Mission To Mars
by Brian De Palma
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Connie Nielsen, Don Cheadle, Gary Sinise, Jerry O'Connell, Tim RobbinsDirector: Brian De Palma
Brand: DIS
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language); French (Dubbed)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
Published: 2002-06-01
DVD Release Date: 2002-06-04
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product features:
- From the director of Mission: Impossible comes the thrilling, eye-popping science-fiction adventure Mission To Mars starring Gary Sinise (Snake Eyes) and Tim Robbins (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me). The year is 2020, and the first manned mission to Mars, commanded by Luke Graham (Don Cheadle - Out Of Sight), lands safely on the red planet. But the Martian landscape harbors a bizarre an
Movie Reviews of Mission To Mars
Movie Review: DePalma's "2001" (or: 2020: The Year of Perfect Vision)
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok, this is a Brian DePalma film, let's establish that right off the bat. As I should've pointed out in any of my other reviews of DePalma's films, to appreciate (read "get") DePalma, one must be exposed to and appreciate films by filmmakers ranging from Michelangelo to Fellini, from Kubrick to Hitchcock, from Coppolla to Welles, from Hawks to Capra, from Donen to Lelouch, from Scorcese to Godard. Filmmakers who pioneered the art of visual storytelling, relying on great, strong, awe-inspiring, jaw dropping visuals coupled with good solid acting and a very enticing Human story; and not have to be "talked to death" with dialogue overflowing in EVERY scene. You have to, as a viewer, read facial expressions, eye movement, guess what's been said, guess what's going on, question where you may be in the movie as far as plot, keeping you almost in a state of utter confusion only to wrap everything together at film's end in a way that will have you feeling like the rug has just been pulled out from under you because it's done in such utter climatic fashion.
This film starts with a DePalma trademark crane tracking shot that goes on for the entire length of credits, starting with a rocketship launch that reveals itself to be only a bottle rocket as the film opens showing us that all is not what it appears to be from the start, and a back yard barbeque and all the characters that we'll need to know in this ten minute take. Then the shots of Mars, and the way scenes are done via telescreen depicting communication between the astronauts on Mars and the Space Station. The CGI in this film are amazing! Finally a great movie that uses CGI to serve the story instead of the other way around. The Martian Storm Funnel scene alone is worth viewing the film over and over for. The stunning way DePalma shows us a 'vortex' scene in so many different ways, or creating a 'vortex' mood in so many scenes. Ranging from the M&M's Phil (played brilliantly by the very talented Jerry O'Connel)has displayed as his ideal perfect woman to another scene where the M&M's are spilled and floating in a DNA form, to the scene where the micrometeroids hit the ship, and the Dr. Pepper and the leaking fuel are showing us the same DNA vortex. Or scenes showing the spaceship done in a whirling fashion. And I won't spoil the ending by saying that it is nothing short of an AWESOME vortex climax that will leave you breathless (with maybe a few tears slipping down your cheeks), then laughing lightly as the other ship goes SHOOTING by into the vortex and the words THE END popping up, as they did in movies of yore.
Now, let me note that the reason I'm doing a plot summary the way I am is because that this is a DePalma film that I was expecting to go in a different direction than it took when I first saw it when it first hit video. As a matter of fact, I let myself be led to believe that the film was building toward something sinister, like Tobe Hooper's "Invaders From Mars", or Phillip Kaufman's "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers", between what was happening on screen visually along with composer Ennio Morriconne's AWESOME score. So, when the four main characters meet the Martian alien, which I now realize upon subsequent viewings is an Ancient Martian Spirit, I initially hated this movie as it continued on from there until the final minute or two. I even found myself telling my friend I was viewing this with : "This s**ks! DePalma has finally made a movie that I HATE!", then as I was speaking, the final minute or two Paul Hirsch's edited flashback scene pops up from out of nowhere and I was stunned; and the other part of the ending all worked for me. I immediately watched it again as soon as I could, and I've loved it even more every time I've viewed it, which is very often.
When you realize the whole story revolves around Maggie and about going "Home", you may even realize why the Martian Spirit is crying a single tear when She appears (it's not just because She sensed the pain of their journey, and their pain of losing a friend/pilot along the way. She is also crying a tear for all Humanity). I used to have a bit of trouble with some of the dialgue in this scene, for I thought it somewhat unneccesary, but then realized that it's there so that the fact the Ancient Martian Spirit and Gary Sinise's character communicate telepathically for just a few seconds, in a very short moment that is done in a "visual storytelling" way, is more evident on subsequent viewings. You can almost hear the words: Martian-"You want to go Home?" and Sinise's reply-"Yes, I do." And, oh my god, the evolution scene is AWESOME! Yet, for any Christian viewers, this is a Disney film, so listen for a lot of nice references to God and Jesus, and a nice film free from any vulgar profanity. Not that profanity offends me ("Scarface" is one of my all-time favorites -another DePalma classic!- has f**k in it over 100+ times, but it serves the story of that film; in this one there's no need for it.)
As for film making techniques that I hinted at before, now that I've mentioned Maggie (SO perfectly played by the great Kim Delaney), a character that's not only seen but one time in the film (well, twice counting the flashback at the end), yet a character that is definetly no SMALL character; as there never seem to be any of those in any of DePalma's films - even the SMALLEST of roles are also most times some of the most key roles- is shown to us in a movie within a movie within a movie, and to me this movie is worth owning just for scenes like that alone, let alone all the other NUMEROUS scenes that are just awe-inspiring to any film student today. Yes, there's maybe some nonperfect dialgoue, and/or dialgoue in a scene that didn't need it, but overall this is a solid masterpiece of sci-fi! I would easily rank this on the same level as Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey", Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", Spielberg's "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind", George Lucas' first 3 "Star Wars" films, or "Contact". No gory "Men In Black" type aliens, thank God. A simple story about a lonely widower that only wants to go "Home", even if it means leaving the world you're in now to get there, this is an AWESOME version of any "Odyssey" story ever told!
Summary of Mission To Mars
Synopsis:Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: PG
Street Date: 09/02/03
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve Please note: This supplier will be closed on 11/24, 11/25, 12/26, 1/2 for the holidays. The shipping cut off is 12/10 to try and have the products delivered by Christmas.
If Brian De Palma directed Mission to Mars for 10-year-olds who've never seen a science fiction film, he can be credited for crafting a marginally successful adventure. Isolated moments in this film serve the highest purpose of its genre, inspiring a sense of wonder and awe in the context of a fascinating future (specifically, the year 2020). But because most of us have seen a lot of science fiction films, it's impossible to ignore this one's derivative plot, cardboard characters, and drearily dumb dialogue. Despite an awesome and painstakingly authentic display of cool technology and dazzling special effects, Mission to Mars is light years away from 2001: A Space Odyssey on the scale of human intelligence.
After dispensing with a few space-jockey clichés, the movie focuses on a Mars-bound rescue mission commanded by Jim McConnell (Gary Sinise), whose team (Tim Robbins, Connie Nielsen, Jerry O'Connell) has been sent to retrieve the sole survivor (Don Cheadle) of a tragic Mars landing. During the sequence en route to Mars, De Palma's in his element with two suspenseful scenes (including a dramatic--albeit somewhat silly--space walk) that are technically impressive. But when this Mission gets to Mars, the movie grows increasingly unconvincing, finally arriving at an alien encounter that more closely resembles an astronomical CGI video game. But this is a $75 million Hollywood movie, and no amount of technical wizardry can lift the burden of a juvenile screenplay. Kudos to Sinise, his costars, and the special effects wizards for making the most of hoary material; shame on just about everyone else involved. --Jeff Shannon
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