Mission to Mars *** (2000, Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Jerry O’Connell) – Classic Movie Review 1292

Take the best bits of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the worst parts of The Abyss. Add in pieces of Contact, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Apollo 13 and just a dash of Destination Moon. Then cast two top actors (but non- movie stars) in Gary Sinise and Tim Robbins as astronauts, send them off to Mars, and let loose brilliant but wayward director Brian De Palma on a vast amount of the Disney organisation’s money. And you have this dopey but must-see 2000 sci-fi suspense fantasy that picks and mixes but still keeps you guessing and entertained throughout.

In 2020, the first manned mission to Mars meets with a mysterious catastrophic disaster. Soon a rescue mission with Woody Blake (Robbins) in command of Jim McConnell (Sinise), Terri Fisher (Connie Nielsen) and Phil Ohlmyer (Jerry O’Connell) heads to the Red Planet to investigate the tragedy and bring back any survivors. But it discovers that of the original team only Luke Graham (Don Cheadle) has survived.

Sorry, there’s very little action, people, but still there are several dazzlingly staged, edge-of-seat sequences on Mars and in space. And, with special effects by Industrial Light & Magic, the Red Planet never looked more amazing or ‘real’ on screen – even if its inhabitants look about as scary as Barbie dolls.

It may be a bit of a folly, but it sure is fun, fun, fun.

It’s rated PG but there’s some brief sci-fi violence and mild language.

Jim and John Thomas wrote the screenplay (with Graham Yost) from their story (with Lowell Cannon). Stephen H Burum’s cinematography, Ennio Morricone’s score and Ed Verreaux’s production designs are classy contributions to the pleasure the film brings.