Review of Christmas on Mars (2008) by Aaron S — 03 Sep 2009

It's good to see a movie that doesn't allow its creativity to be weighed down by its obvious financial limitations, but sadly it is marred by cliches and overacting to the point that it's almost embarrassing.

Granted, it's got an interesting premise and it is just plain fun to travel the imaginative sets since it's almost like watching a bunch of kids making a pillow fort or a tree house. And there are indeed a few genuinely funny random moments tossed in for good measure.

But even cameos by Adam Goldberg & Fred Armisen don't generate enough anti-G to float the dramatic ineptitude of the other players since the timing was all off. And since the story works almost solely on a theoretical level without the grandeur or eye for beauty that make other like-minded films so great, the experience is generally one of annoyance since the entire idea of science fiction relies on a certain suspension of belief through vivid and convincing imaginary worlds, something that this doesn't really do.

Love the neo-psychedelian rock, hate the filmmaking.