Mission to Mars

[BarkingGhost]

Recently, I watched Mission to Mars on HDnet or HDnet Movies. For the technical presentation of being in high-definition the movie was fine. But the movie, for someone like me, found myself being cynical (again). I want to re-title the film:

Mission to Mars: Or How Not to be an Astronaut While Cruising the Planetary Neighborhood

My beef comes when the rescue mission is interrupted by a micro-meteorite storm. Everyone is racing to reboot the ships computers, sealing the air leaks, etc., etc., etc. All goes well and no more leaks and the computers are successfully rebooted.

Ok, I am not an astronaut, never finished college, never been to space camp, and don't know of anyone being or haven been employed by NASA. Yet, how smart is it to presume a micro-meteor storm would only puncture holes in the living spaces and nothing else?

This movie was made in 2000. It came out after the Challenger shuttle disaster and before the Columbia disaster. Yet, something in me screams "you idiots" for not checking the propulsion system's plumbing, which apparently is completely exposed to anything flying around in space.

Smart; very smart. Ok, then let's take a look at the scene in question in which some of the liquid fuel squirts out of the supply line, freezes and breaks off, travels back to the main engines' nozzles. I have a problem here.

First, the fuel froze, and very very quickly. Ok, so its blue in color, but apparently it is a liquid that is not based Oxygen or Hydrogen. Must be liquid a near vacuum of space cold temps, but not when fully exposed. I didn't see any thermal insulation on that plumbing, especially where it was damaged. So, how do they manage to keep in in liquid form unless it naturally is that form in cold temps, but not a hair's breadth away in space?

Next, this ship they are traveling in is about to go into orbit around Mars. I expected the ship to orient itself in such a manner that the nozzles from the man engines to be pointing in the direction is existing travel. I only assume this as this is how the space shuttle brakes its speed to slow down and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.

So, if this is the expected orientation then why should I expect pieces of frozen and broken off fuel to travel after and ahead of the ship and pretty much in the same direction (directly ahead of the main engine nozzles) and not in some angular direction away from said ship?

To me, we can forget all about the basic precepts of engineering, aerospace fluid dynamics, physics, etc., etc., etc., but doesn't good common sense astronaut-ship dictate maybe someone should like at the liquid fuel system (especially since you are already on an EVA!!!)? I mean, I know I am a pessimist but this is taking optimism to a whole new level of Darwin Award-ism.

Maybe this film was catering to the lame in the brain? Were there no technical advisers worth their weight in employment? It made me wonder if we, as a species, could have lasted long enough to make the first human mission to Mars, let alone make an Idiots on Parade rescue mission plausible.

Ok, enough of the Sunday morning rant. I know this was suppose to be a feel-good movie, but honestly it depressed me.

[Col. Zombie]

Since we are re-titling, I have a suggestion for this movie:

Mission to Mars; Or How to Push Eject on the DVD Player 20 Minutes Into a Movie, Because it SUCKS...BAD!!


Sorry, but this is one of the few movies I began watching but just couldn't finish. (The other two being Natural Born Killers and The Constant Gardener).

[tiger roach]

I found that movie strangely entertaining, in spite of the fact that it is arguably a real stinker.

And yeah, there is a lot of bad science in there... not the least of which is that the conclusion depends on

[Show spoiler] the "Face On Mars" being real.

[Duffy12]

Also, did anybody else find that the music soundtrack was a bit odd?

[Q?]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Also, did anybody else find that the music soundtrack was a bit odd?

Not odd, sucked!

I didn't like this movie at all.

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Also, did anybody else find that the music soundtrack was a bit odd?

Loved the soundtrack....but it deserved to be paired with a better movie

(How can you not love it...it's Ennio Morricone! )

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Sussudio

Loved the soundtrack....but it deserved to be paired with a better movie

(How can you not love it...it's Ennio Morricone! )

Well at least in a different movie. It just seemed out of place in that one. IMO


And speaking of o' Ennio...I think that he has now passed John Williams as my favorite all time film composer.


.

[JBL4645]

Originally Posted by BarkingGhost

Recently, I watched Mission to Mars on HDnet or HDnet Movies. For the technical presentation of being in high-definition the movie was fine. But the movie, for someone like me, found myself being cynical (again).

Mission to Mars: Or How Not to be an Astronaut While Cruising the Planetary Neighborhood

My beef comes when the rescue mission is interrupted by a micro-meteorite storm.

Oh, there real alright and would puncher right though you like butter at soemwhere around

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micrometeoroid

I also re-call one of the shuttle missions had lucky escape when I piece struck the window!
http://www.universetoday.com/2007/08...le-windshield/

Space is very hazardous!

I rather enjoined the film for its visual effects storytelling and Dolby digital-EX.

Might give that scene a re-play where the dialogue pans from left to centre to right then right surround arrays then onto centre back surround arrays then over to left surround arrays and finally back onto centre front as the camera looks around at each crew member with subtle effects of drinking from bag, to soft crew member dialogue.

Cool bit of sound mixing.

[groove93]

One of those movies that creeped me out when I first saw it. The poor guy "twisting in the wind", Tim Robbins removing his helmet, and that errie "ding ding ding ding" tone during the the same sequence.

[Teabaggins]

yeah the movie is flawed, but I enjoyed it. the aliens were really lame looking though.

I enjoyed the music and the overall weirdness

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by Teabaggins

yeah the movie is flawed, but I enjoyed it. the aliens were really lame looking though.

I enjoyed the music and the overall weirdness

Agreed. I'll never get the hate.

Not claiming it's any sort of unheralded gem, but it provides sci-fi spectacle that was quite effective on the big screen. The "sentient" sand tornado sequence blew my mind back in 2000, and I thought the sand effects were much better than the ones from The Mummy. The pseudo-Spielbergian ending is borderline embarrassing, though.

I'd buy a 4K UHD in a heartbeat. Even a 4K remastered Blu-ray would make me happy. The movie's been neglected long enough.