Apollo 13 - 10 stars out of 10

Apollo 13 - 10 stars out of 10

“Apollo 13” is one of the most recognizable films of the 1990’s.  Whether you saw this film in the movie theater, during a high school class, or every Sunday afternoon on cable, Ron Howard’s vision presents the complex science and drama of this fateful mission in a way that is relatable to audience members of every age.  It is evidence that a family-friendly film can be critically acclaimed, win Oscars, support a complex plot, and engage our emotions while carrying a PG-rating.  It boasts incredible acting performances and special effects that are on par with every other blockbuster of its time while remaining appropriate for everyone.  I doubt that anybody has ever complained that Howard should have incorporated f-words and adult scenes into the story.  It really makes me wish that there were more films out there like “Apollo 13.”

The key to this film’s success is the combined quality of the script and actors.  Many space epics focus on visual effects but the core of this film is the dialogue.  The script creates a variety of moments that range from educational and inspirational to heart wrenching.  It feels so real because everything is focused around the candid accounts and actual transcripts of this mission.  The writers often incorporate the exact dialogue of the astronauts into the script and other times rephrase the dialogue into memorable tag lines like “Failure is not an option” and “Houston, we have a problem.”  This masterful screenplay is then brought to life by some of the most talented actors in Hollywood, (not just the biggest names, but the ones with the most talent).  From Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton helplessly floating through space to Ed Harris, Gary Sinese, and Kathleen Quinlan trying to bring them back to Earth, a film would be lucky to have any one of these actors let alone all six!  By the end of the film, they embody their characters so well that it is hard to picture any of these historical figures without the actor coming to mind.  The film’s critical and commercial success is evidenced by its 9 Oscar nominations including Harris, Quinlan, Screenplay, Score, Art Direction, and Picture.  It may seem odd that it lost the Visual Effects category to “Babe,” but it isn’t shocking in hindsight as that film revolutionized the use of CGI to enhance living things.  Apollo did win the Sound and Editing categories and any other year, its effects (which still hold up nearly 25 years later) would have won.  But history tells us that there is something more important than any award: the iconic moments of “Apollo 13” will forever be recognizable on the Hollywood landscape of past, present, and future.

[Pictured: In an age before CGI, these actors had to film these zero-gravity sequences on a plane in freefall.  This sort of dedication is why we still love "Apollo 13" today]

30 Days of Night - 5 stars out of 10

30 Days of Night - 5 stars out of 10

“30 Days of Night” delivers all of the violence and blood that you would expect from a vampire movie.  There are no love stories or sparkling skin amongst these vampires – just a thirst for blood in a spectacular setting.  The story takes place in an Alaskan town that experiences thirty days without sunlight each year.  The town is completely cut off from society during this time each winter, making it the perfect target for a coven of vampires.  The vampires in this film are terrifying.  They are extremely aggressive and speak in a language made up of clicks and simple syllables.  Their screeches will cut directly through you as they are led by Danny Huston in a frighteningly convincing performance.  Many of the vampires develop chilling personalities without uttering a single line, particularly Megan Franich as the alpha female and Andrew Stehlin as Huston’s sidekick.  Outside of the vampires and the setting, the film is okay.  The story provides some interesting twists but I have some issues with the execution.  The first 45 minutes deliver a ton of action over the first few days of darkness but then everything slows down before suddenly jumping ahead to Day 18, then again to Day 29.  They probably could have cut out 20 minutes of this movie, spread the events over all thirty days, and kept the pace moving.  The acting is very average among the humans with the exception of Josh Hartnett whose character and acting drives the film.  “30 Days of Night” isn’t the best horror film but there but it will do the job if you are in the mood for uncensored vampire violence.

[Pictured: This film is all about the vampires]

The Descent - 8 stars out of 10

The Descent - 8 stars out of 10

“The Descent” is in a world of its own.  Literally.  As if the claustrophobia of crawling through tiny passages of an uncharted underground cave isn’t bad enough, what if you discovered that you weren’t alone?  This creature horror film will have you on the edge of your seat with its unique atmosphere and graphic pickaxes-through-zombielike-creature-heads story.  A lot of the film occurs in the dark which keeps us wondering if something is about to jump out.  The most interesting part of the film is one theme that is subtly introduced at the onset of the film: people often begin to hallucinate in caves.  Do these thrill-seekers actually encounter anything down there, or is it all in their heads as they slowly go crazy?  The original UK ending gives us a hint but the unknown of this film will leave you thinking far beyond the closing credits.  The individual character development isn’t the greatest (I couldn’t name a single character from the film) but I’m okay with it since these characters operate as a single unit trying to survive.  Certain characters have memorable moments (especially Juno), though it is their actions that make an impact and not their personality.  Whether it is intentional or not, the lack of character development helped me to place myself into each character’s plight.  It didn’t matter if I related to their personality because their “Everyman” feel made me feel like I could be any (or all) of them.  The acting (unlike the character development) is vivid.  I found it really easy to believe that these were real people trapped in a cave, screaming with desperation amidst severe circumstances.  This movie didn’t leave a huge impact on me when I first saw it but with a second viewing, I am very impressed.  “The Descent” has been called the scariest movie of all time and, while I can’t go that far, it is a thrilling journey that will have you turning your head away in its goriest moments and contemplating what is real between each scream of the characters.

[Pictured: “The Descent” is not for the faint of heart with strong imagery and plenty of gore, but I find the most fascinating part of the film to be the questions that are never given a concrete answer]