With a cast featuring Val Kilmer , Carrie Anne Moss and Tom Sizemore and with a script by the screenwriter who wrote NAVY SEALS you might expect this movie to be an unlikely fast paced action adventure . It's unlikely alright but it's not much of a fast paced action adventure
!!!! MILD SPOILERS !!!! I instinctively felt that this movie started off in the pipeline as a thought provoking intelligent Sf movie based on scientific fact but the studio intervened to make the most of box office potential and this injures any integrity the movie might have had
A bunch of 21st astronauts travel to Mars to find out what's wrong with the terraforming experiments . The stakes are high because Earth is a dying planet due to pollution . This draws one to ask if it wouldn't be simpler and cheaper to get the Earth back into good health ? I mean if humanity has the technology to terraform other planets surely they could regenerate the home planet ? The cost of travelling all the way to Mars and colonising it must be prohibitive ? We also have a ridiculous explanation of how to terraform Mars - By growing a special type of algae on the surface of the planet . Hmmm so what about an atmosphere then ? That can only come about via massive quantities of water and " A type of algae that gives out oxygen wouldn't be enough to bring about an atmosphere and at no point in the movie are we shown any oceans
That's the main problem with RED PLANET , we're treated to plot twists that aren't explained . The survivors of a space fall soon find their oxygen supplies running out and one of them decides to end his suffering by opening his helmet only to find that the planet does have an atmosphere . Wouldn't equipment on the mother ship have noticed this long before then ? The mission commander also points out that there's an ice storm coming like it's a natural phenomena to Mars . Again ice storms would only happen if a planet has an atmosphere something the commander takes in her stride , and despite everything no one ever realises that Mars is a low gravity planet
I guess I'm being pedantic because in some places RED PLANET is scientifically correct and this causes the audience to notice when the movie decides to ignore facts when the story suits it . It's not a terrible movie and comes across a bit like SATURN 3 meets SCOTT OF THE ANTARTIC with high production values but it's not the greatest movie you'll see this week
!!!! MILD SPOILERS !!!! I instinctively felt that this movie started off in the pipeline as a thought provoking intelligent Sf movie based on scientific fact but the studio intervened to make the most of box office potential and this injures any integrity the movie might have had
A bunch of 21st astronauts travel to Mars to find out what's wrong with the terraforming experiments . The stakes are high because Earth is a dying planet due to pollution . This draws one to ask if it wouldn't be simpler and cheaper to get the Earth back into good health ? I mean if humanity has the technology to terraform other planets surely they could regenerate the home planet ? The cost of travelling all the way to Mars and colonising it must be prohibitive ? We also have a ridiculous explanation of how to terraform Mars - By growing a special type of algae on the surface of the planet . Hmmm so what about an atmosphere then ? That can only come about via massive quantities of water and " A type of algae that gives out oxygen wouldn't be enough to bring about an atmosphere and at no point in the movie are we shown any oceans
That's the main problem with RED PLANET , we're treated to plot twists that aren't explained . The survivors of a space fall soon find their oxygen supplies running out and one of them decides to end his suffering by opening his helmet only to find that the planet does have an atmosphere . Wouldn't equipment on the mother ship have noticed this long before then ? The mission commander also points out that there's an ice storm coming like it's a natural phenomena to Mars . Again ice storms would only happen if a planet has an atmosphere something the commander takes in her stride , and despite everything no one ever realises that Mars is a low gravity planet
I guess I'm being pedantic because in some places RED PLANET is scientifically correct and this causes the audience to notice when the movie decides to ignore facts when the story suits it . It's not a terrible movie and comes across a bit like SATURN 3 meets SCOTT OF THE ANTARTIC with high production values but it's not the greatest movie you'll see this week