- Actors: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris
- Directors: Ron Howard
- Writers: Al Reinert, Jeffrey Kluger, Jim Lovell, William Broyles Jr.
- Producers: Aldric La'auli Porter, Brian Grazer, Lorne Orleans
- Format: DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen, NTSC
- Language: English
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Number of discs: 1
- MPAA Rating:
- Studio: Mca (Universal)
- Release Date: Sep 15 2003
- Run Time: 140 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (220 customer reviews)
- ASIN: 0783230710
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #67,036 in DVD (See Top 100 in DVD)
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Product Description
Amazon.com Essential Video
NASA's worst nightmare turned into one of the space agency's most heroic moments in 1970, when the Apollo 13 crew was forced to hobble home in a disabled capsule after an explosion seriously damaged the moon-bound spacecraft. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton play (respectively) astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise in director Ron Howard's intense, painstakingly authentic docudrama. The Apollo 13 crew and Houston-based mission controllers race against time and heavy odds to return the damaged spacecraft safely to Earth from a distance of 205,500 miles. Using state-of-the-art special effects and ingenious filmmaking techniques, Howard and his stellar cast and crew build nail-biting tension while maintaining close fidelity to the facts. The result is a fitting tribute to the Apollo 13 mission and one of the biggest box-office hits of 1995. --Jeff Shannon
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Houston, we have a problem,
By
This review is from: Apollo 13 [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
Are you old enough to remember the space race and the first time an American set foot on the Moon? The Apollo 11 crew achieved that feat in July, 1969 and were followed by Apollo 12 in November, 1969. Apollo 13 attempted the trip in 1970, but an accident early in the mission prevented the landing. Instead, the mission became one of survival. Would the three astronauts make it back to Earth?Jim Lovell (Hanks), Fred Haise (Paxton) and Ken Mattingly (Sinise) were set to make the trip, but Mattingly was replaced by Jack Swigert (Bacon), because it was feared that Mattingly might develop the measles on the trip. Gene Kranz (Harris) was in charge of Mission Control on the ground. I remember the broadcasts of the Apollo 11 trip, but the American public were not particularly interested in seeing live footage by the time the Apollo 13 mission took place. We see the crew filming each other for TV, but they don't know that the pictures aren't being shown live. That all changed the moment the accident occurred. Instead of being a boring event, lives were suddenly at stake. TV crews scrambled to cover the unfolding events. Hanks, Harris, Paxton, Sinise and Bacon are at their best in Apollo 13. We see the importance of trusting in the overall ability of the team, both in space and back in Houston. Director Ron Howard does a good job of showing how events aboard the ship affected things on the ground. The accident gave both teams several problems to overcome and it wouldn't have happened if either team had failed to contribute. It's hard to imagine three men sitting in a confined space holding our attention for over two hours, but that's exactly what happens. You may not know how the original events unfolded, but the tension builds effectively even if you know how the story will end. The overall look of the movie feels authentic. Shots of space are particularly effective. It's almost impossible to listen to the sound of the launch without feeling moved in some way. The movie is structured in such a way that we feel that the three astronauts have something to lose other than their own lives. The first 30 minutes show Lovell interacting with his wife, Marylin (Kathleen Quinlan), and their children. We also see other crew members and it gives us a glimpse of their personalities. This segment is so effective and adds a lot to the remainder of the movie. Howard makes us feel as though we are back in 1970 and that we are part of Lovell's family or immediate friends. The Blu-ray release isn't bad. Picture quality is adequate and the sound, particularly during the launch, is up to the task. I'm glad I upgraded.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Riveting!,
By
This review is from: Apollo 13 (2-Disc Anniversary Edition) (Full Screen) (DVD)
I watched the TV movie, and relived the drama of when it actually happened! I've always been a "space cadet", and have tried to watch every Space Mission. Problem is, it doesn't seem such a big deal any more, even with the Challenger explosion that took 7 lives. It annoys me that I cannot see every lift-off and landing, because it isn't generally made known any more.The night the Apollo 13 epic happened I tried to stay awake, so I could see if the men made it back, but being the mother of 5 young children, I had to give up and go to bed, but they made it back safely. This is indeed a collector's edition, and I am proud to have it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Murphy's Law in Outer Space,
By D. Mikels "It's always Happy Hour here" (Skunk Holler) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Apollo 13 (VHS Tape)
Talk about rolling snake eyes. To begin with, your mission is numbered "thirteen." Then the pilot you've trained with is grounded prior to lift-off because he's allegedly been exposed to the measles; he's replaced by a young buck still wet behind the ears. Once you're within spitting distance of the surface of the Moon an oxygen tank explodes. Obviously, it takes oxygen to breathe, so now what? Shut down everything in the command module, of course, shiver in the lunar module, and hope the gravitational tug from the Moon will slingshot you back home.And I thought I had my bad days. Yet the problems mentioned above merely scratch the surface of the true trials and tribulations of APOLLO 13. Director Ron Howard recreates this gripping, compelling story, right down to beehive hairdo's and computers the size of Mt. Rushmore. The drama, the sense of urgency--on the part of the astronauts, and the NASA staff in Houston frantically trying to save them--is so powerful and vivid I felt I was watching the actual event itself. To magically weave the viewer into the story is a crowning achievement for any filmmaker, and here, Howard succeeds like a wizard waving a wand. Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, and Gary Sinise headline a stellar cast in a grim race-against-time that had the entire world transfixed in April of 1970. I remember being glued to the TV watching Walter Cronkite broadcast around the clock to give us the latest developments of the Apollo 13 story; I remember the relief and joy I felt when that banged-up capsule was retrieved from the ocean. To relive the triumph--and near-tragedy--of this event is an awesome experience, and APOLLO 13 is awesome, indeed.
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