Apollo 13 Film Score Review

Apollo 13 is a Ron Howard film starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris and Kevin Bacon. The movie is based on the true story of the failed Apollo 13 lunar mission, and the efforts to bring its crew back to Earth safe and sound. In order to convey the tension and the drama that this episode brought about, the original film score had to avoid the conventions of action and science fiction, since the creators wanted to give it that documentary feel that infuses the film with an extra dose of realism. The movie score was composed by James Horner.

Horner is accustomed to working in larger than life productions and with directors who have cemented their status as artists and as box office draws (sometimes simultaneously), such as the aforementioned Howard, Mel Gibson and James Cameron. Some of his film credits include Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Name of the Rose, Field of Dreams, Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, Titanic, Deep Impact, and more. For his work, Horner has been nominated for many wards, winning several Academy, Golden Globe, Grammy and Bafta awards, for both film scores and for original songs.

For the Apollo 13 soundtrack, Horner uses a slow burn approach that adds to the tension of what is being watched on screen. Just like the space that the film is set in, the score is massive, all encompassing, at times ominous, but with enough room to accommodate hope as well. James Horner also enlisted the help of British singer/songwriter Annie Lennox, who performs in the tracks The Darkside of the Moon, and the End Titles. Other tracks are Lunar Dreams, Docking, Master Alarm, Into the L.E.M., Carbon Dioxide, Manual Burn, Four More Amps, All Systems Go/The Launch, and Re-Entry and Splashdown.