Tom Hanks: Jim Lovell	Bill Paxton: Fred Haise
Kevin Bacon: Jack Swigert	Gary Sinise: Ken Mattingly
Ed Harris: Gene Kranz	Kathleen Quinlan: Marilyn Lovell
Director: Ron Howard

30 Second Bottom Line: The 1995 Oscar-winner that re-enacts the troubled 1970 Apollo lunar mission is brought to the larger-than-life IMAX screen.

Tell Me More About It: On any size screen, "Apollo 13" resonates with an electricity that confirms its place in many viewer's lists of favorite films. It is no wonder that this story of extraordinary courage and imagination should be chosen as the first live-action film to be converted to the IMAX format. Indeed, the majesty of the spaceship taking off in all of its explosive glory is perfectly suited for this massive screen and colossal sound system. Those who enjoyed "Apollo 13" when it was first released seven years ago will thrill to the added dimension of this IMAX experience.

The level of suspense that is maintained throughout this true story is continually amazing, when in fact we know the final outcome of the astronauts' predicament. The crew has nearly reached the moon when an explosion endangers the oxygen, power and guidance systems. Through the ingenuity of the men at mission control and the bravery of the astronauts, a unique rescue effort brings the spacecraft safely back to earth. In this enlarged format, the tension is even greater, with Fred Haise's deteriorating health even more noticeable as well as Marilyn Lovell's worried face. Every nuance in every spoken line seems more ominous. "Houston, we have a problem," takes on an FDR-like solemnity in IMAX.

Though 20 minutes were edited from the original's 140-minute length due to the constraints of the IMAX format, the strength of this story remains. Diehard "Apollo 13" fans may quibble about the missing footage concerning Ken Mattingly's quest for a solution to the power problem or Fred Haise vomiting in space. Though it would have been ideal to have the entire original film on the IMAX screen, I felt no obvious slight from these omitted minutes.

With "Star Wars" slated as a possible IMAX venture, it seems that the format is focusing its future on space-related genres. Understandably so, given the vastness of that subject matter. Yet wouldn't it be awesome to see a giant Gene Kelly dancing amidst a shower in "Singin' in the Rain"?

Tom Hanks: "Road to Perdition"	Bill Paxton: "Spy Kids 2"
Kevin Bacon: "Trapped"	Gary Sinise: "Forrest Gump"
Ed Harris: "A Beautiful Mind"	Kathleeen Quinlan: TV's "Family Law"