"Houston, we have a problem! " With these matter-of-fact words, there started an epic space rescue saga that proves every bit as gripping in director Ron Howard's film reconstruction as it did in real life.

The performances are all A1: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton as the crew, Ed Harris at Mission Control, Kathleen Quinlan as Hanks' wife and Gary Sinise as the astronaut whose last-minute defection (through contact with measles) proved a godsend when he was able to bring his expertise to parts of the rescue mission.

Despite its length, the story moves crushingly along, allowing almost no respite from its tension.