APOLLO 13

APOLLO 13

A film by Ron Howard

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

A cinematic tour-de-force, "Apollo 13" was not only one of 1996's best films, but Ron Howard's critical and commercial breakthrough, as he found himself with universal acclaim for this extraordinary adaptation of Jim Lovell's true account on what happened on this doomed space flight. Breathtaking in nearly every aspect, "Apollo 13" succeeded in creating suspense and drama from a story that was already well-known, with breathtaking shots of space through excellent special effects work.

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 gone down in the space program, and many viewed the space mission as routine, until an explosion in the command module left the crew, Jack Swigert (Bacon) and Fred Haise (Paxton), in the middle of space with extreme obstacles in their way. Leading the efforts to bring the men back is Ken Mattingly (Sinise), who was the original pilot for the ship until he was scrubbed for medical reasons, and mission commander Gene Kranz (Harris). Along the way, the crew encounters many problems that endanger their lives, and procedures never attempted before, as they try to defeat the odds, and make it home.

"Apollo 13" also tells the story of the people back home. While telling the story in the skies, the film manages to show the emotional turbulences that happen within the ship, and within the Lovell household. Marilyn Lovell (Quinlan), Jim Lovell's wife, tries to keep her sanity while managing a household full of children, whose father is far from home, and in perilous danger. The film also tells the story of the men in NASA, who are working frantically to solve the crew's problems, while managing with their own eccentricities.

The casting for the film is pure genius. Paxton and Bacon give emotional power to their roles few would have thought possible, and Sinise builds on his stunning performance in "Forrest Gump" to create an emotionally torn, yet tough Ken Mattingly, whose feelings of resentment and concern are brilliantly balanced to play an integral part in bringing the crew home. The centerpiece of the cast is the finest actor in Hollywood, Tom Hanks. Through his pains, suffering, toughness, determination, cool, calm, and steadiness, we the audience feel ease. It is comforting to know that Hanks is piloting this ship; he has a calm quality that drives the film's emotional heart. This is Hanks' film, and he pilots it with cool precision, as he gives the audience what he masterfully delivers everytime: a quiet everyman who gets the job done. He draws the sympathy of the masses, and then drives this film home in the clutch.

This movie is an unqualified success. Everything about it is pitch-perfect, from the acting down to the extraordinary special effects. The script blends real news-clips with dramatic footage, placing the viewer in the year 1970 with brilliant success, even using comedy, romance, and dramatic cliches to perfection. The score, made by James Horner, is also brilliant, heightening the suspense and drama in critical situations, and highlighting the emotional trauma of all those involved in the mission.

The special effects are simply astonishing. From the liftoff to touchdown, every effect, every space shot has the same realism as the newsclips blended seamlessly into the film. James Cameron's Digital Domain outdid itself with this splendid recreation of space travel that is simply a marvel to look at. The scenes in space are visually astounding, especially the lunar sunrise. Every shot made me want to travel in space, and look at these magnificent views of the world. This film wasn't made of this Earth, the effects are so real it had to have been shot in space.

Howard's direction is brilliant. From the ingenious cinematography and effects, to the comic undertones of the script, to the quick cuts that energize the film's decisive moments, everything about this film works. Howard balances the many settings, the many characters, the technical jargon, the realism, the news-clips, and the vivid special effects with ease. The performances just are simply outstanding, with Hanks delivering another knock-out. There is nothing to dislike, nothing to even consider a flaw. This is one of the finest pictures of the decade, and is destined to be one of America's most treasured accounts of a historical time-period that was traumatic and inspirational at the same time. Designed to be a classic, "Apollo 13" is one of the finest dramas of our age, and firmly supplants Howard and Hanks as leaders in their respective fields. One only wishes summer movies are always this good. This is one hell of a movie.

RATING: **** out of ****

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