"Apollo 13" doesn't hold up to repeat viewings.

Anyone who likes Apollo 13 should watch In the Shadow of the Moon, if they haven't already done so. It's a terrific documentary.

 

I remember applause and cheers in the theater during that moment. It was a amazing how tense, heart-pounding, and self-doubting those moments were in the theater -doubting my own memory that they made it back.

Great, great film.

 

Absolutely agreed. There was some breathtaking footage in that flick. Anyone who appreciates Apollo 13 or From the Earth to the Moon, well... this really is right up their alley. The entire doc is NASA footage (many never released) intersected with real astronaut interviews. Just those two things, no cheesy narrator or anything, but the full story told from the men themselves. The one man who didn't participate, interestingly enough, was Neil Armstrong. This is mentioned by a few of the guys near the end, how Neil sort of didn't enjoy his fame and was always a very quiet person, keeping to himself.

I saw it in a local art theater here too. I damn well teared up at the majestic beauty of some of the never-released footage, and the astronaut's stories.

 

And yes, Apollo 13 is still a great film, all with wonderful actors (I'm a sucker for Tom Hanks, I admit).

 

Apollo 13 is a magnificent movie, and one of my own personal Top 10 movies of all time (ranked at #8). Even knowing they survive, the movie was breathtakingly dramatic and suspenseful. Well worth owning on DVD if you don't.


J.

 

Personally, I have to disagree. IMO it's a wonderful film and I love watching it every couple of years.

 

I have to disagree as well. Even though I know the outcome of the events, I can't help but get wrapped up in the movie. I care for these three men, I want them to get home, I care about their families and the men trying to help bring them back.

The story of Apollo 13 could have been a tragic one (similarly, so could have Apollo 11), but it ended up being a triumphant one. I saw this on an HD channel a few months back. I was only going to watch until the blastoff, but ended up watching the whole thing. I can't help it, it's a fantastic movie.

 

Doesn't hold up? What film have you been watching?

I love Apollo 13, like the millions who have posted before me. I've watched it a few times and still get choked up at various point. I'm wondering why I don't have it on DVD though... *goes shopping*

 

That to me is the most amazing thing about this film. You know the ending, yet Howard still managed to build and make you feel the tension about a moment you already know the outcome of. Excellent film making.

 

Damn, that was a lucky escape.

I like Apollo 13 but every time I watch it I wonder at the young boy watching the re-entry with all his classmates in school. What were they thinking? What the hell were they thinking?

 

Well it was millitary school....I figured he wouldn't get any special treatment.

 

I have to say that although I didn't hate this film, I know for a fact I'd never watch it again. To me it just seemed as though most of the actors were phoning in their performances, apart from the wife who was rather good. But frankly even though I knew the story and what was going to happen, I didn't really care what happened. It just seemed like that most of the way through they were just going through the motions.

 

I find the movie very re-watchable. Good stuff.

 

I LOVE this movie. I enjoy watching it over and over.

And I definitely agree on From the Earth to the Moon. That is a great series. And it most definitely should be shown in schools. Kids can get a great appreciation how to work to achieve a common goal no matter how difficult. Absolutely amazing stuff. My kids, 14 and 10 Love it!

 

To the OP, if you want to see "Apollo 13" in a new light, listen to the two great commentaries that come with the disc: The first is director Ron Howard who gives some interesting insight on the making of the film and the real people depicted in it. The really exciting commentary comes from the REAL Jim and Marylin Lovell telling some of their experiences related to the movie. It's amazing.

And to the person who praised "From the Earth to the Moon", I wholeheartedly agree. My only regrets are that Apollo 10 and 16 got only a few minutes of screen-time, and that, given how prominent the grounded Mercury astronaut Deke Slayton was in the mini-series, we never see that he did eventually get to go into space on the Apollo-Soyuz mission.

 

I think the SFX for this movie were very realistic for the time and still stand up very well. It's a "period" piece so it doesn't look out-dated. Strong performances carry a lot of weight and all the actors did a fine job. You could almost release this movie today, as is and it would do just as well. A few FX touch ups would be all that's needed. Hell, this movie still has what are probably the best zero-G scenes in movie history. Being filmed partially on the "Vomet Comet" definitely helped!

Not dated and DOES hold up well to repeat viewings. It's a great movie.

 

I find Apollo 13 to be an incredible movie. It's definitely with its flaws, but I find that I can watch it time and time again and still enjoy it and be captivated by it. It's suspenseful, even knowing how it ends. I remember going to see it with my parents when it first came out. Both of them lived through it and remember the actual incident, and even knowing how it ended, my dad said he was on the edge of his seat.

 

Except for the part when an Aquarius/Odyssey rocket the size of Cuba is shown with the Moon and Earth in the same shot.

 

I still watch enjoy seeing this movie and rank it, inside my top 20 still.