Apollo 13 (1995)

One of my all time favorite movies that never fails to deliver on one of the most dramatic incidents in the Apollo space missions. Tom Hanks proves he is one of our generations greatest actors as he slips into the character of Jim Lovell, who was also a technical adviser on the movie.

James Horner provides us with a breathtaking score, which can be best witnessed when Ed Harris (playing Gene Kranz), counts down the take off and the camera then pans to the Saturn rocket lifting off from the tour. Gives you that wonderful uplifting feeling.

I can’t believe this movie is 20 years old this year, which if you think about it, at the time of them making the movie, the actual incident was only 25 years previous.

This movie stands up beautifully to the test of time and while there was some artistic license taken (for example Ken Mattingly was not watching the launch from a remote field by his car, but was in launch control manning a station) the overall essence of what really happened in those fateful few days is reproduced faithfully.

It is rumored that Buzz Aldrin contacted Ron Howard to ask him where he got the footage of the launch because it was so realistic Buzz actually thought it was authentic and previously unreleased.

Gemini/Mercury/Apollo were truly the glory days of NASA and when one watches this movie you are reminded just how much innovation had to happen to get man on the moon. When the capsule blows, it is difficult to comprehend just how little technology and low-tech things where, yet, they were still able to co-ordinate things from the ground and bring back the 3 men.

Apollo 13 is a movie that generations will continue to come back to.