Apollo 13 (1995)

Director: Ron Howard
Screenplay: Al Reinert, William Broyles, Jr. (based on the book by Jim Lovell)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris
Music: James Horner
Time: 140 minutes
Bottom-line: Absolutely terrific; Ron Howard’s best work, and perhaps the best space film made thus far

It is pretty clear that Gravity won the hearts of critics and audience alike, but on IMDb, I happened to see many reviewers criticising the film, and advising viewers to watch Ron Howard’s Apollo 13. Having seen a few of Howard’s movies in the recent past, I knew there was nothing to lose if I saw the film, and now that I have, I feel that Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity is almost ‘weightless’. Apollo 13 stars Tom Hanks, Ed Harris and Kevin Bacon in the lead roles. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars, and won two.

Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell

Veteran astronaut Jim Lovell (Hanks), who orbited the moon on Apollo 8, receives news that he will fly to the moon with his crew on Apollo 13 instead of Apollo 14. His crew consists of Jack Swigert (Bacon) and Fred Haise (Paxton), the former replacing Ken Mattingly, who is removed from the mission as he has measles. The mission doesn’t start very successfully, as one of the engines cuts off prematurely. Three days into the mission, an accident causes an oxygen tank to burst, and the other tank starts leaking. Soon it becomes clear that the crew will not be landing on the moon, and the main priority becomes bringing them safely back on Earth. Do the three members return to planet Earth? Watch the film to find out!

Bill Paxton as Fred Haise

While Gravity was a technical achievement, there wasn’t any real story or character development. Now here, there is a mix of everything – the story is excellent, fast-paced, and highly engaging, the characters are well developed, and of course, considering the technology available in 1995, the film excels in the technical aspects also. But one thing that may be a drawback is that though Ron Howard went to great lengths to make this film as authentic as possible (and he has done a fantastic job with that), he also made it too scientific. I mean, half the time you cannot understand what dialogues are being spoken (something about gimbals, service modules etc.), and hence you might lose interest. But Howard does very well to maintain the tension and suspense in all the scenes... it is almost impossible to not feel the thrill.

Kevin Bacon as Jack Swigert

The actors have done a superb job too. Tom Hanks – needless to say – has given a splendid performance as Jim Lovell, and the supporting actors, Ed Harris (who received an Oscar nomination), Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon have done equally well. In fact, there are so many members who form the supporting cast, and each and every one of them is perfect in their roles. In terms of special effects, cinematography and score, the film falls short of Gravity but still, considering the timeline difference, Howard and crew have done a terrific job.

Ed Harris as Gene, the Flight Director 

So, if you want an authentic, scientific (but very much entertaining) film about space, watch Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 before any other film of the same genre. The film not only gives loads of thrills, but it also makes you realise how critical and dangerous accidents in space are. Flawless in almost every aspect, Apollo 13 is Ron Howard at his best... do not miss it! Since I have compared this film to Gravity on many aspects (because both the films are very similar), I end the review by say that Cuaron's film is a mind-blowing, dazzling entertainer, while Apollo 13 is simply the better film.

My Rating: 5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%