Review of Red Planet (2000) by Ola G — 17 Jan 2016

In 2056 AD, Earth is in ecologic crisis as a consequence of pollution and overpopulation. Automated interplanetary missions have been seeding Mars with atmosphere-producing algae as the first stage of terraforming the planet. When the oxygen quantity produced by the algae is inexplicably reduced, the crew of Mars-1 investigate; a crew consisting of Dr. Quinn Burchenal (Tom Sizemore), an agnostic geneticist, Dr. Bud Chantilas (Terence Stamp), an aging philosophical scientist and surgeon, systems engineer Robby Gallagher (Val Kilmer), commander Kate Bowman (Carrie-Anne Moss), pilot Lt. Ted Santen (Benjamin Bratt), and terraforming scientist Chip Pettengill (Simon Baker). When Mars 1 is damaged in arrival, Bowman remains aboard for repair while the others land to locate an automated habitat established earlier to manufacture food and oxygen. During insertion, the team's landing craft is damaged and crash-lands off-course. In the aftermath, "AMEE" (Autonomous Mapping Exploration and Evasion), a military robot programmed to guide them, is lost, and Chantillas suffers a ruptured spleen and internal bleeding, and tells the others to leave him behind. Santen refuses, but Chantillas tells them that they only have eight hours of oxygen left to make it to HAB 1, the automated habitat placed on Mars. Chantillas tells Gallagher that it's all right, as he got to see Mars for the first time, and the others leave to allow Chantillas to die in peace. In orbit around Mars, Bowman contacts Earth, which informs her that Mars-1 is in decaying orbit, but offers hope of restoring engine function in departing Mars.The crew must depend on one another for survival on the hostile surface of Mars, their doubts, fears and questions about God, man's destiny and the nature of the universe become defining elements in their fates. In this alien environment they must come face to face with their most human selves...

"Red Planet" has a great cast with Sizemore, Kilmer, Stamp, Kilmer, Moss, Bratt and Baker and all give solid performances in this apocalyptic science fiction thriller adventure. The set up with Earth on the verge of dying is as current as ever as it was back in 2000 when the film was produced and this creates a sense of "now" when re-seeing it. However, the idea in the film how to terraform Mars by growing a special type of algae on the surface of the planet might be a bit farfetched and believable as a storyline. Then again it´s a film, not reality. Parts of the problem with "Red Planet" is the script that doesn´t manage to explain certain plot twists, certain scenes and certain actions as well. This keeps making the film feel a bit messy plus the CGI is not up to scratch all the time. Which also builds on the unbalance in the film. Having Stamp die that early on in the film is a mistake in my book, as he adds so much weight. And why is Carrie-Anne Moss put in a nude shower situation that really doesn´t add anything to her character and the fact that she keeps on walking around in see through tank tops a bigger part of the movie. Great actress and a beautiful woman for sure, but those scenes are simply not necessary. "Red Planet" is not too bad, but there´s too much that doesn´t connect in the story and it never really becomes that exciting as you would hope it would.