Apollo 13

Reviewed by Drav3n

Format: Blu-ray

Release: April 13, 2010

Rated: PG

Runtime: 140 Minutes

The Movie:

It's been 15 years since Apollo 13 was released into theatres, and 8 years since the IMAX version was released into theaters. Looking at the resume of Ron Howard, I honestly believe this is his best film to date, and am not even sure if he will be able to put out a movie that will come close to being as good and well-done as Apollo 13 was.

The movie is based on the true story of the unsuccessful lunar mission that took place in 1970. Tom Hanks leads this all-star cast as astronaut, Jim Lovell. Lovell was expected to fly Apollo 14, but gets informed he and his crew, Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) have been bumped up to be on the prime crew of Apollo 13. The thing is that at this time in 1969, Apollo 13 going into space didn't really mean anything to people. People had just witnessed Neil Armstrong and his crew had recently complete their trip into space. However the people's feelings change during this mission after an explosion happens on the ship, which prevents them from making their landing on the moon, and leaving a very slim chance that the astronauts were going to make it home alive.

This is one of those suspenseful and emotional films where you already know what the ending is, but it still sucks you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's hard to say that Tom Hanks is the real star in this movie because every actor steals the scene they are in. What also really works in this film is that it's a straightforward film. There's no subplots going on to take you away from the main story.

Whether you were around when this event took place, or learned about it in school or doing some sort of research, you immediately knew this was going to be the perfect movie. The question was could it live up to peoples standards and also recreate the event where the real life survivors can be moved by it and be proud of it. Ron Howard did the imaginable and delivered what many people have referred to as Howard's best work yet. The film was nominated for Best Picture in 1995, but, unfortunately, lost to "Braveheart."

Presentation:

Apollo 13 arrives on blu-ray with an almost-perfect look to it. First, the overall transfer on this is phenomenal looking and a huge step up from the previously released dvd's. However, there are several scenes that suffer from a great deal of softness and lacking in detail. Once they are in space, the amount of detail is excellent. Skin tones are very lifelike, blacks are deep, and even though there isn't much color, what's there does look strong. In the end, this transfer will please videophiles. And if you want to "wow" your friends with the power of blu-ray, show them the scene when the rocket takes off and watch the look on their faces!

Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track sounds just as good as you hoped. Unforunately, nothing really "sound-worthy" happens until they take off into space. But once that happens, the audio is a pleasure to listen to. Dialogue sounds great and the effects sound very strong. The soundtrack used will flow through your speakers beautifully. This movie is a pleasure to listen to, and viewers will not be disappointed.

Bonus Material:

All the bonus features from the dvd have been ported over, with the exception of the blu-ray exclusive U-Control feature.

• Audio Commentary - Featuring director Ron Howard
• Audio Commentary - Featuring Jim and Marilyn Lovell.
• Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13 (480p, Runtime 58:06) - All of the cast and crew is interviewed about the movie. Actual astronauts that survived share their thoughts
• Conquering Space: The Moon and Beyond (480p, Runtime 48:26) – A recap on the space race.
• Lucky 13: The Astronauts' Story (480p, 12:14) – Interviews with the real men that were portrayed in the movie.
• U-Control - "The Apollo Era" (Covers what else was going on in the world around this time) and "Tech-Splanations" (Explains the technology used during the mission)
• BD-Live, Social Blue, Pocket-blu and D-Box enabled.

Bottom Line:

One of the best, if not the best, films Ron Howard has made. Apollo 13 was meant to be seen in High-Def! This is an excellent movie, with a beautiful presentation. The extras are good, but lacking something new. This movie is highly recommended and a must-own for collectors.