DICK STEEL If you're game to revisit the Apollo 13 mission and want to do away with the dramatics of the Ron Howard version, then perhaps this documentary would be what you're looking for. It doesn't come with a lot of bells and whistles, relying instead on plenty of stock footage and CG graphics to enhance the narrative in explaining what the astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert had to go through when they're seemingly trouble-free mission turned out to be something quite unexpected, relying on the smarts of everyone from the lunar capsule right down to mission control to pull them out of their predicament.It doesn't just focus on the mission itself, but at appropriate times branches off to provide the viewer with a more holistic view of the entire 60s space race between the USA and USSR, with the latter gaining plenty of one-ups against their rival, until unexpected tragedies forced a quiet shutdown of their lunar program, with JFK pushing the lunar objective through to NASA. We also get to see some of the failed attempts of the USA's with their rockets going anywhere but skywards, and you wonder just how massive each space program was in trying to get mankind lifted off from Earth.It doesn't get any better than this with the real life astronauts and mission control crew providing first hand account of that mission which some of the superstitious had a field day with, given the 13th mission of the Apollo program, which blasted off on the 13th of April, at the time of 1313 hrs. That aside, the documentary by Noel Buckner and Rob Whittlesey is presented quite matter-of-factly with talking head interviews with the Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and many more from ground control, including their rival Cosmonauts where you realize that on an individual level, it's about the triumph of man over which country being able to get bragging rights. On a National level, yes it boils down to being ahead, but for those involved and on the ground, whatever progress has been made, is a triumph in itself, and every tragedy reverberating through the space community.And yes, that infamous duct tape solution also gets mentioned here, although not in more details that I would have preferred. So if your preference is more for the dramatic flair provided by actors, then you just might want to stick to the Ron Howard version. Otherwise for a very succinct overview of the challenges faced in the mission, then this documentary account would be right up your alley.

ebiros2 I liked this program better than the movie because it's told not just as a story, but as an experience. Jim Lovell, Fred Hayes, their family, Chris Craft, and other mission specialists all tell the tale of their experience. There's no other program like this concerning the true story of Apollo 13 and is an important document to the history of space exploration.What would happen if a space craft designed to withstand triple failure goes into a quadruple failure ? This was the enigma that hit the ground crew and the pilots when the oxygen tank exploded on the space craft. A scenario that is not possible the way the space craft was designed, and yet it happened at the worst point of the mission when it was not on free return trajectory. Fortunately, they had the ultimate backup - an another spacecraft - the LEM. How to use this resource to bring the pilots back to earth is at the core of this story. It also amazes one to see the professionalism seen on both the ground crew and the pilots to resolve this crisis. A testament to their preparation, and training and their natural skills as engineers and pilots.This is one of a kind story in history, and the drama may even surpass the moon landing itself (nobody made a movie out of Apollo 11), and the story is told superbly by the people who were there when it happened.

argusx One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. If you're a space buff, and haven't seen this, get it. It's available at Amazon.com. Told by the people who actually lived the experience, "Apollo 13: To The Edge And Back" is very well written and presented. Originally produced during the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, this documentary was an influence to Ron Howard during the production of "Apollo 13". "To The Edge And Back" also covers a little of the history of the U.S. space program and the causes and motivations for going to the moon. The technical aspects are clearly explained in terms the layman can easily understand. If you could only have one Apollo 13 documentary, let it be this one.

Jim-500 This movie is a factual account of the ill-fated trip to the moon, which saw the entire world stop its business for a few days to pray for the astronauts' safe return. It successfully combines official footage, animation and a naturally harrowing storyline that keeps you engrossed, even though you know how it's going to end.The film is replete with moving interviews with the astronauts, their families and the scientists who worked on the mission. (One notable omission is the absence of Jack Swigert, the command module pilot, who died of cancer in 1982. Odd that that is not noted anywhere in the movie or the credits.)One of the best parts is the footage of and subsequent interviews years later with the ground controllers who had to solve the impossible problem of how to get the men back with limited air, water and electricity. The explanations are technical but still quite understandable to the layman. It's fascinating to view them saving the flight when most of them were only in their late 20s! And to see them get choked up when remembering the event 20 years later shows the human sides of even the most rugged technicians and administrators.It's a valuable bit of history and is a testament to human resiliency, ingenuity, and most of all the human spirit. As the narration says at the end, "Apollos 8, 11 and 13 brought us together in ways we never expected."