If you have the previous single-disc release (the Dolby Digital version and not the extras-less DTS one), then you need to consider whether or not the extras on Disc 2 are worth your while.
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By now, many people are familiar with "Apollo 13", director Ron Howard´s re-creation of the events surrounding NASA´s "successful failure". In fact, the movie´s prestige has increased since its theatrical release in 1995. "Apollo 13" recounts a disaster that took place in outer space. Despite severely damaged equipment, three American astronauts managed to come back to Earth thanks to a lot of NASA ingenuity. The movie is one of the two best motion pictures about the American space program (the other being "The Right Stuff").
"Apollo 13" was the first non-IMAX movie to be released in an IMAX version. Prior to 2002, IMAX theatres projected 35mm prints of movies like "True Lies", but their rectangular shapes did not fill the square-ish IMAX screen. "Apollo 13" was re-formatted for the IMAX screen and was also trimmed by about half-an-hour since IMAX projectors can´t run movies that are more than two-hours long. Since "Apollo 13", we have seen Disney re-releases and new movies (including a 3-D version of "The Polar Express") formatted for IMAX.
The IMAX version of the movie is quality viewing, but the problem is that we are aware of the 1995 version. When comparing the two, I have to say that the 1995 version is superior to the 2002 version because the IMAX edit cuts out too many "grace notes" that flesh out side characters such as Marilyn Lovell (played by the Oscar-nominated and still-beautiful Kathleen Quinlan). These grace notes are most-noticeable during the first half of the movie. For example, the IMAX edit leaves out Marilyn dropping her wedding ring into a shower drain and one astronaut throwing up after the Apollo 13 module reaches space.
If you´re reading this review, then probably what matters to you most is whether or not the new 2-Disc Anniversary Edition of "Apollo 13" is better than the 1998 single-disc version. Actually, things can be a bit complicated. In 1998, Universal released a single-disc version that replicated the laserdisc´s specs (Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, two audio commentaries, an hour-long documentary, etc.). There was also a DTS 5.1 DVD that had no extras since DTS tracks on movie DVDs during the late-1990s took up a lot of space. The new 2-Disc set duplicates the Dolby Digital 5.1 DVD/LD and adds a few things, though you can now get the movie in a Pan&Scan version, too. Avoid the Pan&Scan set.
Video:
Disc 1 offers the movie in its original 1995 aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Disc 2 offers the movie in its 2002 IMAX aspect ratio of 1.66:1. Both versions are free of debris and print damage, and grain has been kept in check. This makes both versions improvements upon the 1998 DVD. However, the video is still too soft for my tastes. A lot of the CGI looks discolored and lacks detail today. Also, Disc 1 suffers from a lack of space due to the presence of five audio tracks and an hour-long making-of featurette. Meanwhile, Disc 2 suffers from the fact that the IMAX version zooms in on the already soft image, which further decreases the resolution.
Audio:
--Disc 1--
The Dolby Digital 5.1 English track does a great job of reproducing James Horner´s suitably brassy music score and the booms of rocket launches and exploding spacecrafts. However, the sound design isn´t as immersive or lively as one might expect of a movie about astronauts in peril. This isn´t a negative, actually, since our attention is focused tightly on the human drama rather than on the technical spectacle.
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[release]14303[/release]