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This meticulous but ultimately rather pedestrian drama gradually won me over as a minor if watchable example of the "victory through defeat" brand of military heroism that John Ford specialized in.
This engrossing account of the nation's most perilous moon shot embodies what many people consider to be old-fashioned American virtues in a virtually pristine state.
Playing the tough, commanding Jim Lovell is a substantial stretch for Mr. Hanks, but as usual his seeming ingenuousness overshadows all else about the role. There's not a false move to anything he does on screen.
The special effects and many scenes of weightlessness look as good or better than in the original, while the Oscar-winning sound and James Horner's rousing score make good use of the hefty audio system.
The re-release of Ron Howard's Apollo 13 in the IMAX format proves absolutely that really, really, really good things can come in enormous packages.
Blowing up some 35mm films to an image 10 times larger could magnify their plot faults and performance shortcomings. But Apollo 13, with its taut cast, script and direction, profits from the process.
If there is one subject that makes it okay to feel old-fashioned patriotism and pride in humanity... it is surely the US space program.
Thrilling, heartwarming, scary, and superb.
Truly a director for the '90s, Ron Howard has mastered the art of spinning big, old-fashioned yarns without any discernible point of view, and his movie is curiously empty and instantly forgettable.
A rousing, flag-waving paean to American skill and courage, Howard's polished film panders to its target audience perfectly.
Apollo 13 remains Howard's masterpiece... It is, quite simply, one of the finest movies ever produced.
The movie is terrific on nuts-and-bolts stuff, but nuts and bolts aren't the same as drama.
Overnight, Howard seems to have turned into a combination of the best aspects of Oliver Stone and Robert Altman.
In an age when we rely on computerized directions and GPS devices to drive to the next town, it seems an almost mythic scenario.
For a 'space movie', both the special effects and photography are surprisingly pedestrian. Where it scores is in subtly restating traditional notions of male heroism.
Many special features on the 10th anniversary DVD edition, reaffirming Ron Howard's film, which should have won the Oscar, as American classic.
It may not be the best film of the year, but it's certainly made of the right stuff.
A great movie, a real-life drama that tugs at the heartstrings and reminds you of the extraordinary cooperation that humankind is capable of in moments of great duress.
The story alone is strong enough to not need a lot of embellishment. Howard sticks with that, and then populates the film with strong, strong actors.
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