Ron Howard reached another level of filmmaking with this recreation of the nearly disastrous 1970 NASA mission to the moon. When an explosion on board Apollo 13 causes the crew to lose oxygen, power and guidance, they suddenly have only one objective: to return to Earth alive. Howard brings such a detailed intensity to the film that even the smallest flip of a switch is compelling. Toward the end of the picture, he manages a moment of pure cinema, in which a dying cassette player floats by the camera oozing out music at half speed to convey the utter desperation, exhaustion and desolation of the crew. Balancing the technological focus is a rock-solid cast, including Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris and Gary Sinise.
