action movie to be re-mastered to fit on the giant screens. The story remains the same.. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at The Movie Chicks

As the Reel Rolls (Malcolm Clark)

Paralleling the long years of preparation for the moonshots of NASA's Apollo Program, this movie takes its time cranking up, setting the stage by dealing with the astronauts, their families and the not-so-nice internal struggles for flight assignments ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at As the Reel Rolls (Malcolm Clark)

Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)

When I was growing up the space race was just getting started. Beating the Russians to the moon was all that mattered. Large televisions would be rolled into the classrooms so we could watch the launches of the Mercury and Gemini rockets. These are ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)

A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)

Although there are a few small things that I don't care for, "Apollo 13" remains a wonderfully acted, superbly tense picture that contains excellent performances. During the early portion of the film, there are moments that I felt are slightly slow. I ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)

Boxoffice Magazine

Enemies of anything-that-can-go-wrong-will, race-against-time plotlines should be warned that this film is the embodiment of the genre. Of course, it's all factual, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and the unending onslaught of seemingly ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Boxoffice Magazine

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Ron Howard has arrived. I scarcely know where to start writing about Apollo 13, the long-awaited story of the catastrophic 13th mission of the Apollo space program. I went in expecting a whole lot from Howard and his star-studded cast (Tom Hanks, Gary ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Movielocity Movie Reviews (Blake Kunisch)

The Movie: Apollo 13 is one of the greatest Tom Hanks movies (IMHO) and is a fine example of film-making at it's best. The movie tells a great story of courage and overcoming obstacles and keeps the viewer constantly involved. Apollo 13 does a great job ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Movielocity Movie Reviews (Blake Kunisch)

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

There is a moment early in "Apollo 13" when astronaut Jim Lovell is taking some press on a tour of the Kennedy Space Center, and he brags that they have a computer "that fits in one room ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

DVD-Dweeb.Com (Oliver Korioth)

It had been less than a year since man first walked on the moon, but as far as the American public was concerned, Apollo 13 was just another "routine" space flight- until these words pierced the immense void of space: "Houston, we have a problem." ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD-Dweeb.Com (Oliver Korioth)

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

At a time when screens and theaters grow smaller and movie palaces are a thing of the past, the new practice of re-releasing films in the IMAX format is a thrilling step in the opposite ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

It doesn't matter that we already know the outcome. In fact, for those of us old enough to remember the spring of 1970 when the real-life "Apollo 13" incident gripped the nation, it only revives memories, making the intricacies of what happened all ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Pop Entertainment.com

It's strange that we rarely get movies that truly celebrate good old American ingenuity and thrift. Apollo 13 is a square and old-fashioned tale of true American heroes which reminds us how cynical the world has become -- just because it so obviously ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Pop Entertainment.com

Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)

Hardly science fiction at all. But a mere six years before the events chronicled in this movie, rescue missions of astronauts stranded in space were the staple diet of a lesser-known film (which I never saw) called Marooned. Besides, the theme has been ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)

Mark R. Leeper

There were two important events in James Lovell's life in 1965. He flew the Gemini 7 with Frank Borman, rendezvousing with Gemini 6. That event got worldwide attention. There was, however, a more important event that even Lovell did not know about. That ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Mark R. Leeper

Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)

Director Ron Howard makes nice, fuzzy movies like BACKDRAFT and THE PAPER. They're "human" films, with an emphasis on gung-ho over grit. Case in point: the absorbing APOLLO 13, which recounts the real-life problems of a 1970 moon shot that left three ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)

Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

The Apollo 13 flight was historic, but not in a way that was intended. Instead of landing men on the moon for the third time, the 1970 mission almost ended up being America's second space disaster. As the command module neared its destination, one of ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

San Francisco Chronicle (Edward Guthmann)

With help from NASA's Mission Control Center, the astronauts shut down their command module and rev up the attached lunar excursion module for the emergency trip back home. The astronauts never know if they'll freeze to death, run out of oxygen or burn ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Edward Guthmann)

San Francisco Examiner (Barbara Shulgasser)

Director Ron Howard and writers William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert recount the story of the NASA ground team's frantic effort to retrieve three astronauts more than 200,000 miles into their moon mission who are running out of oxygen, water and power. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at San Francisco Examiner (Barbara Shulgasser)

DVD Town (Yunda Eddie Feng)

The IMAX version of the movie is quality viewing, but the problem is that we are aware of the 1995 version. When comparing the two, I have to say that the 1995 version is superior to the 2002 version because the IMAX edit cuts out too many "grace ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Town (Yunda Eddie Feng)

Entertainmentopia - 2002 IMAX Re-Release Review

Apollo 13 was one of the feel good movies of the mid-1990's, the true story of three astronauts heroine journey through space after an explosion on their space module leaves them crippled and hundreds of miles away from the surface of earth, with ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Entertainmentopia - 2002 IMAX Re-Release Review

Rory Ewins

Every movie-goer knows that every now and then a particular actor appears to be everywhere, dominating cinema screens for a year or two and then passing out of the spotlight. More interesting is when their noteworthy roles do more than entertain, but ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Rory Ewins

Tempi Moderni

Poco amato dalla parte piÃ¹ aulica e togata della critica nostrana (i fautori , per capirci, dell'autorialitÃ tout court), Ron Howard Ã¨ regista eclettico ed estremamente dotato, capace di spaziare dalla filiazione capriana ("Cocoon", 1985) alla ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Tempi Moderni

Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

After all the dreck I've had to sit through from director Ron Howard through the years, he seems to have finally graduated. He started off well enough, with the good-natured Splash and Night Shift, but one could see that he had the 1980's-director ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)

In one respect, though, the IMAX format does the original a disservice. The overwhelming sound system, which makes the rumble of the takeoff an almost tactile tactile thing, also gives far more presence to James Horner's music. With its soupy angelic ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)

Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)

Apollo 13 (the mission, not the movie) was the space flight no one cared about. Men had been sent to the moon before and presumably would be again. When its trio of astronauts transmitted television pictures back to Earth, the networks couldn't be ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)

Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)

I'm not much for space. I think I was born a little too late and have never really been all that fascinated. Still, this movie always manages to choke me up. It's as much a document of the triumph of the human spirit as it is a look at the ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)

DVDFanatic.com (Ken Shallcross)

On April 11, 1970, the Apollo 13 spacecraft took off to begin its journey to the moon. The astronauts chosen for this expedition were Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon). NASA was very optimistic about the ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVDFanatic.com (Ken Shallcross)

Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

Future generations will look at Ron Howard's Apollo 13 not only as a drama, but as a document of the earliest space flights, of how we managed to go all the way to the moon with primitive computers, slide rules and duct tape--it is more like the ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

FilmHead.com - Video Pick

Tom Hanks plays commander Lovell, with Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon aboard, and Gary Sinise and Ed Harris in the control room. Only Kubrick's 2001 can rival Apollo 13 in its highly detailed depiction of space travel. Add in some solid performances, with ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at FilmHead.com - Video Pick

DVD Times

The set consists of two disks, presented in an amaray case protected by a cardboard sleeve. The menus and extras content are virtually identical to the R2 release, with only the Production Notes and IMAX cut of the film unique to this R1 issue. To make ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Times

Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)

In an age when we rely on computerized directions and GPS devices to drive to the next town, it seems an almost mythic scenario: brilliant men calculating outer-space trajectories on the fly with pencils and slide rules, keeping life and limb together ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)

Crazy for Cinema

I have to say that I'm not always a big fan of Ron Howard's work as a director. His films are generally of the safe, easy-to-swallow variety. APOLLO 13 is more of the same, but it's story is so compelling it's hard to resist. It's the perfect film ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Crazy for Cinema

Rolling Stone

A movie about astronauts -- Pauline Kael once called them walking apple pies -- raises visions of flag-waving and the gung-ho sentimentality we expect from director Ron Howard (Cocoon, Parenthood). Well, surprise. Howard lays off the manipulation to tell ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Rolling Stone

DVD Town (Jason Van Bergen)

"Apollo 13" recounts that fateful (and near fatal) NASA mission in 1970 when three astronauts became stranded 205,000 miles from home due to an explosion within their spacecraft. At the risk of making light of a near-tragedy, the most significant ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Town (Jason Van Bergen)

DVDActive (Stephen Cowgill)

Universal has taken the chance to re-release Apollo 13, and even if you have the original in your collection an upgrade needs some serious consideration. The sound is superb, the picture better than average, and the extras actually worth your time. With ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVDActive (Stephen Cowgill)

Harvey S. Karten

Rest assured, Mr. Lane...nobody is going to accuse "Apollo 13: The IMAX Experience" of being a peep show. Appropriately enough, just as top scientists in the U.S. got a man walking on the moon in 1969 and sent another ship into outer space some eight ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Harvey S. Karten

DVDLard (Richard Baylis)

On April 11 1970, three men set off on the thirteenth Apollo mission, and although there was nothing routine about landing on the moon to the professionals in the space program, public apathy had already set in. This was the third time Americans would ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVDLard (Richard Baylis)

Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)

The single most exhilirating moment in Apollo 13 has to be the rocket launch. With the herculian assistance of special effects troupe Digital Domain, Ron Howard's film recreates the fire, noise, and riveting drama of an event that we all know only from ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

In 1970, the world was already becoming bored by the missions into space, seeming routine after the pinnacle of achievement the year before with the first manned landing on the moon.  The mission of Apollo 13 was a continuation of the ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Eric Grossman

APOLLO 13 is a movie that tries very hard. It strives with great fervor to remind us of the grandeur of the space program and of the patriotism that accompanied it. It tries desperately to make us sweat and bite our nails as we wait to see what happens ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Eric Grossman

Mike Gaines

Not one person in this movie was miscast. Tom Hanks will not win an Oscar for his role this year; the movie was not built as an Oscar vehicle. Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan portray their characters beautifully and realistically. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Mike Gaines

Deb Taylor

Last night, at a sneak preview showing of APOLLO 13, I was pleased to see that Director Ron Howard decided to concentrate on "America's most successful failure" with outstanding results. Not only was I completely riveted by this excellent ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Deb Taylor

DVD Verdict (Sean McGinnis)

In my mind, the arrival of this disc on the scene cemented Universal as a top player in the DVD world, alongside the likes of Columbia TriStar, Warner Brothers and New Line. Apollo 13 is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Verdict (Sean McGinnis)

Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)

I have to say that I'm not always a big fan of Ron Howard's work as a director. His films are generally of the safe, easy-to-swallow variety. APOLLO 13 is more of the same, but it's story is so compelling it's hard to resist. It's the perfect film ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)

CineFile : il Cinema in Rete (Alberto Cassani)

Nell'aprile del 1970 la NASA lancia la tredicesima missione del programma Apollo. L'esplosione di un serbatoio di ossigeno a bordo squarcia la carlinga della navicella e costringe la base di Houston a studiare un piano d'emergenza per far rientrare il ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at CineFile : il Cinema in Rete (Alberto Cassani)

The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)

Despite the fact that we all know how the story ends, director Ron Howard (EDtv) manages to make Apollo 13 not only riveting but suspenseful as well. Howard's attention to detail goes above and beyond the call of duty. Not content to use NASA stock ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)

Cinematter (Matt Williams)

Excellent true-life drama of the Apollo 13 moon voyage. Tom Hanks leads the superb ensemble cast. The zero-gravity shots are amazing. Ron Howard's direction provides excitement and suspense, even if you already know the outcome. (Universal) Click here ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Cinematter (Matt Williams)

kids-in-mind

The nearly fatal Apollo 13 mission is detailed in this film by Ron Howard. With Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon and Gary Sinise. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at kids-in-mind

MovieFreak.com (Greg Malmborg)

What truly astounds me about this film is how intense, suspenseful and emotional it is when the story revolves around three very bland heroes mostly relaying and taking orders, a room full of straight-lined pencil pushers looking mostly at charts and ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at MovieFreak.com (Greg Malmborg)

Choo Eng Aun

Apollo 13 was the second worst accident ever to occur in the history of US spaceflight (the worst being the Challenger accident). Jim Lovell (HANKS), the mission commander, together with his crew, Fred Haise (PAXTON) and last minute replacement Tom ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Choo Eng Aun

Video Reviews with Joan Ellis

All this unfolds in the early days of the celebrity culture, when the media begins to hound the victims of catastrophe, sharks to blood, the worse the better. It also reveals the paradoxical American reverence for a single life. As much as Americans can ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Video Reviews with Joan Ellis

Pop Entertainment.com

It was deserved, Apollo 13 delivers on all fronts. The story centers upon the true adventure where the NASA crew made heroic attempts to survive 205,000 miles from Earth aboard a spaceship in need of major repair. A heart-racing life and death ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Pop Entertainment.com

Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

Apollo 13 vividly chronicles the most dramatic space flight in history which took place in April of 1970. Skipper Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) was looking forward to a walk on the moon. Command module pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and lunar module pilot ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

Salon (David Lazarus)

"Apollo 13" is one of those movies that gets better each time you see it. Bristling with techno-speak and microscopic attention to detail, this true tale of the spacecraft that almost got away is like a graduate course in rocket science and the people ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Salon (David Lazarus)

The Tech (MIT) (Scott Deskin)

The story jumps to Day 3 in space. After the astronauts televise to a nonexistent national audience (in real life, America is already so bored with space travel to the moon that television won't pick up NASA's signal), Hanks lets loose the again-famous ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at The Tech (MIT) (Scott Deskin)

Edwin Jahiel

"Apollo 13" does what American cinema does best : the marriage of action and technology, of dynamism and special effects (a.k.a. "movie magic"). It does this for better, as in the case of "Apollo 13," or for worse, as in so many Hollywood mindless, ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Edwin Jahiel

Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)

It plays like, if not an entirely new movie, at least one that has a whole new epic scale. And this scale makes a very good movie even better. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)

LowComDom

Yes, it was nominated for numerous awards, including Best Picture, but Apollo 13 missed out every time. Could this have been because Tom Hanks has won back-to-back Oscars? Is Batman a transvestite? Who knows, but it feels unjust that a film so ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at LowComDom

Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)

Ron Howard's take on the ill-fated 1970 moon shot is a big step forward from his previous two films -- Backdraft and The Paper -- which seemed to get lost in a variety of non-user-friendly subplots and were generally muddled exercises in how an ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)

DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)

It's hard not to think of the space program without having some memories...Man walks on the Moon in July 1969, Shepard orbits the Earth 8 years earlier and a mission that no one really thought about, until it all went wrong...Apollo 13 is the true story ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)

Audio Revolution

'Apollo 13' remains Ron Howard's best movie as a director, compelling, well-acted, deeply involving and tightly focussed on its story, the near-disaster of the Apollo 13 moon voyage. Even on home video, this movie -- which like most big-scale films, ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Audio Revolution

IndependentCritics.com (Richard Propes)

I openly admit that I wanted to like this film a lot more than I actually did like it. I admired the film, respected the film...I thought the editing, sound and visual effects were wonderful. Yet, somehow, I continue to find myself fairly detached from ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at IndependentCritics.com (Richard Propes)

Apollo Guide (Brian Webster)

If you were anything more than four or five years old in April of 1970, then you almost certainly remember Apollo 13, America's moon mission gone wrong. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Apollo Guide (Brian Webster)

DVD Times

It's a scenario so contrived that even the most cynical Hollywood hack would think twice before going in to pitch it. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Times

Entertainment Insiders (Rusty White)

The movie chronicles the ill-fated flight of Apollo 13 in April of 1970. Tom Hanks plays Jim Lovell, commander of the ship. Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon portray fellow crew members Fred Haise and the late Jack Swiggert. Howard seemingly did the impossible ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Entertainment Insiders (Rusty White)

Parent/Teacher Learning Guides at teachwithmovies.org

This film is a realistic dramatization of the aborted flight of NASA's Apollo 13 mission. It shows men solving problems with intelligence, education, teamwork and bravery as well as the process of preparing for space travel in the 1970s. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Parent/Teacher Learning Guides at teachwithmovies.org

filethirteen.com

Many of us may think of man's landing and walking on the moon in 1969, when Neil Armstrong uttered those immortal words, as the most important moment in the 20th century. Of course, it may very well be. But Ron Howard's film, "Apollo 13," based on ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at filethirteen.com

Comingsoon.net

I'll start out by saying that Apollo 13 is a film that's near and dear to my heart. I live in Houston, so I've grown up immersed in the space program hype. I was fascinated by it growing up. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Comingsoon.net

WhatDVD - Anniversary DVD review

Nominated for nine Academy Awards , including Best Picture, Apollo 13 is now available in an incredible 2 -Disc Anniversary Edition with never-before-seen bonus materials. Produced by Academy Award winner Brian Grazer and directed by Oscar winner Ron ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at WhatDVD - Anniversary DVD review

CNN Showbiz

KEVIN BACON: Horribly. Oh, yeah. You have to look- pick one point and just stare at that point, and this is the point, right back here. I know this part of his head so well, because he was right in front of me, and I just- for hours, I was just looking ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at CNN Showbiz

SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

Apollo 13 is based on the real-life failed 1970 Moon landing. The film was a big critical and public hit when it came out, even being nominated for Best Picture at that year's Academy Awards and Golden Globes, and Tom Hanks being nominated ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

Tracksounds! (Christopher Coleman)

Patriotic. Passionate. Powerful. All words which accurately describe James Horner's score for Ron Howard's 1995 film, Apollo 13. This score is simply one of James Horner's best ever and many film score fans rank it similarly. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Tracksounds! (Christopher Coleman)

Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)

Ron Howard's take on the ill-fated 1970 moon shot is a big step forward from his previous two films -- Backdraft and The Paper -- which seemed to get lost in a variety of non-user-friendly subplots and were generally muddled exercises in how an ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)

LA Weekly (David Chute)

On a purely pictorial level, this is one of the best-looking IMAX movies ever. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at LA Weekly (David Chute)

Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

Ron Howard's marvelous, can-do depiction of American teamwork in action, Apollo 13 , is a complex no-brainer. It is a no-brainer in that the story, systematically depicting the events that led to the disaster in space and then the events that led to ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

Poffy The Cucumber's Movie Mania

Trying to film a story with so many integral characters is impossible with a camera-magnet like Hanks tooling around on set. Our media-driven lifestyle denotes that "star-power" dictates character importance in a movie, so though Hanks may be playing a ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Poffy The Cucumber's Movie Mania

filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Kathleen Quinlan plays Hanks' wife. Her role is to look beautiful and to worry about her husband. She suffers throughout the film. Jean Speegle Howard plays Hanks' grandmother. She is a stereotype of an elderly person, is given the name Blanch, ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

TheBoxSet.com - DVD/Movie Review (Thor van Lingen)

Based on the book "Lost Moon" by Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, the movie can no doubt attribute much of its success to Ron Howard and the fine ensemble cast of actors assembled to bring this novel to the big screen. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at TheBoxSet.com - DVD/Movie Review (Thor van Lingen)

Boxoffice Magazine

The first non-animated feature film to be retooled for the IMAX format doesn't benefit as much as one might expect from its new incarnation. "Apollo 13," Ron Howard's depiction of the 1970 ill-fated Apollo 13 space mission, wherein mechanical ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Boxoffice Magazine

Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)

Overrated yet nonetheless well done. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)

BBC Films

Space - the final frontier and who better to send there but Mr America himself, Tom Hanks. This film focuses on the true story of a mission to the Moon in the 1970s that went wrong. Virtually ignored by an indifferent TV audience, three astronauts (Tom ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at BBC Films

EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

Well-crafted and well-acted recreation of the famous missile journey, marred by Ron Howard's white POV that disregards the broader political context ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

You have to keep everything in perspective. MCA/Universal Home Video's Jurassic Park (Nov 94) had one of the great laser disc soundtracks. The film's sound editing was designed to thrill and the disc delivered those thrills with the full perfection ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

DVD Talk (Joshua Zyber)

I still don't love the movie, but Apollo 13 is a crowd-pleaser with plenty of fans. The HD DVD offers pretty good picture, sound, and bonus features. I'll give it a mild recommendation, with the understanding that for many people it will rate highly ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Talk (Joshua Zyber)

Dragan Antulov

While many period films in 1990s Hollywood had problems with historical accuracy, APOLLO 13 almost reaches levels of documentary. Based on the book by one of the event's main participants, thoroughly researched and reconstructed with the care about ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Dragan Antulov

DVD Review e-zine

35 years ago, on April 11, the crew of Apollo 13 took seat in their spacecraft to undertake what was supposed to be the third landing on the moon. But shortly after liftoff a problem occurred and landing on the moon became out of the question. In fact, ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Review e-zine

Steve Rhodes

The movie is based on the book "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell who led the Apollo 13 mission. In the movie he is played by the ever popular and brilliant Tom Hanks. The rest of the crew consists of Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon). The ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Steve Rhodes

Thomas Wheeler

Even though we all knew the outcome, that the astronauts would get home safely, the sheer drama of the film more than compensated for what would usually be a terrible hindrance for a movie--knowing how it turns out. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Thomas Wheeler

Xi-online

Het ligt ook niet aan de akteurs dat Apollo 13 af en toe over de schreef gaat. Dit heeft meer te maken met de allesoverheersende muziek die te pas en te onpas de beelden komt verstoren. Componisten zullen graag met Howard samenwerken; hij laat hun score ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Xi-online

Sridhar Prasad

Jim Lovell (Hanks) is a veteran space commander who is being rewarded for all his efforts for the NASA space program by being given command of Apollo 13, the 2nd flight after Neil Armstrong's historic moon landing in 1969. By then, public interest had ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Sridhar Prasad

Box Office Mojo (Scott Holleran)

Director Ron Howard's Apollo 13 is like a big, historical reenactment with an all-star cast. Best viewed as a documentary-style chapter of America's manned space program, it even starts like a documentary, with CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite covering ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Box Office Mojo (Scott Holleran)

Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents

In this portrayal of the true events of the 1970 Apollo 13 space mission, astronauts Jim Lovell (TOM HANKS), Fred Haise (BILL PAXTON), and Ken Mattingly (GARY SINISE) are ready to be the next crew to land on the moon. NASA doctors, however, think that ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents

Variety (Robert Koehler)

What is by far the most striking element of the new version of Apollo 13 isn't visual, but aural. Because of the 70mm strip, which permits a much wider soundtrack, and because of the standard Imax theater's sheer size, which can contain a vast speaker ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Variety (Robert Koehler)

Tucson Weekly (Zachary Woodruff)

WHENEVER I THINK of Ron Howard I think of freckle-faced Richie Cunningham from Happy Days, and it is only when thinking of Richie Cunningham that Howard's films begin to make sense. How could a director's output be so likable in some instances, and so ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at Tucson Weekly (Zachary Woodruff)

DVD MovieGuide

Most movies find it hard enough to keep us interested when we don't know precisely how the story will end. After all, how many genuinely unpredictable films are there? Some - like Se7en or The Sixth Sense - catch us off-guard with twists, but the vast ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD MovieGuide

The DVD Report (Britt Gillette)

Nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Apollo 13 is one of the best movies of its decade. Despite prior knowledge of the historical outcome, it's guaranteed to keep viewers steeped in suspense. Director Ron Howard creates yet another ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at The DVD Report (Britt Gillette)

DVD Town (Dean Winkelspecht)

From "Apollo 13" to "United 93," my screening selections the past few days seemed to be laced with disaster. On one hand, we have Ron HowardÂ´s detailed look at a failed mission to the moon with big names and a big budget. On the other hand, we have ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at DVD Town (Dean Winkelspecht)

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (--)

This rerelease marks the first time a live-action motion picture has been converted from standard 35 mm format to the digitally remastered 70 mm Imax format. ...read the complete Apollo 13 movie review at U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (--)

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