Apollo 13 (1995)

The re-release review highlights how the IMAX format enhances the bold visuals and powerful sound of the thrilling enclosed-space drama, making the story of improvisation and survival even more impactful without needing spectacle. It remains a strong, detailed recreation of the events with committed performances.

The film unfolds with perfect immediacy and draws viewers into the nail-biting suspense of a spellbinding true story. It understands the difference between movie bravado and real courage, celebrating the latter through strong performances and an emphasis on the intricate group effort.

The critic praises Ron Howard's docu-drama for its power and exhilaration in recounting the Apollo 13 mission, highlighting the gripping narrative and strong ensemble performances despite knowing the outcome. They single out the authentic visual spectacle and the team's improvisational efforts as particularly compelling.

The critic highlights the film's casual, everyday feel and communitarian sensibility as what makes it work, praising Howard's direction of actors and sense of place; singles out the small gestures and details like the simulator sequence for making the suspense compelling.

The critic calls it the ultimate rescue story that pays tribute to the astronauts' bravery and American know-how. Highlights Tom Hanks' ordinary everyman quality as Lovell, strong supporting turns including Ed Harris, and the technical tour de force achieved partly through genuine weightless filming.

The critic praises the film's suspenseful storytelling, technical achievements, and embodiment of American virtues, while noting its methodical structure and shallow characterization. It singles out the verisimilitude of the mission visualization and the positive posture of the characters for praise.

The critic calls it Ron Howard’s most impressive film to date, a straight-ahead, worshipful dramatization that excels in its tense, well-executed scenes of problem-solving and physical re-creation of the spacecraft and mission control. The jargon-heavy story is handled effectively overall, though it leans into sentimental, middle-of-the-road territory without revisionism.

The critic describes a well-researched adaptation of the Apollo 13 story that makes for a pacy, compelling movie. The film introduces some chaos and dramatic inventions into NASA’s procedures for cinematic effect.

The critic finds the film a stirring true-life adventure that effectively dramatizes the improvisational heroism of the mission and the NASA team through clear storytelling and strong ensemble performances, especially Ed Harris as Gene Kranz. Some elements like the score, drab cinematography, and overly sentimental family scenes weaken the momentum, but the core remains lively and impressive.

The review observes that the known outcome removes natural suspense, forcing Howard to manufacture tension via crew conflicts and ground control battles, while noting some effective thrills like the launch and filter fabrication but criticizing sparse dramatic scenes and pedestrian effects; it scores points for subtly affirming traditional male heroism.

The critic calls the film a disastrous disaster movie and a tepid TV movie on video, robbed of its theatrical impact. They single out Ron Howard and Tom Hanks for making everything bland and sucking tension from the story.

The critic praises the film as a very fine piece of work and a stirring example of Hollywood's capabilities when authenticity is prioritized. They single out the unrelenting tension maintained throughout the two-and-a-half-hour runtime and the magnificent ensemble cast.