Mission to Mars (2000)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Memorable, crazy movie

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Ok so why am I writing a review for an 18 year old movie? Because I always thought this film got ripped unfairly. I stumbled across it last night and ended up recalling why I loved it. Are there corny scenes? Yes. Is this a film for people with no imagination? No. You have to buy into the basic premise which is that there are possibilities out there which will astound you when you least expect it. So deal with the zero g dancing. Imagine you are going where Jim is going.

Interesting concept, visually impressive, but the story is full of ridiculous plot holes. Read other reviews or the Goofs section to see these. The dialog is equally lame, despite the strong actors delivering their lines.However, what REALLY kills this movie is the awful, inappropriate music. Once you start paying attention to the soundtrack, it's impossible to ignore. The soundtrack makes what could be a suspenseful, gripping movie into a cartoon.Two stars. Generously.

It tells you a lot when you see mostly 10/10 and 1/10 ratings for a particular film. It means it was polarizing. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in some of my sci-fi counterparts rating this movie a 1/10. Their comments are their own opinion, but to give this film a 1/10 is a pure injustice. This film provides beautiful scenes, a great cast, and a wonderful refreshing story. We get to see tremendous character building like is rarely seen in other sci-fi films and you truly feel for each character. Sure, the story isn't always plausible, in fact, at one point one character explicitly responds to another stating that what they are experiencing should be impossible, however, what they are seeing is just that. This is how story telling should be done in any genre. The musical score helps to add meaning and emotion. At the end of the movie, you feel like you've watched a masterpiece. Left me wanting to know more about what happens to the characters after it ends--but that would ruin what is truly one of the best space sci-fi movies ever made. Please don't be discouraged by all the 1/10 ratings. I've never actually seen a film that deserved less than a 3/10. See this for yourself. If you are a hardcore sci-fi buff that needs movies to live up to a certain preconceived expectation, then don't bother. If you want to enjoy this for the film that it is, regardless of your genre of choice, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Brian De Palma's "Mission to Mars" is one of the most frequently slammed films of all time. I believe there is a psychology behind this that is rooted in the "herd mentality." What De Palma has done is to give us a realistic look at what a manned mission to Mars might be like, with the very real risk of mission failure. NASA purportedly worked very closely with the filmmakers to ensure that everything was accurate. Of course, it goes without saying that De Palma's people withheld the key "alien" plot point, which angered NASA people when they found out. It is from this source that most of the negativity is coming from for this film, and the public picked up on that. However, even those who knew nothing about the NASA fracas would conceivably reacted in a visceral fashion since De Palma, in a sense, not only deceived NASA, but the audience, by playing it strictly by the book until the aliens step in, and then it's off to Oz. I think this is what upsets people, because I cannot think of one criticism that is valid here except that one.The performances, FX and musical score are all above-average. But could it be possible that De Palma didn't want to make an "Ordinary People" in outer space. D'ya think? Clearly the story is not meant to focus upon the characters or in dramatic exchanges, except to the point where the death of Maggie is given new meaning and her surviving husband experiences reconciliation with the universe. The ending, and the alien's "back story" is not only compelling but innovative. We already know that Mars had a cataclysm because the planet is virtually dead...there is almost no strength in what remains of its electromagnetic field. The idea that life could have been born on Mars is not only fascinating but quite likely, given what we know about Mars today and its water. The music was the biggest surprise. This score is far, far better than anything I have heard onside of the DeBussy / Vaughan Williams / Delius grouping, and it is a great piece of work in it's own right. It culminates in the glory of incomparable possibilities. Highly recommended if you care for discerning cinema!Overall rating: 8 out of 10.