‘Apollo 13: Survival’ (2024) Netflix Review - Against All Odds

Apollo 13 was said to be jinxed from the beginning due to the superstitions surrounding the number 13. The mission of this NASA spacecraft was to go to the Moon to find its origins and to figure out the origins of Earth too. Fred, Jack, and Jim were finalized to be the three astronauts in this spacecraft with Jim being the commander. A little backstory of how they were selected and this being Jim’s third trip to the Moon has been shown. He was also present on Apollo 8 and was with Neil Armstrong. We're shown the initial process and how just three days before launch the astronaut who was supposed to go was diagnosed with German measles. Was this mission really jinxed? It was hard to say anything like that because of obvious reasons. What all happened on the spacecraft which led to almost fatal consequences has been discussed and I won't dive into the details. The audience will learn about the technical irregularities that happened and the plus point here is that it's all been explained in a simplified manner.

Somewhat of a disappointment hits you when you see how the documentary doesn't show the lives of the other two astronauts. It's possible that the makers had access to limited footage (which has been told in the opening scenes itself) still, I wanted to listen to their stories too. Apollo 13 is not only a story of survival but it's also a romantic story for me. While Jim and the other two astronauts were fighting to return home safely, it was equally important to notice and think about what their families might be going through and what the nation went through. You see Marilyn's concern from the beginning of the journey to the safe return of Jim and think about the sacrifices these families made despite knowing the dangers or the implications of such a trip to the moon. There are certain beautiful messages too like how when you look at Earth from space there are no boundaries and no matter where you want to go, this is the place you'll call home. Apollo 13 mission came as a ray of hope in times when the US witnessed moments like Dr. Kennedy's death.

The addition of Marilyn's story and how she too survived this mission made the documentary worthwhile and a special mention has been made at the end of it. The title takes you on a journey of ambition, invention, and survival hence for me it's not just survival but lessons. After the engines failed, gas tanks leaked, and various other problems came, it was on the people working in the control room to come up with a solution within days which usually takes months or years. It was because of the people working relentlessly behind the screens which made this safe descent possible and you can see worry on their faces. Were there moments of doubt? Yes, indeed there were many despite that they didn't show it to the astronauts and that's how you carry on the burden.

Final Score – [7.5/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times