Review of Apollo 13 (1995) by Arth J — 10 Feb 2018

Apollo 13 effectively portrays the daring events of the daring mission through multiple perspectives. The movie moves through the viewpoints of the astronauts in space, mission control, and the families at home. Tom Hanks, playing Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, is the perfect hero, remaining calm in the face danger and executing important decisions. With stalwart flight director Gene Kranz, played by Ed Harris, Apollo 13 weaves an inspiring narrative that crosses generations. Failure was simply not an option on Apollo 13.

The special effects are on point. The audience feels transported into the endless void of space. The movie looks realistic, despite not using any NASA footage from the real mission. These effects add to the suspense of the movie. Even though the outcome of the mission is well known, I was still on the edge of my seat wondering whether the perils of space would take the heroes.

The real Gene Kranz believes the most important part of space flight is "the human factor," and Apollo 13 captures this idea perfectly. In the movie, NASA isn't a confusing government organization, but a tight-knit team of individuals whose talent and determination saves the lives of three American heroes. I would strongly recommend this movie to anyone wanting to feel inspired.