When it comes to space movies, most viewers think of Interstellar or The Martian. And it's no surprise, because the films are incredibly spectacular, and also have a great cast. But from a scientific point of view, another, less hyped film wins against them, which will turn 30 years old in October 2025.
We are talking about Ron Howard's Apollo 13. The main roles here are played by Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton and other actors, who brought to life on screen the real story of the crew of a spaceship, whose mission went down in history not for it's success, but for it's dramatic events.
The plot is based on the memoirs of James Lovell, one of the participants of that very expedition, and tells about one of the most intense episodes in the history of space exploration. In 2020, astronaut Chris Hadfield spoke about the film as follows:
“Apollo 13 shows the explosion that occurred when the ship was approaching the moon. It’s a really great movie. Perhaps the most realistic of all that have ever been made about space.”
Critics agreed with this opinion and gave the film high marks: 7.7 points on IMDb and 96% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes. And the impressive box office receipts speak of the audience’s recognition with a budget of $52 million, the film earned $355 million already in the year of it's premiere.
English-speaking viewers especially noted the measured but tense narrative, the successful soundtrack and the excellent acting.
"Despite it's somewhat dry and technical nature, the film is not without it's touching qualities. Many moments made me tense up and even shed tears. Therefore, I can safely call this film balanced: everything is on point: the music, the actors, the plot."
