Apollo 13 Collector’s Edition

Filed Under: Film, Reviews | Article Tags : DVD review

By: The Dweeb

March 2003

DVD Features

Video: 2.35:1 Audio: ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1, SPANISH: Dolby Digital 5.1, FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1

Audio Commentary with Ron Howard, and Jim & Marilyn Lowell

Original Documentary: Triumph of Apollo 13,
Production Notes,
Cast & Filmmakers’ Bios,
Film Highlights,
Theatrical Trailer

Theatrical release: 1995
DVD released on 2/24/1998 by Universal
Running time of 140 minutes

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Bill Paxton, Kathleen Quinlan, Gary Sinise

Director: Ron Howard

Plot: 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.” Stranded 205,000 miles from Earth in a crippled spacecraft, astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert fight a desperate battle to survive. Meanwhile, at Mission Control, astronaut Ken Mattingly, flight director Gene Kranz and a heroic ground crew race against time-and the odds- to bring them home.

Chalk up another great movie from Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, this is one hell of a ride. They took a true story, added some first rate actors, poured on the special effects, throw on a soaring musical score and we got ourselves a winner here. There are movies out there that are destined to be great on DVD, and this film is one of them. And to think these guys went to the moon on less computer power than what is running this web site, amazing.
What makes this film so suspenseful is the camera work and claustrophobia of riding around on a rocket with less space than my bathroom. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be trapped out there in this broken tin can, its a wonder they didn’t just freak out. I think the portrayal by Kevin, Tom and Bill was very good, they really worked well together in this film. Gary Sinise, although he was reduced to a lesser role, also brought in a solid performance as Ken Mattingly. I have to also say, that Ed Harris has an uncanny likeness to Mission Director Gene Kranz. Must be that buzz cut.
As I said in the beginning, the special effects are pretty damn cool. I can’t believe that none of the footage of the liftoff is completely original. If you want to demonstrate the power of your home system, this is the chapter for you. Its got amazing sound and visuals. I also love the fact that in the interior spacecraft scenes they are actually floating around in there, and not held up by wires. It definitely adds more credibility to this film. I have wonder how many times the crew threw up on there while filming.
The sound and picture are the highest quality on this disc. It had my surrounds doing a full workout during much of this movie. The extras that come on here, although not bursting out of the package, are adequate. There is a great documentary on here about the making of this film and it goes into depth about the actual incident. So they did not stray very far from the source material. There is also two commentary tracks, one with Ron Howard, and a more interesting one with the real Jim and Marilyn Lovell.
This DVD is totally deserving in getting a spot on my shelf. Its one of the best out there