Blu-ray Movie Reviews

After landing on the moon in 1969 and fulfilling John F. Kennedy's pledge, Americans began to lose interest in the space program. In fact, many TV stations stopped covering the missions but that changed on April 13, 1970 when Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) radioed back to control with the historic phrase: "Houston, we have a problem." What should have been a seemingly routine mission to the moon became a race against time to save three American astronauts.

Ron Howard was already a successful director when Apollo 13 hit the theaters, but the film put him on the map as one of the better directors in Hollywood. I've always loved the space program and dreamed as a young boy of becoming an astronaut; unfortunately motion sickness and space travel don't mix too well. Tom Hanks does his usual bang-up job as the star, but Oscar-nominated Ed Harris steals the show as mission control's Gene Krantz.

Video Highlights

• AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Exquisite detail in the space sequences
• Inky blacks, especially in space
• Earth based scenes are very soft and fuzzy

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Ample LFE, especially when the Saturn 5 spacecraft launhes
• Enveloping surround sound
• Clear dialog

The video presentation is solid but the photography of the Earth based scenes are extremely soft but when the action moves to our three heroes in space, the fine detail is excellent and you can actually read the instrument panel.

Bonus Materials

• Commentary by Ron Howard
• Commentary by Jim and Marilyn Lovell
• "Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13" (SD)
• "Conquering Space: The Moon and Beynon" (SD)
• "Lucky 12: The Astronauts' Story" (SD)
• U-Control with "The Apollo Era" and "Tech-Splanations"
• BD-Live, Pocket Blu, and D-Box Motion Control

I've seen this film countless times over the past 15 years and I still get goose bumps when Hanks utters the famous line. The picture quality is generally good but it's the audio that truly shines, especially when the men blast into space and when the oxygen tanks burst. Highly recommended.

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Release Date: April 13, 2010
Studio: Universal

Movie: 9/10
Picture: 8/10
Sound: 9/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics