MISSION TO MARS (M). (Hollywood Pictures/Buena Vista International) Director: Brian De Palma stars: Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Jerry O'Connell, Connie Nielsen, Don Cheadle, Armin Mueller-Stahl (uncredited) running time: 113 minutes.
A poor man's 2001? Despite having a larger budget than Stanley Kubrick and access to more modern technology, Brian De Palma's sci-fi thriller about the first manned space mission to Mars seems disappointingly second rate.
In the year 2020, NASA sends the first manned space mission to explore the surface of Mars. But when an inexplicable disaster wipes out the crew, a hastily assembled rescue mission is launched. Astronauts Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins and Jerry O'Connell (from Sliders, etc) lead the mission under the watchful eye of an uncredited Armin Mueller-Stahl. Even their mission does not proceed smoothly as a variety of disasters befall them before they uncover the secret of what happened to the first landing crew. They also encounter intelligent alien life and learn the secret of life on earth. Something of a cross between Chariots Of the Gods, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mission To Mars aims to be more of a serious sci-fi adventure exploring grand themes rather than the typical action film with spectacular space battles and exploding death stars. This leads to some rather boring moments throughout that will test the patience of many within the audience.
The script, from Jim and John Thomas (Predator, etc) and Graham Yost (Speed, etc), occasionally becomes laden with excessive jingoism and schmaltz. The special effects are sometimes quite impressive, and the visual effects from the ILM team are stunning. It is obvious that De Palma and his production crew have studied Kubrick's classic, as some elements here (such as the revolving spaceships) echo 2001. They get the nuts and bolts and intricate technical details of space travel right. But the brilliant visuals are small compensation for the overall lack of pace and excitement. De Palma's direction here lacks his usual intensity, and it seems as if he is uncomfortable with the demands of a special effects driven film. Even normally strong performers of the calibre of Sinise and Robbins seem confused and ultimately defeated by the demands of the film and the cluttered narrative.
Mission To Mars explores questions regarding the origins of life on earth, but somehow it lacks the vision, complexity, cinematic style and sense of extraordinary wonder of Kubrick's seminal classic.
** greg king http://www.netau.com.au/gregking
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