

Mission to Mars 
A film review by Marty Mapes 
Copyright 2000 Marty Mapes 

**1/2 (out of 4) 

Dear Richard,

I know you look at sci-fi movies with a skeptical eye. If the science is
wrong because of lazy screenwriters, you get mad. That's why I recommend
you don't go see MISSION TO MARS.

M2M is set 20 years in the future. Budweiser comes in waxed cardboard
boxes, Isuzu builds a single-seat SUV, internal combustion engines are a
thing of the past, and NASA is sending the first manned mission to Mars.

After a quick introduction to the astronauts and their families, the
movie jumps ahead one year, where the first Martian explorers are doing
some radar mapping. While investigating a possible source of water, the
crew notices the wind start to blow. Soon the wind forms into a giant
worm-like dust vortex, which swallows the crew. Earth can't tell what
happened, but because of one last desperate signal, it knows three of
the four astronauts are dead.

Another          mission is assembled to rescue the survivor (if there
is one) and repair          the base camp's systems. They also want to
find out just what happened          on the surface that day.        

Richard, I know you're going to see this anyway. At least there are some
good qualities to it

There are graceful, dizzying scenes of zero-g life onboard and outside
the rescue ship. Cinematography, direction, and special effects really
came together to produce some beautiful three-dimensional motion.

Backing up the great visuals was some impeccable sound editing. In two
different scenes the camera circles a room, and the sound of a person's
voice or of music circles with it. Home theater DVD geeks will go crazy
for this movie.

In addition, the screenplay (written by Jim Thomas, John Thomas and
Graham Yost) makes an incredibly bold decision that caught me completely
by surprise. Naturally, I can't say what it is, but it earned some extra
points for its gutsiness.

But the movie's science is going to make you mad. One scene crucial to
the plot cannot happen. It involves something from the ship drifting
back behind it. It's a situation that would only happen if the ship were
accelerating, which it isn't. We know it isn't because one of the
astronauts just came in from a space walk, and HE didn't drift back.  

Another part that won't work for you involves DNA. In fact, a LOT of
stupid things are said about DNA. Since the movie's climax hinges on the
specifics, I won't go into detail. However, I CAN repeat a quote for you
that illustrates my point. After glancing at a few dozen protein pairs
on a computer model, one of the astronauts says "That DNA looks human!"

Finally, with your background in ethics, I think you will dislike the
secret behind the dust vortex. The movie tells us why it's there, but
the reason it gives doesn't fit with the rest of what we learn. I won't
say too much now, but when the movie is over and you think about it,
you'll be disappointed. 

But even WITHOUT the flaws in science and ethics, M2M is really not a
very good movie. There were two corny scenes of exposition that were
almost intolerably bad. The first happens at the beginning when Jim
(Gary Sinise), sharing an emotional moment with the guys, brings up his
dead wife. The second happens when Jim and Woody (Tim Robbins) put
together their rescue plan, sounding like some 8-year-old's idea of a
heroic spaceman.

The film's payoff was equally bad. After taking us on a journey across
millions of miles, the movie ends with an idea that is neither original,
nor exciting, nor thought-provoking. In fact, if you've seen a few
trailers, then you've seen just about everything.

But I'm sure you'll go see it for yourself anyway. If and when you do,
drop me a line and let me know what you thought. I say it a
disappointment, but I'm not sorry I saw it.

Hope all is well with you. Give my best to your wife.

Sincerely,

Marty Mapes

-- 
___________
Marty Mapes
[email-masked]

Movie Habit
http://www.moviehabit.com

"You ever want to be somebody else?"
"I'd like to try Porky Pig" 
-- Peter Fonda & Luke Askew, Easy Rider