Review of Red Planet (2000) by Timothy S — 02 Sep 2012

Back in the 1950's. there were a lot of films about the angry red planet Mars, and "Red Planet" would have fit in with them despite the technological advances made in modern filmmaking. It's a throwback to the days when science fiction films emphasized the science aspect over everything else, and I admired it for that.

This is thoughtful and meditative over such ideals as our future as a society and the importance we place on religion, and there are no aliens to be found on this expedition. Unfortunately, I also found this film to be quite dull and at the halfway point, I was kind of hoping some aliens would show up. The special effects are awfully impressive, but I didn't find the characters or the story compelling enough to care about their plight.

The film is ultimately cold and alienating, and despite the care that went into the intricate effects and screenplay, I found little reason to continue watching. As it turns out, Mars isn't all that interesting and the film lacks a sense of urgency once Val Kilmer and his crew get there. The pace is meandering, and while great attention was paid tot he technical aspects of the script, the characters feel very one-dimensional. They are almost like people that would have existed in a '50's era flick that this emulates.

The ending is disappointing as well, as Kilmer survives but you're left to wonder what will happen to our society, as all hope has seemingly run out for us. The very premise that this is based on is forgotten about in the momentary delight of our hero's rescue. There's a lot that is good and unique about "Red Planet", but in the end, not enough to save it. It's one film that could have benefited from more of the expected.