Apollo 13 (Full Screen 2-Disc Anniversary Edition) From:Tom Hanks , Bill Paxton , Kevin Bacon , Gary Sinise , Ed Harris , Universal , Ron Howard , Universal Studios ,
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Universal
EAN: 9781417042944
Format: AC-3
Format: Closed-captioned
Format: Color
Format: Dolby
Format: Dubbed
Format: DVD-Video
Format: Full Screen
Format: Subtitled
Format: NTSC
ISBN: 141704294X
Label: Universal Studios
Audio Format: Dolby Digital 5.1
Audio Format: Dolby Digital 5.1
Audio Format: Dolby Digital 5.1
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 2
Packaged Height: 58 hundredths-inches
Packaged Length: 710 hundredths-inches
Packaged Weight: 18 hundredths-pounds
Packaged Width: 542 hundredths-inches
Publisher: Universal Studios
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2005-03-29
Running Time: 140 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 1995-06-30
Product Description:
True story of the moon-bound mission that developed severe trouble and the men that rescued it with skill and dedication. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/22/2006 Starring: Tom Hanks Clint Howard Run time: 140 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Ron Howard
Customer Reviews:
 Great movie, great DVD, great price - how can you go wrong?, 2009-01-05
It seems impossible to think that an Oscar-nominated film (in several major categories) could be considered "under-rated." But this is certainly the case with Apollo 13. Perhaps Ron Howard's best film, it is an exciting, harrowing, and ultimately rewarding film-watching experience that doesn't let you down on repeated viewings. Howard brings out the most in his cast - the casual viewer will be surprised at the depth and nuance the performances of Gary Sinese and Bill Paxton. This is also Kevin Bacon's breakout role (with Mystic River). I would even go so far as to say this might be Tom Hanks greatest performance - yes, even better than "Philadelphia", "Forrest Gump", or "Saving Private Ryan" (it is most similar to the last, perhaps unsurprisingly as his Apollo 13 character is an Air Force officer). But the performances are only part of the puzzle. The filming - much of it in sets built for microgravity filming in a NASA training plane - is a remarkable feat of cinematic sleight of hand, and I am still shocked and dismayed that Howard did not win the "best director" Oscar. There has never been a movie that uses special effects so effectively as this one.
The story is likely well-known to most: the 3rd American mission to the moon suffers a catestrophic failure when a fuel cell blows up, leaving the three astronauts aboard with little power and no hope of rescue. Howard dishes out the drama in stages, as first the oxygen tanks leak out, to the temperature dropping, to erratic course corrections, to gradual poisoning of the atmosphere on the ship by respired carbon dioxide. He does not neglect the peripheral members of the NASA team, and pays special attention to Lovell's wife and family. The IMAX version, some 15 minutes shorter, is also included on this Anniversary Edition. It's instructive to note that the longer version is a more effective film, since he spends more time developing the relationships that allow us to care for the characters.
For those that have seen the movie many times, I would direct them to the making-of features as a reason to buy this bargain-priced DVD. Of most interest to me was the audio commentary by Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell. He is candid about where the film fails to accurately portray either the science or the details of the actual mission, while Ron Howard's commentary explains why these changes were made cinematically (as an example - the film shows Mattingly in the simulator exclusively, while in reality there were three simulators and teams of astronauts working in them all simultaneously). Lovell's wife Marilyn (portrayed by Kathleen Quinlin in the film) is also part of the commentary, and her input is equally valuable. One amusing part is the discussion of miniskirts:
Jim: "Hey, they dressed Kathleen in miniskirts through this whole movie. Did you really wear them that much?"
Marilyn: "Well, it was the style at the time..."
To sum up, this is a 5-star movie on a 5-star DVD.
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