Apollo 13, 1995

Apollo 13, 1995
Director: Ron Howard
Cast: Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon



Stage: Home TV selection, late Saturday


Apollo in short: Based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon. Astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert were scheduled to fly Apollo 14, but are moved up to 13. It's 1970, and America have already achieved their lunar landing goal, so there's little interest in this "routine" flight.. until that is, things go very wrong, and prospects of a safe return fade.


Preps: Hm. I believe I have seen this one already, however I did't like it in perticular.



Reality: Well, this is no brainer. The storyline is predictable, as it is based on the real events (point one) and the second point is that it's made in a way you can be a magician and predict what it is going to take, which path and where it's taking the viewer.

In any case, we cannot go beyond the true facts. A bunch of astronauts going to the moon. Something goes wrong and in the mean time they are trying to get back. We are submurged to the parade of their families, as they eagerly try to monitor the safe return and possible loss of their fathers. Very Hollywood like. I wouldn't dream that NASA or whoever rocks these planetarium visits, really gives a damn about the families. The astronauts are like climbers, or someone that goes in a war zone trying to do good. It is a risk you are signing when you are going to the school that makes you an astronaut. Obviously there is a risk you will stay on some Saturn or never get out of a mission.

However, in this movie, we make a spectacle out of this mission (I am sure that even though it's after real events, it wasn't really like this. Cannot prove it, but I am sure it wasn't). The spectacle has a respectable cast, respectable director, some good music and some good scenes from outer space (and to be honest, this is what we all are hoping for because we aren't able to see it). In this sense, some lovely scenes. But this is it. Some witty dialogues, some dramatical scenes that can make you feel with them, especially being from US. But no wonders. No miracles. Nothing really special about the movie. Predictable ending. People shaking hands in NASA afterwards. Eh.. could be much more,




My personal rate: 5,0 (bah. one in a million similar movies, about the astronaut mission, possible failure and safe Hollywood like return).


Apollo on IMDB