

Mission to Mars
4 Stars (Out of 4)
Reviewed by Mac VerStandig
[email-masked]
http://www.moviereviews.org
March 8, 2000
USA Release Date - March 10, 2000

---A copy of this review can be found at
http://www.moviereviews.org/mission_to_mars.htm ---

Mission to Mars is, simply put, an instant popcorn classic. It is a movie to
be seen by the masses over and over; the type of production that will be
applauded by audiences everywhere despite critics’ reviews and re-released
every so often in order for each generation to take in its full big-screen
glory.

It’s not a new idea - intelligent life elsewhere. Neither is a rescue
mission into the dark realms of space nor a patriotic mid-film moment when
an American flag is hoisted into alien soil. Actually, very little in
Mission to Mars is original at all. It is the combination of these grandiose
sci-fi ideas, some of the most mystifying special effects ever produced, and
Brian DePalma’s ability to mix what previous directors Stanley Kubrick and
Steven Spielberg offered with his own awesome visions, that make this movie
so utterly amazing.

First, credit the film for not wasting anytime getting started. The only
scene in the entire production that takes place on earth is the obligatory
opening where the heroes bid their families tearful good-byes. The next
setting: Mars, an unlucky 13 months later. Within moments of the four
crewmembers landing, a force like none other sweeps them off their feet and
tears their puny bodies into thousands of pieces (and yes, the
holier-than-now MPAA rated this movie PG!). But the leader, Luc Goddard (Don
Cheadle of Boogie Nights fame), transmits an SOS signal following the
chaotic fiasco - suggesting that he might still be alive. Soon a rescue
mission is underway.

So what happened on the red planet? Well, I don’t like to give too much
away, but I will share that the folks over at Disney (Touchstone) assigned
the following tagline to the film: “For centuries we’ve searched for the
origin of human life on Earth. . .We’ve been looking on the wrong planet.”

There are plenty of cheesy moments that will give the overly cynical a
reason to chuckle; they won’t laugh with the movie, but rather at it.
However, those moments are necessary – this is a true epic. The movie wouldn
’t be nearly as powerful, nor as enjoyable, without the hokey romance, last
second saves or dramatic connect-the-dots conclusions.

Perhaps you will see this film and find yourself among its critics. Perhaps
you will snicker with your friends at the overly cheesy moments. Perhaps you
will dismiss its likely huge box office income as being akin to that of
Titanic. Fine. But I challenge you to wake up the next morning and tell me
that you weren’t mystified as you lay in bed that night or that this film
hasn’t changed the way you look at the stars.