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Mission To Mars
Rated PG
Runtime: 1hr 54min
Staring: Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle, Connie Nielsen

MFG Rating: 3/5

DVD Features

Video: Widescreen enhanced and exceptionally well done. There are lots of brilliant rich colors as well as the deep blacks of space, and this DVD pulls them all off perfectly.

Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 and it is used very well here. Sometimes SciFi movies go over the top, but this one makes good use of both your subwoofer and rear speakers without being obnoxious. Most of the time the sound is oriented toward front center, it only goes for surround and boom when the scene calls for it.

Extras: The usual audio commentary and trailers are here, but we also get a documentary and some really neat stuff relating to the making of the visual effects including an animatics to final scene comparisons.

DVD Quick Take

Although not a bad movie by a long shot, this movie didn't excite us too much in the theater. However, even then we were thinking what a potentially good DVD this movie could make. We were a little worried though because Touchstone (Disney) isn't excactly known for making killer DVD's. But this time they delivered. Both the audio and video are absolutely top notch. The video in particular will really let you show off a large widescreen TV, and the sound although not raucious is very tastefully well done and will wake up your subwoofer and rear speakers when the scenes call for it.

- Billy Bob

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Movies For Guys' Original Review of the Theatrical Release

Pitch Black and Supernova gave it a shot, but this is the first big SciFi movie of the new millennium. Director Brian De Palma hits us with a strong cast, some great effects, but unfortunately a bit of a mediocre screenplay.

Mission to MarsWe're introduced to a couple of crews of astronauts who are involved in the first manned missions to Mars. The first crew runs into some problems on the surface and the movie really starts to unfold when the second team has their mission converted to a rescue mission to race to Mars to investigate and help the first team. They find alot more than anyone expected.

The premise is pretty good, the special effects are outstanding and the cast led by Sinise and Robbins is excellent. There are several really great sequences in this film that are pretty intense and extremely well done. The problem is the stuff in-between really drags at times. De Palma has obviously been watching alot of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey prior to making this, and unfortunately he picked up a Stanley Kubrick habit of not knowing when to edit out some dreck and just get on with the danged story.

This is one of those movies that is best seen without knowing alot about it going in, unfortunately the trailers themselves give away far too much. You also do need to really see these effects on the big screen. They didn't go for the jaw dropping visuals like Pitch Black, instead they created scenery that was very believable and made us believe the film really was in space. I would compare it very much to the type of effects seen in Apollo 13.

We give this movie 3 stars. I dont think it is one you'll want to watch over and over again even if you are a hardcore SciFi fan. However, it really should be experienced on the big screen. Unfortunately this one is rated PG so not only will you see no breasts, expect to have to tolerate a few kids in the theater. Catch it anyway, we recommend the late show.

- Billy Bob

 

Vital Stats
                   
Less
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Gun Play
                   
No firearms but they did have this cool grappling hook gun.


Blood & Gore
                   
Very tame as the PG rating would imply.


Car Chases
                   
They imply that gas combustion isn't real popular in the future.


T&A
                   
Not even a decent cleavage shot.

Chuckles
                   
Sinise gets off a couple of a good lines with his reality checks.