Thirteen Lives (2022) UMR Stats

Thirteen Lives (2022) UMR Links

UMR Review of Thirteen Lives (2022)

I recently read that Letterboxd was pretty much for young people. I guess that makes me a dinosaur here. I bring this up, because I can remember when Ron Howard movies were
“event” movies. In many ways, he peaked with his Oscar winning A Beautiful Mind (2001). Since then, he has lost some of that luster. He has been working and he has had some monster hits, but other than 2005’s Cinderella Man and 2012’s Rush the movies have paled in comparison to his movies in the 1980s and 1990s.

So, when I saw the trailer for this one, I was not too excited. Add in a dose of Co-Vid (watching an underwater movie when you are having trouble breathing is not a good combo), I actually avoided watching this one for a few days. I am happy to say Thirteen Lives is a return to his glory days. The movie will probably remind you of Apollo 13. Both movies have big casts and on based on a true story. Watching the cast overcome the constant obstacles is the best part of the movie.

Since Netflix has the rights to the soccer team stuck in the caves, the movie focuses strictly on the rescue mission. There is more than enough to cover. I have read that some have complained that the movie is too long. That was not an issue for me, as I was fully invested in the story. The massive cast are all well cast and impressive. Final thought: I am so glad that Ron Howard made this movie and that it is so good. I will be returning to this one.